Help Excessive Sleepiness?

[PinballWizard39]

So I'm more on the side of excessive insomniac, but this last week has been bizarre and I'm trying to deduce the likeliest cause of my sudden excessive sleepiness and tiredness.
I've been in the midst of a really bad depressive episode for the last couple of months, however, excessive sleepiness has never been a symptom of my depression, quite the opposite. I started transitioning back to work last week and I first noticed the tiredness when I did a morning of work and left to come home - I nearly fell asleep driving home and once home, I crashed out. The same happened again a day or two later when I did another half day. However, my sleep in the night times has been really patchy and I kept waking up so early. I only worked 1 whole day and 2 half days this past week as I'm doing a phased return.
Yesterday I spent an hour or two blackberry picking not far from my house and despite there being lots of hills around me, they are never usually an issue. This time, walking up to my house nearly caused me to collapse on the floor, yards from my house. I spent the afternoon laying down.
Last night I took a sleeping pill thinking that if I had a decent sleep, it might help the daytime tiredness. I didn't wake up until about 1pm this afternoon and then after trying to drink some coffee and actually do things, I spent the entire day til about 7.30pm this evening dozing in and out of sleep. This is incredibly weird.
The only other thing it could be would be my iron levels. Last time they were checked, they were pretty low and I didn't do much about it, though I have been drinking daily fruit smoothies to see if that helps.

Part of me wonders whether the tiredness might be related to me coming out of the depths of the depressive episode because I'm actually doing things now. Saying that, I'm not convinced I'm coming out of it because I'm still planning my death and not wanting to wake up each day. Maybe I am just experiencing hypersomnia for the first time or maybe it is just the iron, but then surely that wouldn't happen so suddenly.

I'm sat here now wondering if I'll get any sleep at all tonight because I've literally been asleep most of the last 24hrs. It's nearly 10.30pm and I don't know if I should take another sleeping pill or just hope my trazodone kicks in, though that's hit and miss. I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Plentiful_Despair]

For me it changes randomly, sometimes I can sleep for 8 hours, sometimes I need meds or I can't sleep at all...but regardless, I never feel good after waking up. I always feel tired 24/7 but I don't do anything besides being online. This body is so fucking useless

 

[PinballWizard39]

It really sucks. One of the reasons I'm not convinced it's to do with my depression is that I've suffered from it for over 25 years and it's consistently on the insomnia side. In a weird way, It's kind of nice not having to be conscious.

 

[PinballWizard39]

Well, I slept a bit more 'normally' for me last night, but I still feel like I could easily go and have a lie down.

 

[nir]

This sounds exactly like what happened to me when my iron levels tanked. You might need another blood test. I took iron pills (they're kinda icky sadly) and they helped a lot. I don't have to take them everyday now, just at the beginning when my levels were so low. It helps to have vitamin C when you're having iron because it increases absorption.

 

[PinballWizard39]

This sounds exactly like what happened to me when my iron levels tanked. You might need another blood test. I took iron pills (they're kinda icky sadly) and they helped a lot. I don't have to take them everyday now, just at the beginning when my levels were so low. It helps to have vitamin C when you're having iron because it increases absorption.

I was first told I had low iron levels just under a year ago and was told to take iron supplements, but I didn't because I felt like I didn't deserve to feel better. The bloods were repeated a few months ago and no surprise there, but my iron was even lower. I was given the same advice but I've still not been able to. I did however start drinking fruit smoothies hoping that would help, seeing as I couldn't actually take the iron tablets, but I don't know if it's had much effect. Ideally I need green leafy veggies.

For the record, I did buy iron tablets the first time I was told about my low levels, but every time I went to take the lid off, I just wanted to down them all. I figured it was safer to just not open them.

I guess I'd better book another blood test and see what's happening, though I feel like I'm wasting every ones time because I can't take their advice.

 

[ashtoreth]

I seriously doubt that fruit smoothies will cover your need of iron. Let's say you need 15mg per day, but you're already deficient on top of that.

Have you looked at integrating other foods into your diet that have lots of iron? Red meat has alot, but you give me vegetarian vibes. Legumes then.

If you decide to buy supplements, the ones that are freely available in supermarkets etc. tend to be deserving of doubt. Questionable quality, quantity and composition. Better ask your GP or pharmacy.

Do you consume dairy products, coffee, black/green tea? Soya, rice, grain? Those can hinder iron absorption.

I empathise with your feeling of not deserving to feel better. However, you can try to stay functional at least.

Struggling with sleep problems and tiredness can be difficult to manage and drive you mad. It's a priority for me, because it influences everything else, and also provides temporary and utter relief from everything.


Edit: if you book a blood test, have them check vitamin D and your thyroid hormones aswell.

I wish you a good sleep.

 

[PinballWizard39]

I had a recent thyroid check due to the lithium that I take.
I'm not veggie but I did suffer from anorexia so I'm a bit weird with food.

The iron the doctor told me to buy was proper ferrous sulphate, the same as they would prescribe (NHS being privatised, buy it yourself now!). The doctor did tell me to start taking iron around November-ish last year? I had a second blood test a few months back and it's my ferritin that's flagging up. Initially it was 23ul/L in November and in April it was 19ul/L. According to the reference range it's supposed to be between 30.0-200.0. I feel like it's probably a waste of time to recheck it as it's pretty near on certain to be the same issue and I can't seem to make myself do anything about it.

I seem to be alternating between excessive sleepiness to excessively broken sleep that makes me feel like I haven't slept at all.

I had my vitamin D done in November and that was 89nmol/L so that's good. I know it takes a fair while for that to deplete, so that should be ok. I'm not sure it this time they are doing a FBC or just checking the ferritin again. Just tried booking an appointment but it's going to take 2 weeks to get one, so I'll just get it done at work instead.