I'm soooo tired lately!

[paddbear0000]

I know tiredness is one of the symptoms of people in kidney failure before going on dialysis. My question is, is it like an exhaustion type of tired (like when you work too hard) or a sleepy kind of tired? Lately, I've been soooo tired. I sleep for 8 hours, get up and move around for a while, feeding the dogs, reading the paper, etc., but then I feel extremely sleepy and have to go back to sleep for a few hours. The last couple of days I've felt like a zombie.

[Ang]

i'd  suggest  the  tiredness  is  telling  you  its  time  for  dialysis,get  your  labs  done  and  see  what  the  dr s  reckon,  it  also  could  be  that  you  are  over  exerting  your  self  more  than  usual.
listen  to  your  body

[Romona]

I agree with Ang. I was that way before my transplant. I could sleep all the time.

[flip]

ditto

[kimcanada]

It is unbelievable how "tired" you can be... but I did find that I got "better" once I started dialysis.   I was still "tired" but not in the very inside core of me like I was before dialysis.

P.S. I always hated using the word tiredto describe it, it never seemed to relay just how tired I was... maybe we need to come up with a new word

[jbeany]

I call it "walking under water" tired.  Every step feels like it takes more effort than it should.

[Sunny]

Check your latest numbers with your next blood draw and see if there is a significant difference.
If you are losing more kidney function, then I can see why you are feeling more tired. The blood draw should also let
you know your latest red blood cell information regarding any anemia problems. I understand about the tired feeling
you are having. I hope it gets a little better for you soon.

[Jill D.]

I referred to it as a "constant fatigue behind my eyeballs that affected my brain".

[kimcanada]

Thats it Jill!  that is exactly it

I referred to it as a "constant fatigue behind my eyeballs that affected my brain".

[monrein]

For me it was both wanting to sleep all the time (not always able to though) + feeling like even taking one step or washing one dish was too much.  If I had to make my own food I'd lay there till my stomach was hurting to avoid getting up and moving.  Beyond tired, more like the walking dead.  No moving, just feeling like puking.

I'm quite a bit better since dialysis started but still not great.  Only had five treatments so far and only the last one was a full four hours.  My numbers weren't horrific either.  Creatinine was around 3. 

[paddbear0000]

Other than the sleepiness, I feel fine. No nausea or vomiting, itching, bad taste in my mouth, etc. I guess I should make an appointment with my neph. Since my labs have been stable for the last 3 years (actually my GFR has been been increasing by 1% about every 6 months), he said he only needs to see me every 6 months. It's abut that time anyway I think.

[kitkatz]

I vacuumed my house today and was exhausted from it.

[thegrammalady]

with me it was because i was so anemic, i couldn't keep my eyes open for more than 15 minutes at a time.

[devon]

Thanks for bringing this up, paddbear.  It helps me answer the questions in my own head and those posed to me by my boss.  He seems offended that I get drowsey in meetings especially after 90 minutes or so.  He suggested it was sleep apnea for which I'm being treated.  I will try to explain to him that it's much more than that.  For people outside ESRD, it's hard to understand.  We need to keep educating them as well as ourselves.

-Devon

[kellyt]

Other than the sleepiness, I feel fine. No nausea or vomiting, itching, bad taste in my mouth, etc. I guess I should make an appointment with my neph. Since my labs have been stable for the last 3 years (actually my GFR has been been increasing by 1% about every 6 months), he said he only needs to see me every 6 months. It's abut that time anyway I think.

Our disease is sooooo simular!  Fatigue is my only symptom, as well.  The other night I thought I smelled the "amonia" breath, but I don't have it now.   I also feel extremely tired, but can't always sleep.  It's more of my body that is tired and not my brain.

I have a scheduled lab draw on Friday (renal panel and CBC).  My last lab showed an extreme change from the lab that was drawn just two weeks prior.  I'm hoping it was a bad draw.  When I had my appointment with my neph on the 15th my GFR was 6 and my phos and potassium were well within range.  One week later my GFR was showing 8 and the nurse said my phosphorus was 8+.  I don't feel any different.  I'm taking my Tums with every meal.  She also said my calcium was high.  Hopefully the draw on the 6th will show differently.

Do what you can and rest when you need to.  Definitely call your neph and get some labs done.  Good Luck!

[okarol]

I am confused... I thought you're not supposed to use Tums if your calcium is high?

Each tablet of Regular Strength TUMS® contains 500 mg of calcium carbonate/tablet
(equivalent to 200 mg of elemental calcium).

Each tablet of Extra Strength TUMS® contains 750 mg of calcium carbonate/tablet
(equivalent to 300 mg of elemental calcium).

[kellyt]

This is the first time I've been told my Calcium is too high.  That is one of the reason's I'm thinking it was a "bad draw".

Some time last year, or maybe even 2006, I got a call from my nephrologist personally asking me how I was feeling.  I said fine.  He said he was concerned because my potassium was showing to be at a "deadly level".  We re-did the labs and it was normal.  Apparenlty, a bad draw (per my nephrologist).  I'm thinking this last draw was also bad.  Not sure.

When the nurse called me with the results of my last lab, she did not tell me to stop any of my meds, including my Tums.  She just told me they wanted to draw my labs a few times.  We decided on the 6th and 24th.

I'll call the nurse and ask.