Just the virus or Complera?

[whatstheodds]

I've been on Complera since September 2011 and to this day I still have little energy regardless of how much I sleep occasional bouts of depression (2 days about every 3-5 weeks even though I'm on Lexapro) I also forget things I was just thinking of way more often than a 25 year old should and I'm just wondering if I should bring these to the attention of my Dr. next month.

[Ann]

Of course you should raise something like this with your doctor. That's what he or she is there for.

You need to be aware that depression itself can cause you to feel fatigued. Are you doing anything (like therapy) for your depression, or just trying to make it go away with a pill? Talk therapy has been shown to be more effective than pills alone, and pills plus talk therapy is also much, much more beneficial than relying solely on better living through chemistry.

Sitting around and not doing much physical activity can also effect how tired you feel. It seems counterintuitive, but getting out and getting some exercise - particularly out in the fresh air - can go a long way to increasing your energy levels. Try to get some exercise in at least a few time a week. It can be as simple as walking for 15-30 minutes at a fast pace. Every day is best, but even a few times a week can make a real difference.

Get off your butt and go for a walk in the nice spring air and see if it doesn't have an invigorating effect on you. Go on, just try it.

[newt]

Maybe the Complera, speak to your doc - matt

[forrest]

I was on Lexapro for awhile (it was a very difficult one for me to come off of too... just sayin'  ) and it made me feel kinda fatigued... I wasn't sleeping well because of it.  Thus, felt tired a lot.  Don't you love it when there are all sorts of things that can be causing the fatigue? sigh.  I have dealt with fatigue a lot in my life... 4 sleep studies later too... and we still aren't totally sure... other than two sleep studies ago showed that I had a lot of arousals during the night..

Get your mind out of the gutter! ... Ann.... 

Arousals as in sleep interruptions (the term 'arousal' is one the sleep docs used)... Has the fatigue been there since you started Complera? OR has it always been there and just not gotten better? 

The only reason I ask is to look at it from a different angle... in that you may have sleep apnea or something like that too (I had a mild form of it... now wear a mouth guard thingy at night - no CPAP - thank goodness). 

Just some different ideas to think about as well.  But, like Ann said... I would certainly talk to your doc... maybe he will want to check your vitamin D levels or take other blood tests too... he can feel you out more and possibly pinpoint it a bit? 

[Ann]

other than two sleep studies ago showed that I had a lot of arousals during the night..

Get your mind out of the gutter! ... Ann.... 

That made me LOL - literally. My cat was sound asleep on the couch next to me and he jumped and gave me the evil eye for waking him up. I told him it was your fault.

So how'd you know I had visions of you making tents? Get out of my head!

[forrest]

OMG.. I forgot I posted in here.. and now * I * just LOL   

I dunno... when I said the word arousal... for some reason... you came to mind... don't ask my why... LOL.... you just did     I knew you would appreciate it