Energy levels

[peter1977]

Hi all just wanted to ask and see if others have any ideas for me . My partner of 21 years has been suffering depression for many years now and she has stopped all her meds under the supervision of her doc of course. Now she has her up days and down as to be expected but her main problem is her energy levels she feels really low and tired alot of the time .We have tried exercise at our local gym and many supplements from our chemist . She has had blood tests from her doctor that show all her levels are in great shape but yet her energy is so low .Has anyone else felt this and do you have any advice for me to pass on to her or anything you have taken as a pick me up for energy ?. I know there are no magic drugs out there for this kind of thing but maybe someone somewhere has tried something that works for always feeling tired .

 thanks

[Macka90]

Hi Peter1977

I know how ur partner feels as I get tired a lot of the time, I struggled with depression as well and over came that depression with being on meds for a few years, I too once I stopped taking them felt tired a lot of the time, and still do sometimes, I have been taking iron tablets and probiotics and them seem to help, but I also know I have to push my self to get back to how I was before I stopped taking the meds, as hard as it might be for ur partner she may just need to push herself to do things that's how I get through some things, she just has to be careful not to push herself to far where she is exhausted.

i know this is probably not much help as she may have heard this before or has tried this before but as I have seen a lot of people write the mind is a powerful thing and we can control it. 

I hope this helps. 

[Kathryne]

Hi Peter

Congratulations for supporting your partner, sometimes that is the catalyst for recovery. 

Recent studies have identified that females required more sleep than males. However , how to obtain that refreshing sleep differs for each individual.  

I have found a warm milky milo assists a lot of my clients obtain a refreshing 4 to hours of sleep. One also needs to weigh up the energy output . I find a nice light walk along the beach with my dogs  cashing the gulls   allows me to sleep.

nothing is worse than lying there trying to sleep when all those thoughts churn around , I will only waste 45 minutes of tossing and turning  I will try a warm bath, reading never watch TV , then retry . 

Sometimes a short nap in the afternoon no more than a hour also helps nocturnal sleep patterns.

kathryne

[Doolhof]

Hi Peter 1977,

Regarding my own experience, I had an anti depressant medication which had me really wired so I had so much energy, it was amazing. I then had to change to a different medication, which made me feel so tired I couldn't hardly function at all.  I've had a month medication free, and have just started another medication.

The changes in energy levels can be frustrating. I try to make the most of each day. When I am feeling energetic that is when I achieve things around the house and garden. When I am too tired then I postpone things for another day.

I do find that even though a walk will make me feel really tired some days, I feel like I have achieved something. So even just a short walk daily or every two days might help to slowly build up her energy levels.

Not sure what else to suggest except for a healthy diet and a good night's sleep!

Having you there for support must mean the world to her!

Cheers to you, from Lauren

[Carmela]

Hi Peter1977,

I would just like to start with you are a champion for taking the steps to help your wife.  Coming off meds is never easy. My husband who has depression has done so on two occasions with tiredness and headaches his top two concerns.

In relation to the tiredness, we did try a number of things. One that seemed to work for him was a diet change. We reviewed his diet and tried to eat only whole foods like fresh veggies, fruit, trim meats, fish etc. Nothing processed or out of packets.  This seemed to help a lot.  It did take a couple of weeks but l could see his energy levels increase.   I also did the same so we didn’t have the issue of cooking two meals. I felt wonderful; internally cleansed!

We are all different, so there is no magic bullet to determine what’s best. It's trial and error.  

I hope l have helped in some small way.

Cheers - Carmela