Energy
I picked up a copy of From Fatigued to Fantastic! last week. It's written by an actual doctor (Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum) & while the studies he cites are small, they're relatively solid.
His theory on chronic fatigue (largely addressed with regard to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia) is that some people, after having a very serious illness, get stuck in the fatigued state that human bodies use to keep us from overexerting ourselves when we're sick. This makes some sense to me. In my case, my fatigue started when I was a child, around the same time I suffered through a long series of bouts with ear infections (also a common precursor to ADHD), frequently with swollen tonsils, that resulted in the removal of my tonsils & adenoids, as well as the insertion of tubes in my eardrums to drain the fluid collected behind (I still have those holes, by the by, and sometimes feel them when I take a deep breath, especially on a cold day).
I have subsequently suffered from a number of viral infections also commonly considered precursors to fatigue problems (including infectious mono & CMV).
Dr. Teitelbaum's treatment encompasses a long diagnostic questionnaire that results in a treatment consisting of a variety of supplements to support the patient's ability to produce energy, protect the immune system, balance the hormonal system, etc.
One of the supplements is Ribose, most commonly used by bodybuilders to minimize fatigue after a work-out. It's the simple sugar produced during ATP, if I'm remembering correctly, and it's easily absorbed.
I started taking it last week and it's been helping a LOT. But I pushed myself too hard yesterday (four hours of errands all over Somerville & Cambridge), on top of pushing myself really hard this weekend (to finish a 300+ page thesis edit), at the wrong time of the month (I tend toward low energy when I get my period) and now I feel like crap.
This is all just to say DAMMIT! I'm tired of feeling tired.