Constant tiredness.....PLEASE HELP!!!

[Katielou81]

Hi All,

I am new here because I really need people to talk to about my PCOS and need some advice on stuff!!

I have now been taking Metformin for a while, so far up to 2 x 500mg a day and working my way up to 3 a day. But they make me poorly so plucking up the courage!

For around 2 weeks so I have been feeling extremely tired and just can not find the energy to do anything, and I don't know why! Within around 2 hours of waking up my eyes just seem to want to close despite having a good sleep....Is this all linked to PCOS?

Does anyone have any helpful hints or tips for me as I don't really know much about how to help some of the symptoms etc.

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks again

Katie

[Vicky.161]

Hello,

I know how you feel with the constant tiredness. Although Metformin does not seem to have made my tiredness any worse than it already was. I have been taking it for about six months now.

Someone on a forum did warn me though that Metformin can stop your body absorbing vitamin B12 and this would definately increase tiredness.

I should say ask your doctor but my doctor has been useless with my whole condition (took me nearly seven years to get a diagnoses even though apart from acne I have every known symptom)

I have forgotten which website I was reading this on, you could do a google search, I'm sure you would find it, or ask your pharmacist if you can buy vitamin B12 over the counter to take in a tablet form.

It is easy for the doctor to fob you off when you complain about tiredness saying to eat healthier and excercise more, (which is impossible when you struggle with your daily routine as it is) rather than find the cause of the problem, you need to nag them sometimes.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck.

[Katielou81]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply!

I did go about being tired etc last year, they sent me to hospital for tests etc and they came back clear and thats where they just said they could not help!! Great NHS for you!

Are you taking B12? Can you only get it on prescription?

Thanks again for your reply.

Katie

[Annoldie]

Hi Katie and welcome. Yes I'm afraid your symptoms are typical of PCOS, but it should be possible to make things a bit better. Ask your doctor if you can have the slow release Metformin, it has fewer side effects and could make quite a difference. A low GI diet should also help to even out your blood sugar. Getting out for a walk or some other exercise will also help - even though it's the last thing you feel like doing! PCOS is one of those conditions where you can do quite a lot to help yourself but sometimes you have to give yourself a push to get started! Hope this helps. Ann

[Katielou81]

Hi Ann,

Thank you so much for your reply!

I have been on a diet for quite a while now, Slimming World, but I think it may just be the wrong diet from reading my replies. I think I will definately give the Low GI diet a go! I have also now booked a doctor's appointment for next week to ask about the slow release Metformin.....FINGERS CROSSED!!

Thanks again for your help.

Katie

[Vicky.161]

Katie,

Sorry for the delay in my reply, I wrote out a long message the other day with links and it wouldn't load onto the site, it erased my message.

Just to add to Anns reply to might be worth asking the doctor to check out for a couple of things. Quite a lot of PCOS sufferers also suffer from sleep problems such as apnea (the doctor sent me to the hospital to be checked for this, I was given a monitor to take home, that I had to wear overnight while I slept). Also I think it is worth asking for a bloodtest to check for thyroid problems (I am currently being checked for this), as this would also cause extreme tiredness. It is probably niether of these problems, but I think it is worth ruling them out. Unfortunately it seems you have to be the one to suggest these things to the doctor.

As for vitamin B12 you can buy this from places such as Holland & Barratt. I have read in a few different places that this can help improve tiredness when taking Metformin.

I wish there was a easy way of stopping this tiredness, I go through bouts of it, sometimes all I can do is drag myself to work, come home and sleep, drag myself to work, come home and sleep again.

Anyway let us know how you get on. Good luck

[Katielou81]

Hi Vicky,

Thank you so much for you advise. I will definately ask about both things you mentioned at my appointment next week.

I will feedback how I get on ASAP!

Thanks again

Katie
x

[BB]

Hi Katie,

How did you get on with the GP? Were they able to help?

I can definitely relate to that kind of tiredness, before I was diagnosed I was sleeping up to 18 hours a day. I was a student at the time and living on campus so I would go back to my room when we had breaks between lectures and sleep. I was literally just awake for my lectures and for an hour or so in the evening when I cooked and ate.

As well as the PCOS I was diagnosed with borderline under active thyroid, which I think is quite common in women with PCOS.

The GP was reluctant to prescribe me thyroxine as I was borderline, instead she encouraged me to exercise, make changes to my diet and slowly reduce the amount I was sleeping.