Burnout or fatigue...a very common concern I see in practice. ππ΄ But I promise you don't have to feel like this forever! β
If you have been feeling emotionally and physically drained for awhile now let's dig into some common reasons why this may be. β
1. Nutrient deficiency
Have you had blood work done to check nutrient levels lately? Some common blood work I like to see for those who are struggling with energy are:β β
ferritin (your iron stores)β
B12β
Thyroid panel - additional symptoms may point us to look into thisβ
D3 - surprisingly common to be low in those that are struggling
This is often where I start because it may be the simple solution. Symptoms such a heavy periods, or poor digestion may push me to get these checked sooner rather than later as well. β
If these look good, we dig a little deeper...
2. Adrenal insufficiency (aka burnout)β
This is the one of the most common causes of fatigue I see in practice. You may be or have been in "fight or flight" for awhile, bombarding your body with cortisol and adrenaline (those get up and go hormones). It's telling you it has had enough and won't be listening to the signals anymore. Your body has decreased its production of cortisol, affecting your circadian rhythm. β
We need to support your body with adaptogen herbs such as rhodiola, ashwagandha and holy basil and vitamins such as vitamin C, magnesium and Bs to support cortisol production again. β
OR....β
We need to calm down your nervous system with nervine herbs such as passionflower or lemon balm to decrease the "fight or flight" response. β
Is this you?
3. Female hormone imbalances
This is a big topic itself so I'll just be brushing the surface here, but hormones can definitely affect your energy level. β
Do you see a cycle to your fatigue? This could mean it is related to your menstrual cycle and therefore related to imbalances in estrogen and progesterone levels. β
This is normal to see happen to some extent but not to the extent it interferes with your life. Iβve touched on this before but typically we see an increase in energy the week before ovulation (we are more extroverted) and then it decreases before your period (and we are more introverted). But if you feel so wiped several days before your period we assume either progesterone is low (do you also have spotting before your period?) or estrogen is too high (crazy mood swings or breast tenderness as well?) creating an imbalance. β
What is great is that we can test these hormones through blood or urine with the DUTCH test and there are many great herbs and more natural modalities such as acupuncture that can help balanced it all out.
Any of these signs common to you? Letβs explore together.
In health & happiness,
Dr. Karen