Question:
Can Fatigue mean Cancer?
I'm 3.5 years post op and have had complete blood tests and no one can find out why I'm so fatigued. All my tests come back fine. Funny I had more energy at 319 than at 164. I'm beginning to wonder, is there a blood test to check for cancer? I don't know what else to think anymore. I know something is wrong and I want to feel like I'm alive. Something is definately wrong and no one can find out what it is. Any suggestions? Thanks. — Danmark (posted on October 8, 2004)
October 8, 2004
Is it possible that you are depressed? Maybe a trial run with an
antidepressant could help. You might also want to look into some
alternative therapy such as hebrs or acupuncture. Just some thoughts!
— SarahC
October 8, 2004
No more depressed than before surgery. Actually less depression now.
However I am on Prozac, Welbutrin and Celexa. And yes, I go to councelling.
Personally I think councelling is a joke, just a money grab for them. But
my point is, I'm less depressed now that the majority of the weight is
gone. I blend into society more now, ect. Anyway,
it is'nt as bad now. So I'm thinking there is a PHYSICAL reason for the
fatigue as things are going so much better with the emotional now. :)
— Danmark
October 8, 2004
daniel, i don't mean to brush off your feelings but I have followed your
story thru the past couple of year s and I know that you have really gone
thru some very rough times. More than most of us. I wonder if maybe it
all hasn't just sort of caught up with you. i have gone thru some similar
things and seems like I am strong while I am going thru these things then
it all catches up with me and I crash. I feel drained physically and
emotuinaly and can barely put one foot in front of the other. It takes me
awhile to pull out of it. I hope you feel better soon.
— Delores S.
October 9, 2004
Daniel I felt the same way to, I finally went to see an endocrenologist(sp)
turns out I have Diabetes the low sugar kind I am now on precose and feel
great. If you have access to a machine I would suggest taking your sugar
levels several times a day and see what they are. Turns out mine was in the
20' to 30's all the time, that is why I was so tired. It can also cause you
to feel down, and always tired.
— Tonjia L.
October 9, 2004
Daniel, does your doctor test for Ferritin? Many don't, and that's the
usually first thing to go that indicates anemia. It's the iron stores, and
the other iron studies can show normal, but when Ferritin gets too low, the
first sign is severe exhaustion. Also, many docs seem to think men (and
post-menopausal women) don't need iron supplements...wrong. We have
several men on the Grad list whose docs felt that way that have had to have
iron infusions. Just a thought.
— Leslie F.
October 9, 2004
Geez! I could have wrote that! I too am soooo fatiqued also. I do have a
low ferritin and finally received some IV infusions of sucrose iron. I'm
waiting to see if this is the answer, if not, then I'm at a loss also. All
my other labs are 100%. How is your ferritin?
— ZZ S.
October 9, 2004
Have you looked into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? This may be something that
is not related to WLS. It seems the tendancy is to blame any and all
symptoms or health issues on the WLS, when, in fact, there is a whole
world of diseases / conditions the rest of the world suffers from that we
can get too. May be a 2nd opinion or the doctor needs to look at it from a
new angle.
— **willow**
October 9, 2004
Might you be depressed? Depression often shows up as exhaustion. How much
exercise do you get? I know its hard try going for a walk in the
subnshine.<
— bob-haller
October 10, 2004
Someone had mentioned Chronic Fatigue Symdrome, I'm not sure but that might
be another for fibromyalgia. I know 2 people with fibro and it took years
to get it diagnosed.
— Shayna T.
October 10, 2004
I have been so extremely tired ALL the time too. I'm almost 2 1/2 years
post op. I was diagnosed years ago with chronic fatigue syndrome, but
nothing was ever done about it. I am on effexor, and that doesn't seem to
help much. I keep telling people I feel like a slug in a human body.
Nothing gives me energy. You would think after losing a lot of weight you'd
want to zip around, but not me. I know a lot of it is depression. I've
gained back about 30-35 pounds and I am so depressed about it. It's a catch
22 though. I"m depressed because I eat, and I eat because I'm
depressed.
— candymom64
October 10, 2004
Fatigue can mean anything from depression to the worst possible thing you
can imagine. None of us here can diagnose that. Explore with your doctor
what's wrong and at the same time, explore with a counselor what it would
take for you to feel alive. All you can do is explore the symptoms of why
you think something is wrong and go from there. We are all physical,
chemical and spiritual beings. Exploring on multiple levels gives us the
truth we generally need.
— Cathy S.
October 10, 2004
Daniel, dismiss my option as craziness...I wouldn't be offended if you did.
But have you tried eating more raw foods in your diet? Sometimes eating
more refined or processed foods will give me a sluggish, tired feeling. I
changed my diet to about 50% raw foods in an effort to help heal my ulcers.
It helped, but it also changed the way I felt. More energy, clearer. I
can't really explain it. If you are grasping at anything....try this, you
never know. <br><br>I am not dismissing your efforts with the
doctors by any means, please keep pursuing an answer from them. But you
might give this a try too. /hugs
— RebeccaP
October 10, 2004
There could be so many reasons for fatigue. I am sure you have had your
thyroid checked, but hypothyroidism is still underdiagnosed. The symptoms
are vague. My TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level went from 1.17 to
2.95 after I had part of my thyroid removed. I felt like h-e-double hockey
sticks, even though my TSH was still "normal". I couldn't wait to
get home from my desk job to hit the couch! Tired, tired, tired. The sad
part was that I KNEW what was wrong, but had one heck of a time getting
someone to listen and treat me. I was lucky to see an endocrinologist who
did understand and started me on thyroid replacement. I felt better in a
matter of a couple of weeks. Now, I know that my case is different - I had
an event that precipitated the hypothyroidism. However, in most cases,
hypothyroidism occurs gradually. It can't hurt to see if you can find a
"progressive and aggressive" endocrinologist who might really
look into this and other possible causes of your fatigue. I think the
chronic fatigue syndrome is possible, too. Could also have something to do
with your adrenals. Hope you can find the cause and be treated. It seems so
unfair to go through everything you have just to be so tired all the time.
Good luck!
— koogy
October 11, 2004
Please have your thyroid checked. I am still going through the process of
taking Armour thyroid, just started taking it a few days ago. But I had to
see a lot of people to get them to listen to me. I knew it was my thyroid
all along! I finally saw an internist, and he took one look at my hormone
levels and said it was my thyroid. My level was 5.17. The normal level is
2. So if anybody out there has testing done and the level is not 2, and
your doc won't prescribe thyroid meds, then I would absolutely get a second
opinion. (I also went to see an Endocrinaligist that agreed with the
diagnosis.)
But I had most of the symptoms of Hypothyroidism. That's why I persisted
with a string of DRS. till I got the right diagnosis. Your body can tell
you amazing things.
But my main symptom was tiredness.Then add hair loss,dry
skin,insomnia,ect.(Talking Lots of hair loss!)Have to vacuum daily in the
bathroom........ :)Check your symtoms along with the symptoms of Hypo and
see what you come up with. Doesn't hurt to check, only helps. Good luck,
and let me know if I can help further.
— Candy M.
October 11, 2004
Hi, I don't have an answer I just wanted to send you a huge hug !!! I
really hope things improve.
Kelly
Never give up never surrender
— domestic G.
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