Why Am I Always So Tired?

Why Am I Always So Tired? FAQ with Dr. Steven Simper
By: Dr. Steven C. Simper, MD, FACS

 

“It is the will and ambition of our patients who ultimately make their weight loss possible. Treating the whole person is a critical part of the care given to my patients.”

 

Question: Why am I always tired?
Dr. Steven Simper’s answer: Tiredness is the most common complaint that doctors get, period, whether you have had weight loss surgery or not. That is why everyone drinks energy drinks, making them the most rapidly growing products in the grocery store. They are not good for you and we strongly recommend our patients not to use them.

The truth is tiredness can be multi-factorial. If you are not sleeping well, or just not getting adequate sleep, you will be tired. Many people stay up late or sleep odd hours which make it hard to get a good night’s rest. Most people need at least six hours of sleep, but preferably eight, a night. Anything less will eventually catch up to you and you will always be tired.

Hydration is also critical. We are a dehydrated society and rarely drink enough water. There was a study a number of years ago where they took patient with “chronic fatigue syndrome” who had failed other treatment and did one thing and one thing only, and that was to make sure they drank plenty of water. 80% plus of their patients were either cured or had remarkably improved. When I am dragging at the end of the day, I start pushing fluids because I know I am behind. DRINK MORE WATER!!

Depression also is common, and frequently the only symptom is lack of energy. Exercise is the most effective treatment for depression. Exercise is a lot more effective than antidepressant medication. The problem is that when you are depressed, you don’t want to exercise. Get out and get moving.

If you cover all of these bases, you will feel a whole lot better. Tiredness is almost never nutritional, unless you are severely malnourished, which is very rare in our patients. It is almost always one or a combination of the above three problems.

 

About the Author:

Dr. Steven Simper, MD, FACS, performed his first bariatric procedures in 1984 at Wilford Hall Medical Center, in Texas. Currently, he performs laparoscopic gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch, and revisional surgery. In addition to general surgery procedures. He joined Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians in 2001, and began performing laparoscopic gastric bypass. Since 2008, he has developed his skill and expertise with the powerful biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (DS). He is among a handful of surgeons who perform this procedure. He both proctors other surgeons and is a speaker at bariatric conferences in regards to the duodenal switch procedure. In following his patients, and witnessing results, he has become a strong advocate for this procedure in the select individual who needs a powerful surgery.

 

Find more answers to Frequently Answered Questions here.
Find more on information on Exercise here.

 

www.RMAP.com
Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians
801-268-3800
1160 East 3900 South, Suite 4100
SLC, UT 84124