Is it difficult for you to start your day? Do you find previously interesting hobbies tiresome? Have you lost some of your mojo and find yourself dragging from home to work and then back again, eschewing social gatherings because of apathy? What may be happening is that one or a combination of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are making you feel tired and easily exhausted.
What is fatigue?
Generally, fatigue is defined as a lack of energy or motivation. In America, fatigue is fairly common, with 20 percent of the population claiming fatigue debilitating enough to interfere with daily activities at one time or another. Signs of fatigue include persistent fatigue and a lingering tiredness that is constant, limiting and unexplained. Excessive tiredness is also a symptom of depression with its accompanying loss of motivation.
When fatigue isn’t relieved by good sleep, proper nutrition and a low-stress environment, it is time to see your doctor for possible causes and solutions. There are many classes of common medications that could give you unusually low energy levels.
7 Meds that Could Drag You Down
Muscle weakness and severe overall body aches can be a sign of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis. This is a dangerous condition in which skeletal muscles break down, releasing muscle fibers into the bloodstream. This is harmful to the kidneys and could cause kidney failure.
Other prescription drugs can cause tiredness and fatigue. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) sound like a mechanical device but these are pills used in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). More than 20 million Americans take PPIs for GERD, peptic and stomach ulcers. They reduces stomach acid, so important vitamins and minerals may not get absorbed into the bloodstream resulting in a deficiency, which could lead to muscle weakness and fatigue.
Antibiotic treatments can cause fatigue. Bacteria-causing conditions such as earaches, skin infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis and pneumonia warrant the use of antibiotics. Researchers have long noticed a correlation between antibiotic use and fatigue and tiredness in some people. The cause remains unknown.
Stimulant drugs like caffeine should be avoided because they can cause fatigue at inopportune times. Though it may pick you up for an hour or two, the inevitable crash will come when energy reserves are depleted.
Fighting Fatigue
Counteracting fatigue may be possible, depending on the causes of it, or you may be able alleviate some of the undesirable symptoms. First, make sure you get enough regular sleep. With our hectic schedules, bedtimes can be highly variable. But sleeping seven to nine hours a night is recommended for adults. And going to bed at the same time each night sets up a good night’s sleep.
Don’t skip meals — this will send your blood sugar crashing with subsequent tiredness and possibly, a short temper. Women, remember to eat iron-rich foods to combat anemia, which will cause fatigue.
Limit caffeine if you must have it – caffeine will keep you up when you need to sleep and cause sugar crashes when you need to be alert. Drink lots of water, especially if you drink caffeine, to mediate its diuretic effect. Relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga can be helpful if you are experiencing a lot of stress and find you cannot let go of problems.
And most importantly, don’t stop any prescribed medication unless it is under a physician’s advice. The consequences of abruptly discontinuing a needed drug could be worse than the fatigue. Many medications have to be tapered off under close medical supervision.
With a little self-awareness and close monitoring of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self, you can learn to recognize and, at times, treat the causes of fatigue that can diminish one’s quality of life.
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