Fatigue and Blues in the Afternoon

[[ve...]]

Hi.  I'm ten months post benzos.  My primary issues were insomnia and anxiety for which I first took a low dose of valium for a little over a year including a ten month taper off which ended last November.  Then about six weeks post benzo, I got the Shingles virus in January 2010 which was a blow to a nervous system that was already shot from tapering the previous ten months.   I was very tired at 2 and 3 months off benzos but started to regain my strength around April 2010 (5 months off).  The remaining primary symptom I have now at 10 months is fatigue, some blues and sleepiness in the afternoons.  I wake up with a relatively mild amount of anxiety in the mornings, no worse than anxiety I had before benzos.  However, the period from about noon to 4PM, I seem to get tired and I get a little down about not having the energy I'd like to get through the rest of the day.  I don't feel particularly depressed but more sleepy or tired.  I know it can be common to get sleepy after eating lunch but I've also read that depression can cause one to want to sleep a lot too.  Ironically, my sleep has been very good the last couple of weeks, although still not sleeping more than about 6-7 hours per night.   Maybe its why I sometimes need a nap in the afternoon.  I'm wondering if this is common to feel so tired and/or blue in the afternoon?  

 

Vertigo (no more)

[[Be...]]

Hi Verti,

 

I'm sorry to hear that you are still having to deal with the benzo beast.  This is one crudtastic journey, isn't it?  I have noticed over the last week or so that my fatigue has returned for another go round.  Mine seems to be present for most of the day when it appears, unlike yours.  I have also been dealing with the dreaded depression again too, so it would seem like it is all par for the course, I'm afraid.  Do you think the tiredness might have anything to so with your new exercise and diet regime?

 

Hopefully some other buddies will be along soon with their thoughts.

 

Take care.

[[am...]]

I've felt like this for the last 2 years or so,  besides my bad habits I put it down to adrenal fatigue as I I fit the pattern almost textbook perfectly/

 

    * Morning fatigue. You don’t really seem to wake up until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been awake since 7 a.m.

    * Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.

    * A burst of energy at 6 p.m. when you finally feel better from your afternoon lull

    * Sleepiness around 9p.m. to 10 p.m. However, you resist going to sleep

    * A “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally do go to sleep

    * Cravings for foods high in salt and fats

    * Chronic low blood pressure

    * Sensitivity to cold and feeling chilled

    * Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms

    * Mild depression

    * Mood swings

    * Mental fog

    * Memory problems

    * Lack of energy and feeling rundown

    * A decreased ability to handle stress

    * A decreased ability to recover from illness

    * Muscular weakness

    * Increased food allergies

    * Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position

    * Decreased sex drive

    * Frequent sighing

    * Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein

    * You crave sugar

 

 

It got even worse in winter with the short sunlight hours,  so I bought a sun lamp for this winter.  Hope it helps me.  Addressing the adrenal fatigue seems to have helped me considerably.  However I'm still only 2 months off CT so it could be anything : /

 

 

 

[[ve...]]

Hi James.  What text are you quoting?  Is that Ashton?  Sounds like you do have a lot of what might be expected at 2 months out and with a c/t.  In my case, I actually wake up around 6AM with pretty good alertness.  I don't need caffeine to "wake up".  I am able to function pretty well for about 6 hours including exercise.  I can't remember the last time I stayed in bed til 10AM, although that's probably cus I have a kid .

 

Truth be told, even with the kid, I just don't stay in bed even on weekends past 8AM and I'm usually just lying in bed meditating or ruminating from 7AM or so.  That being said, I sometimes feel like around 11AM I could go back to sleep (the fatigue starts creeping up although not too bad). When I was single, it would not be uncommon for me to get up, eat breakfast, read the paper and go back to sleep on weekends.  Haven't done that in ages either, only when I'm sick like right now with a cold, I could do that.  

