Extreme Fatigue

I have celiac and have been eating a gluten-free diet for the last six months. I haven't noticed any shift in symptoms related to Post-COVID syndrome, but maybe it just hasn't been long enough. I did not get diagnosed with celiac until 48 years old, perhaps my gut still has some healing to do. And if celiac isn't present, the gluten/wheat-free diet may be more helpful. So many variable to look into! Best of luck!

l am having episodes of the same conditions since my last booster shot November 2023. It began with not being able to function physically or think clearly and has effected my balance and endurance. My doctor recommended physical therapy but I didn't have the energy or the desire to do the exercises on my own. I'm able to write this only because "today "I'm alert and clear of the brain fog that has been plaguing me for the last 4 months. I'm not sure what caused this sudden clarity but eating lots of high protein foods and drinking caffeinated drinks has made the difference. The down side is that I can't get a nights sleep. I'm 88 years old and have all of the medical issues that come with age. My doctors have warned me not to take any caffeine due to heart disease. I hope to find a balance in my diet that will allow me to continue feeling like I feel today.

@mishabear2025

It will be 6 years LC for me next month...
Exercise at any level has been very difficult to accomplish on my own as well when the fatigue, PEM, brain fog, ... keeps me down. During Cardio/Pulmonary Rehab, the seated exercise was guided and monitored. I felt some improvement in energy levels, but unable to continue at home. I need someone telling me exactly what to do. (Like a personal trainer.) That doesn't require the need for thinking or organizing the plan. Pitiful, but it is what it is. I HAVE, however, had measurable success using an app that provides the instruction and guidance I need. Just follow the video program each day. "Chair Yoga for Seniors at Home" You can adjust intensity and length of workouts to your needs. I have been sedentary for so very long, I need to just get some movement so my body doesn't completely atrophy. The app has a minimal, as compared to any medical treatments, annual fee of $39 for renewal. I thought it was worth the try. You might want to look into it. My best to you!

(Be sure to click on the image below "...at Home" to open to view the app logo to search for in your app store.)

I feel for you. I am very familiar with that feeling. It's like an exhaustion in the core of your being. I sleep 8 hours and wake up feeling like I could go right back to bed. I've been trying different drugs (Wellbutrin, low-dose Naltrexone) but not really seeing any sustained difference. I wear a Garmin fitness tracker and the only consistent thing I have found is that when I have days with high stress (according to the watch), I usually crash a day or two after. It has been very difficult to maintain any regular exercise routine. As soon as I start feeling good, and put together a few days of exercise, I end up crashing. It's then a week before I'm back and each time I'm gun shy of pushing again because I know where it ends up. It's a vicious loop.

I too have this "core of your being" exhaustion. In some other conversation here in the Mayo LC forum, someone mentioned the Huberman Lab podcasts. I started listening to some of them, and one in particular gave me new information about how light can affect our sleep. Huberman recommended going outside and getting early morning light to set the stage for how your body will set its circadian rhythm that day. I really do think it is helping me. My sleep and fatigue has gotten better. Huberman also talks about red light exposure and I have started doing that, both by going outside at optimal times and by going to a business that offers it. I can't believe that I consulted with the top sleep specialist at a university medical center, and she offered me plenty of sleeping pills, did at-home and in-lab sleep studies looking for apnea and whatever, told me about sleep hygiene and gave me an online course to take, but she NEVER mentioned the importance of early morning light. It's so simple, and when you think about it, it is the reason we get jet lag when we travel. Thanks to the info we get in this forum!

@quickstepper
Thank you this is very interesting AND I started practicing better sleep hygiene on my own because I was tired of drugs being pushed my way. I am reclaiming that I am an early morning person. I get up, open the windows and do a few exercises now. Finally I will look up the podcast you mentioned.

@catherinej there are 2 podcasts
Essentials: Using Light to Optimize Health (2/26/2026)
Using Red Light to Improve Metabolism...with Dr Glen Jeffery (12/1/2025)

@quickstepper
@itsmeagain
Thanks for the comments about the Huberman Lab. I just went there and found some great info on OCD which has affected me my whole life!

@itsmeagain I have a family member with OCD and I have recently learned about metabolic psychiatry. This website has a lot of good information and shows the solid research behind it:
https://www.metabolicmind.org