So Very Tired

I’m tired. I have been for months now. I don’t mean normal tired. I mean real fatigue. I’m tired in my bones. I’m pretty used to being tired, but this feels different. It doesn’t seem to be my depression. And it doesn’t seem to be from a lack of sleep. I could sleep twelve hours, wake up, go downstairs, and take a nap on the couch. That’s how tired I am, all the time. So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to the doctor to try to find out what was going on.

The doctor checked me out, ordered some blood tests, and decided it was probably one of the psych meds I’m taking. She wanted to rule out some things but seemed pretty sure it was the meds. Well, I just got the bloodwork back, and she was wrong. Or at least potentially wrong. It turns out my vitamin D levels are very low. The meds might have something to do with it, too. But for now, we have to treat my vitamin D deficiency.

I should count myself lucky in a way. Fatigue is lousy, but vitamin D deficiency can also lead to achy muscles, brittle bones, eczema, and even depression. I have been having some skin issues, but so far at least, my bones are intact, and my muscles aren’t achy. Surprisingly, depression hasn’t been a big problem for me since getting my brain zapped this summer. It’s always lurking in the background, but I seem to be keeping it at bay.

The funny thing is, I can’t even guess how long I might have had the vitamin D deficiency. When my depression was more active, I was tired all the time, too. But that’s a symptom of depression, so I didn’t really think much about it.

I’m now taking a high dose prescription supplement. Unfortunately, it can apparently take 6-8 weeks for the supplements to work. I really don’t want to be this tired for another six weeks, but I don’t see what choice I have.