Why am I so sleepy and tired?

Question

For the past 2-3 months I've been waking up really tired, unmotivated, everything from my view is seen as dull and I really can't take it anymore. I brought it up to my parents, we did a blood and urine test, everything is perfect and exactly where it should be. This state I'm in everyday used to come every here and there and would just let it pass. Right now it's too much and I have no idea what is happening. I do have OCD and general anxiety and social anxiety, I'm suspecting it could be something mental? I go to the gym but even the thought of me going to the gym really offs me because I'm really tired and unmotivated. I see people waking up at 7 am being active and all that, I tried doing that and I didn't last till 2 pm and I slept till midnight. I slept 8 hours, 9 hours even 12 and I'm still very tired. Even playing video games feels really dull. Everything I do looks dull and pointless. All I feel like doing is lay down in bed and stare at the roof doing nothing. I can't even study on some days. Anything that requires focus of the brain and eyes, my energy will be drained in less than half and hour. I understand that may sound like I'm just a lazy slob but I was never like this. Before this I used to not even stand the thought of going back to bed after waking up.

Red_Star · Answer

Hi. Your symptoms are seen with dopamine and serotonin deficiency. Been there done that and getting better slowly.  I like this article on dopamine - I'm Not lazy After All. What a relief lol. So is getting rid of OCD! (that's a symptom of serotonin deficiency btw) :) I posted a link to another answer of mine on serotonin deficiency because it's longer than the info below lol)

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Undiagnosed-Symptoms/do-i-have-social-anxiety-disorder-introvert/show/2255855

Excerpt from Pretty in Primal Dopamine Deficiency (or, I'm Not Lazy After All!)...

Here is a list of symptoms of dopamine deficiency (with my emphasis added on symptoms I identify with):

1. Physically fatigued easily (Sometimes.)
2. Sleep too much and trouble getting out of bed (Yes on trouble getting out of bed!)
3. Reduced ability to feel pleasure
4. Flat, bored, apathetic (Yes on feeling flat)
5. Low drive, motivation & enthusiasm (Yes, and yes.)
6. Depressed
7. Difficulty getting through a task even when interesting to me (HELL yes!)
8. Procrastinator/little urgency (Mmmm-hmmm!)
9. Shy/introvert (Yes.)
10. Mentally fatigued easily (Yes.)
11.Difficulty paying attention and concentrating (A little bit!)
12.Slow thinker and/or slow to learn new ideas
13.Put on weight easily
14.Crave uppers (e.g. caffeine/sugar/nicotine/diet soft drinks/cocaine/amphetamines)
15.Use these improve energy/motivation/mood
16.Prone to addictions (e.g. alcohol)/addictive personality
17.Light headedness
18.Reduced libido and/or impotence (sometimes on the libido)
19.Family history of depression/alcoholism/ADD


Factors which reduce dopamine levels (with my emphasis added on factors I have):

1. Chronic stress
2. Inadequate sleep (Like, DUH!)
3. Hypothyroidism (Bingo! Hashimoto's!)
4. Lead, arsenic and cadmium exposure
5. Under-methylation (Possibly- I suspect my dad's family under-methylates their B12. They have a strong history of Alzheimer's and dementia.)
6. Tyrosine (precursor) deficiency
7. Magnesium, iron, zinc & vitamins B3/B6/C/D deficiency
8. Excess copper levels (I have melasma and used to be vegetarian, so copper might be a factor.)
9. Genetic dopamine receptor abnormalities
10.Chronic opioid, alcohol & marijuana use
11.Adrenal insufficiency (Definitely!!)
12.Glutathione deficiency
13.Parkinson's Disease
14.Influenza
15.Estrogen deficiency (Yes.)
16.Human growth hormone deficiency

alan677 · Answer

I am not an expert , my suggestion is to find out if your throid levels were checked in your initial blood work examination . When you look over you lab requisition of blood tests the boxes titled TSH and free T4 would have been checked off . Hypothyroidism can cause your symptoms . Lots of great information on thyroid available on web check it out .

JohnnyRocket244 · Answer

Have any doctors ever told you or your parents that you have Vericocele Veins? The reason I ask is because I've had the same problems that you have at exactly the same age.  Every test has come back normal for they past 25 years and no doctor has ever been able to figure out why I'm so tired all the time until recently. About a year ago I discovered that I had Vericocele Veins and decided to have a Vericocele Embolization. After the procedure, my doctor asked me if I get tired a lot. I told him yeah I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome why? He said because you have May-Thurner Syndrome, a condition that can cause extreme fatigue. He didn't have the right size stent at the time to place in my Left Iliac Vein so I told him I would do some research about this condition and get back to him. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was most likely the cause of all my problems for the past 25 years. I read one vein clinic website that listed the symptoms of May-Thurner Syndrome:

Extreme Fatigue
Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders
Depression
Exercise Intolerance-All problems that I've had for the past 25 years

Then at 70% or more compression of the Left Iliac Vein can cause Leg Pain or Swelling, Pelvic Pain, Pain w/Intercourse (Dyspareunia), Pelvic Pain after Intercourse (Post-Coital Pain), Lower Back Pain, or Urinary Problems. 

These were all problems that had just started for me and that's exactly what I had. About 70% compression of my Left Iliac Vein. I knew I had finally found the answer to my problems! The next week I went in for the stent and I can't tell you how much better I felt by the next day. My anxiety was pretty much gone, the fatigue was starting to fade and within a couple days every ache and pain in my body disappeared. It turns out this condition is actually pretty common, just rarely diagnosed. Most people never develop blood clots with this condition so it very rarely even thought of by most doctors. I would definitely recommend getting checked for this condition as it can lead to Chronic Fatigue and many other problems. An Interventional Radiologist might be a good doctor to go see. I got cured overnight of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by having a stent for May-Thurner Syndrome.  Hope this might help! I wouldn't want you to have to go 25 years with this miserable condition if there's a chance you might have it.