Help! I need something for energy. Does anyone have any suggestions for a safe food, drink, or vitamin supplement that might help boost my energy level without making my symptoms worse? I am sooooo tired from the MAV and meds, especially in the morning without my cup of coffee. You would think I would be used to not having it after six months, but I am just not a morning person and I have to get up and go to work. Any suggestions?
take a look at MSDXD’s latest post - he gives a breakfast drink - i’m wondering if it might be helpful. I’m going to start trying it.
What meds are you taking, Marci?
Marci,
I was reading a magazine article at the weekend called 8 alternatives to caffeine. The 3 most relevant they suggested for boosting energy were:
- Qi Tonic (from chinalifeweb.com). “Contains fatigue-fighting Americal White Ginseng, Chinese Astragalus and Royal Jelly. A shot of this potent potion increases energy levels, mental awareness and concentration”.
- Yerba Mate Tea (from detoxyourworld.com) "When the post-lunch slump kicks in, brew this stimulating drink which unlike regular tea is rich in vitamins, minerals and immune boosting plant compounds called saponins.
- Solgar L-Theanine supplements (solgar.co.uk) "an amino acid that has been shown to increase alpha waves (an indication of a state of relaxation and mental alertness) in under 40 minutes. The perfect way to put you in a calm but focussed state.
I am from the UK, so I don’t know if you will be able to get these in the US, but you might?
Becky
PS (please note I haven’t tried any of these so don’t know if they actually work!) I personally find Red Bush Tea refreshing and it gives me a boost but obviously not half as much as coffee.
Marci,
Are you getting your 8 hours sleep daily and going to bed nearly the same time each day? That can certainly be helpful. Also…i take a multi-vitamin once a day. If your taking a fairly high dose of medication…then i’m not sure what to recommend?? I remember years back when i was on a higher dose of Xanex…i recall having to take a nap each day and feeling slightly sluggish . I hope someone on the forum can recommend something for you.
Goodluck…
Joe
ps. have you checked out Health Food Stores? Maybe they have something than can increase your energy???
Thanks for the quick response everyone.
Joe, come to think of it, I have gotten out of the habit of taking a multivitamin. I’m popping so many pills lately, it is hard to keep track. I will add that back. As for sleep, I just spent the holiday weekend resting, and yet here I am on Monday morning feeling like I haven’t slept in weeks. I have been pretty good about keeping on my regular 7.5 hour sleep schedule with some napping on the weekends, but maybe I need more than that now.
Becky, thanks for the great ideas. I am going to check into those products. Hopefully, they won’t send me into a spin like caffeine does. I’ve found that drinking a sugary drink helps, but that is short-lived and I end up on the blood-sugar rollercoaster.
Julie, I am taking 120 mg of Verapamil at night and 50 mg of Topamax twice a day. I am also in the process of titrating off of Wellbutrin and onto Zoloft. I’ve been taking 25 mg. of Zoloft at night since last Wednesday. I also take a MigRelief supplement twice a day.
Marci,
Your description of fatigue sounds like a chronic fatigue, or the fatigue associated with being in a 24/7 MAV state, or med-induced, don’t you think? We’re sick, I can walk as many hills as i want, but i’ll never be able to really build much endurance as long as I’m sick. It is frustrating, it’s one of those limits that I have to live with. I’m tired.
Topamax could fatigue you. I think it’s fatiguing me.
verapamil does fatigue people. I don’t take it, but i’ve heard others often complain of fatigue, no?
Zoloft gave me really good energy - i’ll keep my fingers crossed that it does the same for you.
Look at the fine print ingredients on those herbal teas for citrus, if you think that’s one of your triggers.
Julie