Extreme Fatigue from Excercise

I have been active for my 30+ years.  After being diagnosed with hypertensive cardiomyopathy 3 years ago, I find it difficult to start a good training program.  I will begin a program and become so fatigued over time that I finally "collapse" days later from being so tired.  A couple of times (including this month) I had flu symptoms, for a week.  My cardiologist has cleared me for excercise, to the point of comfortability.  I am accustomed to competitive sports and I want to have my life back.  

Any tips or pointers for overcoming this issue ??  

[maggiemag]

Well I do commend you for reaching out for assistance.  I would suggest that you hire a personal trainer to set up a program for you.  It sounds like you are overdoing it before you build up enough exercise tolerance. I don't know if you do resistance training as well as aerobic, but  I think it is  not a good idea to lift every day that you do cardio.  It was suggested to me to do light weight training no more than 3 days a week, while I do cardio 5x/week.  I started working out about 3 days a week at first and gradually built up.  I'm sure you've been told that exercise, weight control, dietary modifications etc. are the best way, with your physician's permission, to ward of the HTN.  Good luck.

[fjhepburn]

I can relate to extreme fatigue after exercise.  This condition can be a disaster to your social, and professional  life.  I do not do any aerobic exercise anymore, however I used to run alot.  I'm 55 now.

In 1991 at age 39, after completing NYC marathon in 3:45, I developed a heart infection from dental work.  My infection lasted until 1993, when the cotton was removed from the bloodstream of my jaw.  Ever since, I would get extreme fatigue after exercise, worsening a bit with each passing year.  As yourself, I used to describe it as flu-like symptoms.  This year I was finally diagnosed with heart failure.  The Ace inhibitor lisinopril helps at times, but the Coreg cr seems to intensify the fatigue.  I also take vytorin & a diuretic.  

For exercise, I just do a sit-up crunches routine.  This works my abdominals intensely, but keeps my heart rate low.  I use the Gilad quick fit method, from FITTV.  I know that medical people like to prescribe exercise, but I think for me now that more aerobic exercise just isn't helping.

Fred

[DavesMom]

Hi,

Pretty much the same thing happens to  me and I've often wondered why I get really fatigued after exercise.  I used to do lots of aerobics but then cut it down to simple walking.  I walk for an hour or two every day and then most days I "crash" right after I exercise. Instead of feeling invigorated, I want to go to sleep.  I had aortic valve replacement in '99 and have kept my exercise routine consistent.  Don't understand the fatigue at all!  My yearly echo came back fine, my BP is fine. Sure wish I could find an explanation.

Good luck with your problem.

[love2tan26]

Well, I, also am extremely tired, and find that after doing an hour of cardio in the morning at the gym, will cause me to sleep all day.  Literally, I feel drugged, and my body completely drained.
I have been diagnosed with Hypertension II and take Atacand and a diuretic.  Just hoping to find some suggestions or advice.  My doctor suggested I start a workout routine to keep the HBP under control, seems to have other effects though.
Karyn

[G750]

Check the side effects on all of your medications because more often than not, many of these drugs you are taking have fatigue as a COMMON side effect.  Pharma drugs are great at masking symptoms but don't address the real problem.  For example, your cholesterol is high, so take Lipitor right?  Well, Lipitor may lower your cholesterol in the meantime but why was it high in the first place?  At the same time, Lipitor can wreak havoc on your liver and muscle tissues, thus creating many more problems.  Just check the side effects - fatigue is common.

[EllyCooper]

I'm Sorry to hear about your condition but good on you for trying to work through it. I am 34 years old and enjoyed up until the age of 30 a lot of aerobic activity. From then on, I found work outs to be quite taxing on my energy levels leaving me floored for a couple of days. I would even develop flu-like symptoms (can you believe just from excercise!) It was quite a mystery to me. I know some people say if you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest you should have good recovery after exercise but it seems the older we get our bodies require different things. After lots of reading and asking questions I found a few things that help:

1) Do exercise at the end of the day, after you have eaten all your meals because by then you will have enough energy to fuel you during your workout. And this way, if you're going to knock out after exercise, it's during the time you usually go to sleep anyway.

2) A health adviser suggested I take a product called, 'AstaZan', it's a Lifestream product. The label says it's for sun protection & exercise recovery. I take it before bed (after my work out) and first thing the next morning. What a difference it has made :-) There are other products out there so it's good to find out what works for you.

All the best to you, main thing is to keep positive and know that there are solutions out there to help you. Be kind to yourself & your body, take things one day at a time and keep enjoying the life that you have been blessed with.

[workingout]

Hi, just came on board as my fatigue is back! I'm a healthy 66 yr old female. 5 daily work out's at Curves! I drank some water, took some protein mix and think it's lifted a bit. But I've had the flat on your back experience for a spell too. So I read some on QFAC site about too much tryptophan into brain and CNS, creates serotonin sleepiness. They recommend blocking it with BCAA. It's just interesting they talk about the Central Nervous System getting more research these days as I know from my studies of astrology that we just had Neptune affecting that area of life for quite a long time. It covered many degrees and moved slowly over those degrees in Aquarius ruling the breath and mental health and fitness. Departed now leaving us with the effects of the fog. In my studies it explained the CNS as a balance factor between Vata, Kapha and Pitta. Vata is put off from stress. It is responsible for tremors, seizures, depletion and psychosmatic + needs attention to fluids, quiet and regular habits, warmth, ample rest and relaxation and cheerfulness. If out of balance, causes restless thinking, insomnia, negative emotions, fear, constipation, gas and nervous stomachs. Wow that's what I had yesterday. When in balance it is infectiously happy and enthusiastic energetic.  We're are now moving into the Kapha area where our structures could break down on a lesser scale than Haiti. Where we cling to the status quo but these changes will take place over many years to come. The bottom line, take up balancing arts????

[ed34]

"I will begin a program and become so fatigued over time that I finally "collapse" days later from being so tired"

Obviously the typical exercise lover, jumping right in at the deep end :)  You need to build up slowly and it will come. I'm sure you also know that your diet is very important. You need lots of carbs to give you energy for your exercise. Relying on stored fat reserves is too slow for the type of exercise you are talking about. If you eat the right food, take things easy at first, you will get there much quicker than you think.