Question:
Why am I so tired all the time?

I am 3 months out and feel great except that I am so tired all the time. Last night I went to bed at 7:30, usually the 'night owl'. I just can't hold my head up. My latest labs showed my iron to be low. I have been taking additional vitamins as my surgeon instructed. If low iron is the cause, how long until the levels will be back up? If that isn't the reason, what else could it be? I'm drained. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys.    — [Anonymous] (posted on February 4, 2002)

February 3, 2002
Hi, I am about three and a half months post and I know exactly what you mean!! At my last follow-up appointment my surgeon gave me a prescription for B12 injections. I had my first one about two weeks ago. While it was not the miracle I had hoped for---it did help some. Of course, so has losing 72 pounds!! Just my experience, hope it helps. Diane
   — Diane D.

February 3, 2002
I'm almost 6mo out and I find that if my calorie intake is under 800 calories I'm wiped out. I have also read that when we are consuming less calories our bodies want to go into hibernation to hold onto what we consume and we need to increase our exercise to fool it into thinking its hunting for food, that will raise our metabolism instead of slowing down with our low calorie consumption. My labs are fine but seem to be dragging. I'm down 90lbs and am looking good.Due to preexisting health problems I can't be too active but I'm trying anyway to break this funk. Even with 800-950 calorie intake I haven't lost weight in 5 weeks. My dr wants me to get over 1000 calories in but I just can't seem to do it. I'm getting over 70gm of protein and 2-4 liters of water so thats not it. I think my body has readjusted its metabolism to a slow slow burn, so I'm trying to rev it up the best I can. Anyway, thats what I read about how some peoples body reacts to rapid weight loss and low calorie consumption.
   — Helen B.

February 4, 2002
I was exausted from the time of my Open RNY on May 8th until in December. I don't mean just tired, but whiped out. I was getting once a month B-12 shots but they just were not enough. After months of begging my doctor (not surgeon) for bi monthly shots, she finally had me take a blood test. And indeed my B-12 levels were not helped by once a month shots! So she finally said I can get them bi monthly. Now I feel like I'm alive and not half way in the grave. Some of us need more B-12 to get the level up in the normal range. I was one of them. Perhaps you are one. Don't give up! Get some blood tests and get aggressive if you have to. Sometimes they just won't listen unless we scream bloody murder. I insisted on those extra shots as I knew I needed them. Good luck.
   — Danmark

February 4, 2002
Are you taking extra vitamins or extra iron. More vitamins might not help if they don't have much iron in them.
   — garw

February 4, 2002
There are several things that can be whipping you right now. Saggy protein, low iron as you see, B12..... If you are doing your 60-90g of protein supplement a day, that shouldl (in theory) be covered. If your iron is NOT ferrous SULFATE, then your levels should pop up fairly quickly. Iron is taken with C, but no other vites or minerals or meds or caffeine or milk. You can take it with a few bites of other foods, though, like egg & toast or something breakfasty. Or your protein shake, providing there is no milk in it. Ferrous SULFATE (read the back of the container) is not absorbed well by us, so other forms of iron may work more quickly. And then B12. So, hopefully, you will have these 3 drawn again before 30 days and see if your efforts are helping or not, before you go any further. Personally, I think we need B12 shots by the time our levels hit 400, and not waiting til they bottom out around 200. But that's me, living with this miracle!
   — vitalady