Remedies for Chronic Fatigue

Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy and motivation. Often times fatigue is a normal response to physical exertion, emotional stress, or lack of sleep, but when fatigue persists or worsens, it may be a sign a more serious underlying disorder. Fatigue is among the TOP 10 reasons patients seek alternative medicine.

Symptoms of fatigue can be relieved by identifying and treating the underlying cause.  The most common causes of fatigue include anemia, thyroid gland dysfunction, adrenal gland insufficiency, sleep disorders, allergies, poor nutrition habits, an underlying infection, and stress.  Once the cause is identified, natural non-toxic therapies such as herbs, homeopathy, supplements, mind/body medicine, and nutrition counselling can be used to effectively treat fatigue.

If you experience fatigue, difficulty losing weight, headaches, brittle nails, dry skin, depression, or constipation, you may be suffering from an underactive thyroid.   Many patients are told that they have normal thyroid levels, when in fact their thyroid levels are not within an optimal range.  Your naturopathic doctor will test your Free T3, Free T4, and Reverse T3 levels.  Because most medical doctors do not test these levels, many thyroid conditions go undiagnosed. In addition, most naturopathic doctors consider the “optimal thyroid range” to be different than the “normal range”.  For example, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is optimally <2.5 mU/I.  If your levels fall outside the optimal range, your naturopathic doctor may diagnose you with “subclinical hypothyroidism”, and you may be treated with bio-identical thyroid medications (i.e. compounded Armour Thyroid equivalent), iodine, and herbs such as Commiphora mukul (Guggul) and Ashwaganda.

If you often wake unrefreshed, have abdominal weight gain distributed in the “spare tire” area, experience light-headedness, low blood pressure, sugar cravings, or afternoon energy crashes, you may be suffering from “Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome”.  The adrenal glands are responsible for the production of Cortisol, a hormone that plays an important role in protecting the body from the adverse effects of stress and assists in controlling excess inflammation as well as blood sugar regulation. Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome is very common in the US as most Americans endure prolonged periods of stress and abuse stimulants such as caffeine and sugar, which puts stress on the adrenals leading to burn-out.

In healthy Adrenal glands, Cortisol should rise in the morning to awaken and drop in the evening to allow restful sleep.  Sometimes this rhythm is reversed, causing fatigue in the day and insomnia at night. Adrenal and thyroid conditions often accompany one-another, therefore most naturopaths treat both glands simultaneously for the greatest success.  Your naturopathic doctor will measure your saliva or urine Cortisol levels to identify this problem, and may use adaptogenic herbs such as Schizandra, Holy Basil, Ginseng, and Rhodiola to tonify and restore the glands.  B-complex vitamins and Vitamin C are also very helpful.

If your doctor suspects anemia, infection, or allergies, a simple blood test may be ordered.  A sleep study may also be done to rule out sleep apnea as a cause of fatigue or drowsiness.