3 ms·

I have been dealing with something like this, I think depression or burnout or overtraining but I don’t feel depressed or burnt out. I went from running 50 mile

I have been dealing with something like this, I think depression or burnout or overtraining but I don’t feel depressed or burnt out. I went from running 50 miles a week doing 10+ mile runs 3x a week to barely being able to run 3 miles to nothing and I feel exhausted and like my brain isn’t working. My smart watch is saying that I’m not recovering well. I’ve never had Covid as far as I know. I just had a physical and they didn’t find anything.

jstarfish 3y ago
My doctor is pushing me to buy some ring-shaped sleep apnea monitor. I don't think I have CFS or sleep apnea (I'm tired because I sleep like shit because I drink way too much caffeine before bed), but it's a possibility not explored in physicals.
cascades42 3y ago
I hope you find some answers soon! FWIW, I have a similar athletic history & am about 9 years into chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine’s likely post viral, but I can also remember a 24 hour race where I finished not feeling like myself anymore. I’ve had extreme exercise intolerance and all of the typical CFS symptoms. I’ve been to dozens of doctors and several top institutions with no answers yet. 3 years into it, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea — even though I’m not overweight. I’m finally feeling somewhat better after eliminating all caffeine (I only had 1 8oz cup every morning), plus 4 months off of any exercise, work, and as much stress as possible. Some of my mysterious and long-lasting symptoms, such as various food intolerances & dizziness, suddenly resolved. I stopped drinking alcohol a long while ago too, thinking even my occasional drinking could impact my sleep and recovery. I still experience post-exertional malaise if I go above zone 2, but I can now tolerate zone 2 workouts without the typical crashes that would occur 24-48 hours after exercise and would last for days. I’ll likely be on a nice e-bike soon, so that I can keep my heart rate more stable and low over hilly terrain.
- EricMausler 3y ago
  Are you treating the apnea? How did you start to identify the other triggers and level of exercise you can tolerate? I also have mild sleep apnea and am not overweight. Although weight gain can directly cause apnea, it isn't the only cause. Treating the apnea improved my quality of life an immeasurable amount. I started actually being able to have a life rather than a series of responsibilities to get through between naps. I still struggle with energy levels though. I had symptoms for 10-15 years before getting diagnosed. I've heard doctors have become a lot more diligent about identifying it over the past 5 years or so. I think something like 80% of people with it were undiagnosed as of 2016ish (as per a study done by surgeons).

jstarfish 3y ago

My doctor is pushing me to buy some ring-shaped sleep apnea monitor. I don't think I have CFS or sleep apnea (I'm tired because I sleep like shit because I drink way too much caffeine before bed), but it's a possibility not explored in physicals.

cascades42 3y ago

I hope you find some answers soon! FWIW, I have a similar athletic history & am about 9 years into chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine’s likely post viral, but I can also remember a 24 hour race where I finished not feeling like myself anymore. I’ve had extreme exercise intolerance and all of the typical CFS symptoms. I’ve been to dozens of doctors and several top institutions with no answers yet. 3 years into it, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea — even though I’m not overweight. I’m finally feeling somewhat better after eliminating all caffeine (I only had 1 8oz cup every morning), plus 4 months off of any exercise, work, and as much stress as possible. Some of my mysterious and long-lasting symptoms, such as various food intolerances & dizziness, suddenly resolved. I stopped drinking alcohol a long while ago too, thinking even my occasional drinking could impact my sleep and recovery. I still experience post-exertional malaise if I go above zone 2, but I can now tolerate zone 2 workouts without the typical crashes that would occur 24-48 hours after exercise and would last for days. I’ll likely be on a nice e-bike soon, so that I can keep my heart rate more stable and low over hilly terrain.

EricMausler 3y ago
Are you treating the apnea? How did you start to identify the other triggers and level of exercise you can tolerate? I also have mild sleep apnea and am not overweight. Although weight gain can directly cause apnea, it isn't the only cause. Treating the apnea improved my quality of life an immeasurable amount. I started actually being able to have a life rather than a series of responsibilities to get through between naps. I still struggle with energy levels though. I had symptoms for 10-15 years before getting diagnosed. I've heard doctors have become a lot more diligent about identifying it over the past 5 years or so. I think something like 80% of people with it were undiagnosed as of 2016ish (as per a study done by surgeons).