 

For me, the worst thing is the after lunch fatigue.  I wonder if I have some kind of hyperinsulinemia.  Maybe my body does not process glucose well anymore.  I know that about 6 weeks ago when I was feeling faint and had the high BP (before I lost 10 pounds) I was flirting with pre diabetes.  And I've had sugar cravings and carb cravings for most of my life so maybe my body does not process food that well.  After lunch I get sleepy and lethargic til I either lie down and catch a nap (doesn't have to be long, even 30 minutes will do but an hour is better).  Once I've had the nap, I'm good to go the rest of the day. Maybe i should move to Spain or Italy where they believe in a siesta!   I think they do in Japan, but people catch their naps on the subway !

 

Even on days that I catch a nap, I still get sleepy around 10PM but usually end up watching tv and going to sleep around 11:30PM.   I rarely go to sleep past midnight these days. The problem is that even without an alarm clock, I'm up at 6AM most days, sometimes I can go back to sleep til 7AM.  I do believe my neurotransmitters could still be regulating after the benzo taper, but as I get further and further from my step off date (11 months next week), I feel it to be less benzos and maybe just pre benzo issues.  I used to have the cog fog and light headedness when sitting up from lying position.  That was a big issue last month when I had the elevated BP but has thankfully gone away. Hope the sun lamp helps James.  I usually sleep a little better in the Fall/winter months too.  Maybe it has something to do with the cold weather. Maybe I was a bear in a former life .

 

Thanks for the input Bev, as always.  Yes, it can be crudtastic sometimes.  I've got this cold now and it isn't making things any better!  I do think that the fatigue could partly be the increase in exercise but I am also thinking that I need to get off the prilosec which has a whole host of potential side effects including fatigue, depression, muscle weakness...  I also take a statin medication which can have s/x but I don't really have muscle weakness, more fatigue and sleepiness from around 1-4PM or so.

 

Cheers,

 

Vertigo (no more)

[[Be...]]

  Addressing the adrenal fatigue seems to have helped me considerably.  However I'm still only 2 months off CT so it could be anything : /

 

 

Great post, James 

 

What other things have you done to address the adrenal fatigue?

[[Be...]]

I also take a statin medication which can have s/x but I don't really have muscle weakness, more fatigue and sleepiness from around 1-4PM or so.

 

Cheers,

 

Vertigo (no more)

 

Hi Verti,

 

I've read that statin meds can cause negative side effects such as depression, mood swings, muscular issues, sleep problems, blood sugar changes, blood pressure changes and the list goes on and on.  But like you said in another thread, any medication or supplement can have it's adverse effects, so it's hard to pin which one is causing what.  And, even though you are 11 months out, a lot of these lingering issues could still be caused by your benzo withdrawal, because, as you know, it takes a long time to heal from this experience.  Might be worth checking into your statin med though, as the list of side effects was pretty long.

 

Hope you feel better soon, Verti  

 

P.S.  Here is a link I found detailing the side effects of certain statins - but I'm sure that you are already well versed when it comes to this.

 

https://www.statineffects.com/info/adverse_effects.htm

[[am...]]

@[Be...]

 

 

@Vert.  The text is a the general symptoms that are cited on most sites regarding adrenal fatigue.  I don't have them all but yes you are right in your assertion that they do overlap with many BWD. 

 

 

@All,  here are some of the things I have found that help me.

 

    *Sleeping around 10:30-11:00pm

 

    * Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.)

        Sometimes this is impossible, but in place of it I will do 7/11 breathing exercises, thinking exercises that lower my heart rate (I've tested what works

 

    * Sleeping until 9 a.m. as often as possible

        This is very difficult for me to do,  8am is about the latest I can manage, although when I wake up I will spring out of bed and lay on the floor and relax until 9.

 

    * Laughing

        So very important,  I get laughs any way I can: comedy is great but I also listen to incredibly difficult music and end up laughing try to comprehend how they can

        play so well 

 

    * Exercising

        Again so very important.  I exercise too much for for my condition I think.  You can find all the hormonal benefits of exercising at the following link.

        http://liftforlife.com/content/bodybuilding-fitness-diet-health-articles/alternative-health/709-hormones-and-exercise

 

    * Minimizing stress

        Learned new coping mechanisms for dealing with many stresses.

