Question:
Does anyone else have normal lab results but they are still tired?

I am a little over one year post op lap rny. My labs are normal but I am constantly tired. Should I try switching vitamins or taking more of them? Is there anyone else out there in the same situation?    — Marcy M. (posted on May 22, 2003)


May 21, 2003
Yes.I was tired constantly the docter put me on zoloft.It said it was depression. Started zoloft and it make a world of difference.I am no longer tired have all the energy that I need now.Maybe you are eating too many carbs?
   — Brenda N.

May 21, 2003
That would be me. I feel great, but I just have no energy. I do battle with depression, and I just had my meds increased, but I don't think that is it. It's not uncommon for me to go to bed at 7 pm and sleep until 7 am the next day. I sure wish I could figure it out. It started about 2 - 2 1/2 months ago. I went from extreme amounts of energy to nothing. I'm curious to see what types of responses you get. I have increased my daily vitamins, I get 60 grams of protein through shakes, I drink water all day (70+ oz.) take B12 daily, and I get my calcium. I also exercise 3-5 days a week. RNY 8/6/02 Start 283 lbs, now 158 lbs. goal 150 lbs.
   — Dana B.

May 21, 2003
Are you taking iron? And, if so, what kind and how much?
   — Leslie F.

May 22, 2003
YES YES thats me. I am 8 months post op, I just had my labs done and both doctors (my pcp and my surgeon said they were normal) but I was still tired so I called and said what exactly is my iron level? The nurse comes back and says well its on the real low side of normal. Well thanks for letting me know before. So I started taking Ferious Sulfate and to tell you the truth I feel a lot better. What I am curious about and if anyone knows the awnser please e-mail me. Around that time of the month I get really bad cramps so I take a ultram and all of a sudden I have this huge burst of energy ALL DAY. It is soooo weird I always wondered if I have some chemical inbalance and this sort of levels it. Well anyways this is still sooooooo worth it I would do it again tommorow. Take care. RNY 9/02 was 213 now 133.
   — April G.

May 22, 2003
I was the same way at 15 months out, i also had good labs but for weeks i was feeling so tired. The doc suggested that i may be taking in too many carbs. I journaled what i was eating for a couple weeks and he was right i was eating too many carbs without really realizing it and not drinking enough water. So i decreased the carbs and increased water and protein in a short time i had my energy back and never felt better.
   — Tammy N.

May 22, 2003
Talk to your doctor some more. Being tired all the time could be a sign of depression or something else like sleep apnea. Of course, being overweight itself tires us out...after all we're carrying at least 1 extra human along every where we go. Have your heart checked out. Do a test for sleep apena.
   — Renee B.

May 22, 2003
Hi I am the original poster. I take one multivitamin,one 65mg ferrous sulfate(Feosol) tablet, 2 halls vitamin c drops, and I get a monthly b-12 injection. I am presently being treated for depression with prozac. I wasn't aware that too many carbs could make you tired. I'll have to monitor that a little more closely. Thank you for all your replies.
   — Marcy M.

May 22, 2003
First, have you collected your labs over time? So you can compare pre-op to 3 month to 6 month to 9 month, etc. Then, where are you within each range? If you were mid, and now you're hanging at the bottom, you may feel it. B12 is one that docs don't usually notice until it's very low, yet you can "feel" bad before the lab computer matches the numbers to "low". The other thing might be to switch to an iron that is well absorbed vs this one. And, probably worst over the long haul, I did not see any calcium citrate here! ANd I"m guessing you're not doing protein supplements. Any of those can contribute to a draggy feeling.
   — vitalady

May 22, 2003
Is it okay to take B12 tablets even if your B12 is okay? Can you get too much?
   — Renee B.

May 22, 2003
My general labs were fine, but I became unusually tired at about 10 months out. My doc specifically checked my thiamine level (B1), and found it was low, and I'm on B1 supplements now. My fatigue has improved in the week+ I've been on them. But checking thiamine is NOT generally done...you would have to complain of fatigue to your doc to get him to check your B1 level.
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 22, 2003
Lookit your B-12 over time. At eight months out, I felt dog-tired. Yet, my B-12 was pronounced "normal." When I got my lab report and looked at it myself, I saw it was in the low-normal range (and I also noticed nobody had tested it in previous lab work, like they were s'posed to, earlier on ... hmmmm, we won't be allowing *that* to slip throught the cracks again). Anyway, I started with B-12 sublinguals and felt much better within a few weeks. Sure enough, later lab work showed I then was up at the "high" normal range for B-12, coinciding with relief from being fatigued, but to the doc's office, it was *all* normal, all along. Sometimes, you can feel the difference, even within the so-called "normal" range, and as other posters have pointed out, that can hold for other things too, not just B-12. Press yourself and your doc for more info. Good luck!
   — Suzy C.

May 22, 2003
I've been extremely tired since wls. It's getting worse. I do one little thing and at times I lay down on the floor and rest. It is'nt like me. I get once a WEEK B-12 shots too. I had a complete blood work up and everything came back great, except my testosterone count. It has to be at least 20 to register... and it did'nt register! (Should be somewhere around 250-950 range)! The doc says that is what is wrong. Perhaps it is'nt helping, but I still wonder if that is the only thing.
   — Danmark

May 23, 2003
My Dr. said, that being tired may be due to rapid weight loss. (If lab's are ok) Best Wishes,
   — Heather S.




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