Never Get Tired
June 14, 2015 3:29 PM   Subscribe

This is somewhat of a strange post, but I thought that I would post it anyways. The bottom line is that I never get tired anymore. I still sleep at night, but I don't feel any different when I go to bed then when I wake up in the morning. For nine years I used to be on Adderall for ADHD and I have been off of it for almost two years now.

I guess my question is what would cause a person to never feel fatigued? I can read and study for hours and I never get tired anymore when I am studying. I wouldn't describe my energy as being excellent. I am overweight by about fifty pounds and I feel generally lethargic most of the time but I don't just plow through things like I used to. Instead, it's like I have this low energy that keeps me going although I don't experience any real shifts in how I feel. The other strange thing that I noticed is that when I drink a cup of coffee, a coke, or anything else with caffeine in it, I don't notice any effects from it. I quit smoking about two years ago, and I chew nicorette gum and I don't even get a buzz from the nicorette. Any ideas about what would do this to someone's system? People are probably thinking what am I complaining about if I have enough energy, but it's a very disconcerting thing to not get fatigued from studying or working out. It's like my energy is being regulated by something else. Any ideas on things I could explore or check out?
posted by nidora to Health & Fitness (7 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I am just a random, crazy guy on the internet, but my first, low-confidence guess would be unrefreshing sleep combined with adrenal activation.

Unrefreshing sleep is characterized by seemingly sleeping normally but waking up feeling as if you hadn't slept at all. This is usually a terrible feeling, but I'm wondering if it's being offset by adrenal activation. (Somewhat overweight makes me guess at nighttime GERD, LPR, or sleep apnea.)

Regarding adrenal activation, are you on some kind of low-carb diet or simply on any diet that limits your calories? This can put you into a catabolic or gluconeogenic state which keeps your adrenals pretty activated all the time. It's stimulating, and if you have fat and/or protein stores (again re overweight) you can keep going like this for a loooooong time. Because your adrenals are already in a constant state of activation, stimulants won't seem to do much, because you're already almost maxed out.

If you're trying to lose weight, consider microbiome modification (through probiotics and diet), non-stimulant supplements (e.g. just vitamins and minerals), and macronutrient ratio tweaking (that still gives you enough carbs to shut off gluconeogenesis), instead of fasting or low-carb.

Anyway, there's some thoughts. Approach any of this with a doctor verrrrry carefully, because they might think you're a crank like me and not seriously and methodically address your concerns.
posted by zeek321 at 4:10 PM on June 14, 2015


(Oh yeah, also exercise, especially high-intensity interval exercise, not that you said anything about trying to lose weight.)

Also, preferentially burning fat is associated with a low-intensity, but very, very steady supply of energy. It does seem like, for whatever reason, your body is using your fat stores as its preferred energy supply.
posted by zeek321 at 4:16 PM on June 14, 2015


Do you know if your heart rate/blood pressure/etc checks out?

Either way, it might be advisable to get your thyroid functioning checked. Although you might think it's an odd suggestion in someone who's overweight, some of what you're talking about sounds consistent with hyperthyroidism. Increased metabolism due to hyperthyroidism could explain why you don't notice effects from substances you used to find stimulating, since your body could be burning through them so quickly that there's no time for the effects to build.
posted by prosopagnosia at 4:32 PM on June 14, 2015


You might be sleeping too much. If you're getting over 8 hours of sleep, try cutting it back. Oversleeping can actually decrease your overall energy levels, but leave you unable to get "tired", since you're already rested.

Also, I don't think nicorette is intended to give a buzz. Never did that for me, and I was never a smoker.
posted by vixsomnis at 4:40 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]


Are you getting exercise? Being inactive for too long throws off my energy level. Usually it makes it hard for me to sleep at night, but it also makes me feel kind of weird and blah during the day.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:25 PM on June 14, 2015


You may want to check out the symptoms for hypomania. I'm on my phone or I would include a link, but feeling less need for sleep is an indicator.
posted by prewar lemonade at 5:53 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]


See if a multivitamin helps?
posted by aniola at 11:32 PM on June 14, 2015


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