 

 

    * Taking negative people out of your life

        Not just people but TV shows, places, everything negative.

 

 

    * Eating regular meals

      5 or 6 smaller meals 5 - 6 times a day,  complex carbs for all but the last meal of the day.

 

 

    * Chewing well

        Granny was right!

 

 

    * Doing something fun each day

        If I'm not up to doing something fun, I try to at least think about something fun, depending how deep in the pit I am this can backfire.

 

 

    * Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils

    * Avoiding junk food

    * Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day

    * Taking calcium and magnesium supplements

    * Adding sea salt to your diet

    * Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day

    * Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols

    * Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid

    * Adding licorice root extract to your dietary supplement regimen

 

I lumped the food things together.

 

Basically I wouldn't take any supplements even if I was well. All the nutrition you need can be gotten from food (barring an organic illness that prevents absorption/metabolizing of certain components).  I eat a scientifically balanced diet, which is good, interesting and very healthy.

 

 

 

 

I found that by doing all these things my adrenaline/cortisol levels have gotten so much better (I am only gauging this on how I feel not a blood test).  I was an adrenaline junkie before I crashed on benzos.  The benzos dulled me so much the only way to feel "normal" was through adrenaline overload,  I sought it all day everyday, to some real extremes.

 

 

 

Anyways, there is loads of info available regarding adrenaline fatigue.  It's good to address it even if it's only one issue amongst many in bwd.  Remember prolonged elevated cortisol/adrenaline level have seriously health implications.

 

[[ve...]]

Basically I wouldn't take any supplements even if I was well. All the nutrition you need can be gotten from food (barring an organic illness that prevents absorption/metabolizing of certain components).  I eat a scientifically balanced diet, which is good, interesting and very healthy.Anyways, there is loads of info available regarding adrenaline fatigue.  It's good to address it even if it's only one issue amongst many in bwd.  Remember prolonged elevated cortisol/adrenaline level have seriously health implications.

 

Thanks James for all the good suggestions.  I have one question about supplements.  Since I take prilosec which I believe is thought to block absorption of some vitamins (I forget which but I think it may include but not be limited to B, C and/or calcium...), I have added B complex, magnesium and calcium, extra C...  I agree one can probably get it through food but I guess I'm not that disciplined.  I try to eat well now, eating more vegetables and some fruits.  Why do you think it's important to not eat complex carbs the last meal?  I have been doing complex for all meals pretty much the last month and my sleep is improving dramatically.  I recently read something in a book review about the 80/20 rule which is if you're able to follow a plan or path 80% of the time, it's probably sufficent.  So many times, my inner critic beats up on myself if I'm not doing things close to "perfect".   Part of my healing I think lies in trying to be  more tolerant of progress that is less than perfect which can be as the famed British psychologist Winnicott used to say simply  "good enough".   Good post james!

 

Vertigo (and striving for perfection no more )

[[am...]]

Hi V,

 

the reason I don't eat complex carbs for the last meal is because I eat around 7:30-8:00pm, the complex carbs take so long to digest that I am energized when I want to sleep around 10:30.  If I eat simple carbs or mainly protein  I feel by blood sugar dropping by 10pm and am able to drop off.

 

I try to do a 45, 35, 20 (carbs/protein/fat) ratio for all meals.

 

 

You can find foods with high levels of the vitamins you require at the following site. 

 

 

Vitamin B1 thiamine (RDA 1.5mg)

http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000108000000000000000-w.html

 

 

 

[[ve...]]

Thanks James.  Sounds like a pretty good ratio.  About how tall are you and how much do you weigh?  Just curious.  I think the food ratio you described would work for me with less carbs perhaps.  I'm 5-11 and 184 lbs.  I'm aiming to lose another 10 to 12 pounds and need to keep my carbs below 100 a day at the moment.  I tend to need at least 30 grams of protein at each meal.  

 

V (no more)