Extreme Lethargy - 3 Months Post-Op

Hi All,

I'm back again with questions about lethargy. I went from feeling incredible with tons of energy to feeling like a corpse in the blink of an eye. In the last week, I have had a headache daily and I am tired all the time. I basically collapse on to my couch when I get home from work (desk job)

Did anyone else experience a sudden loss of energy at the 3-month mark?

All of my bloodwork came back completely normal, I eat enough protein and I drink more than enough fluids so I'm really at a loss here.

Thanks in advance for any insight you may have!

- C

During the first six months, your body is using up any stores of nutrients, so it's not usually nutritionally related yet, so I tend to look to hydration. You say you are getting enough, but what exactly that amount and when do you get it? Average people need 64oz, but post-op, we tend to dehydrate very easily. Perhaps you're drinking plenty in the morning, but not enough in the afternoon. How long did you go without eating? A high-protein snack with a beverage around 2-3pm might get you that boost to keep going.

Thanks for the reply!

I drink about 80oz of water daily and am currently eating every 2-3 hours. I feel no different after eating. I called the bariatric team and they think I have a virus of some sort since I have no other symptoms.

Usually before I come down with something, my energy is gone. I have a sinus infection right now, but about a week and a half before I started having symptoms of sinus trouble, I was sooo tired. I could have stayed in bed and slept for ages if I didn't have a pesky job to go to.

Many things can cause lethargy. It could be a virus, and could also be the first stage of an infection. Stress also depletes energy, as do depression and anxiety. If you are under a lot of stress at work (I have a desk job, but it's probably the most stressful desk job possible or close to it), you will also have fatigue. I'd track fatigue every day at the same time and see if it correlates with anyhting.

I noticed as I lost weight I was also doing more in all areas of life unconsciously, which made me more tired. I wasn't sick or anything, I was just moving and walking around a lot more as I lost weight. I was...surprised by this a lot.

Sometimes, too, we just have periods of tiredness, particularly in winter if we live somewhere that has seasonal changes. The less daylight, the more easily we may get fatigued. Also, holidays are freaking exhausting even if we don't celebrate them. It's an emotionally and mentally draining time of year which now starts months long before it occurs.

FYI - "normal" blood work means nothing to me. I had a year when my blood work was in normal range, but some essential items were just borderline normal - low normal. They were not clinically low, but they were not optimal for me.

I.e I need my B12 to be well above 500 to feel ok. I start feeling tired when my B12 drops below 800. Same with proteins, or iron. When my ferritin (stored iron) drops below 50 - I start feeling really bad.

Make sure you get copies of your blood work so you can see not only the numbers but the trend.

How much do you exercise? At three months you should be having 30-60 minutes of moderately strenuous exercise every day.

Expending energy will help with your energy levels.