I'm always exhausted. I'm always nauseous. I can never catch my breath. Lately, I've felt like I could pass out at any time. And, needless to say, THIS IS VERY SCARY. ( and there's more )
If your diet has been checked out and you're getting the nutrients you need, I doubt it's diet related. What about thyroid levels and things like that? Have you gotten all that checked as well? Have you tried just doing an exhaustive checkup? (which is extensive but checks EVERYTHING.)
I had my thyroid checked and it appeared to be fine, but I'm still sort of questioning whether or not it could be thyroid related. Someone recently suggested that I might not be getting enough iodine (by not consuming sea food and eating sea salt, not iodized salt, or many processed foods), which might impact the productivity of my thyroid, but I'm not really sure how to attack that. I thought that I'd requested an exhaustive check up the last time I went to the doctor but she was still baffled as to why I was feeling so "blah" at the very end. Gah! I hope you're right and it's not strictly a diet-related problem. And thanks for caring!
I know you can buy sea salt? Maybe use that instead of real salt when you cook? Or maybe seaweed would have it! (I have no idea.)
If it were a diet-related thing, I'm sure the doctors would have thought of that and checked that first.
Have you tried going to see an asthma specialist? I went to go see one once (I have asthma as well) and it's amazing how many things asthma can affect.
Rather that I do eat the sea salt and don't eat the regular salt, sorry for the confusion. Since that was suggested we've switched to iodized salt to see if that might make a difference.
And as for doctor's, I don't really trust them anymore. Too many years of misdiagnoses and frustration.
And I might check out an asthma specialist, definitely a good idea.
Definitely focus on consuming GREENS, lots of salads, lots of dark green leafy veggies. That always makes me feel amazing.
Also, a good (more reliable) way to get your needed iodine is to eat some veggie sushi, maybe... once every two weeks? put that in conjunction with sprinkling some sea veggies (mainly dulse, kelp, nori, and wakame) on your salads.. or snacking on marinated wakame salads(they aren't as fishy tasting as the rest). Sea veggies are VERY good for electrolytes as well, which is needed if you're active.. Check into your options other than relying on iodized salt.
Check your multivitamins for idiodine levels against the Vegan Society's iodine page, and remember that low zinc levels make low iodine levels worse (details on that page).
If your doctor is running exhaustive tests on nutritional deficiencies and all your numbers are coming up well, then it's probably not your diet. It may be mono - I see below that you've already had it, but it can repeat on you, I'm afraid, and not always with exactly the same symptoms, so it's worth looking into. Have your doc check for autoimmune problems, just to eliminate them from your list of possibles.
Someone below has talked about protein deficiency. This is incredibly rare except in people who are starving; I don't know if anselmthelost has specific and rare health problems, but rest assured that a vegan diet provides plenty of protein - too much protein can definitely cause serious kidney problems, but it's highly unlikely you'd be getting too little if your diet is anything approaching decent. I've been vegan for 8 and my husband for 7; with sleep therapy
( ... )
As always, thank you. I'll check out my iodine and zinc levels, without a doubt. Also, how did you treat the chronic fatigue beyond going vegan and sleep therapy (which I'm about to google)? Do you think judging from what I mentioned in the original post I could be suffering from that? I'm 19 and have felt exhausted regularly for a year and a half, and I've been vegan for about 4 years... also, my boyfriend is NEVER sick... we joke that it's because he's Russian, nonetheless he always ends up feeling bad that I'm sick and he isn't. ANYWAY, thanks again so much.
Chronic fatigue's a syndrome, which means it's a cluster of symptoms, and it's a tricksy bugger: here are the Center for Disease Control's CFS pages, which has loads and loads of information - including a list of other conditions which may cause many of the same symptoms. I am very much loath to hazard a guess at whether or not you have it or any of the other conditions mentioned; it's best for you to have a good read of the pages, and perhaps print them out and discuss them with your doctor. Nowadays, it is at least taken seriously, which it wasn't when I was first brought low with it
( ... )
hmm... unfortunately most of it sounds frighteningly accurate. I was just referred to a doctor that a friend of mine truly respects so hopefully I'll be able to have all of this set straight once and for all. Thanks again for all of your info.
Feel better. :(
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If it were a diet-related thing, I'm sure the doctors would have thought of that and checked that first.
Have you tried going to see an asthma specialist? I went to go see one once (I have asthma as well) and it's amazing how many things asthma can affect.
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And as for doctor's, I don't really trust them anymore. Too many years of misdiagnoses and frustration.
And I might check out an asthma specialist, definitely a good idea.
Thanks for all your input!
Reply
lots of salads, lots of dark green leafy veggies.
That always makes me feel amazing.
Also, a good (more reliable) way to get your needed iodine
is to eat some veggie sushi, maybe... once every two weeks?
put that in conjunction with sprinkling some sea veggies
(mainly dulse, kelp, nori, and wakame) on your salads..
or snacking on marinated wakame salads(they aren't as
fishy tasting as the rest).
Sea veggies are VERY good for electrolytes as well, which is needed if you're active..
Check into your options other than relying on iodized salt.
: )
good luck, I hope you feel better!
Reply
If your doctor is running exhaustive tests on nutritional deficiencies and all your numbers are coming up well, then it's probably not your diet. It may be mono - I see below that you've already had it, but it can repeat on you, I'm afraid, and not always with exactly the same symptoms, so it's worth looking into. Have your doc check for autoimmune problems, just to eliminate them from your list of possibles.
Someone below has talked about protein deficiency. This is incredibly rare except in people who are starving; I don't know if anselmthelost has specific and rare health problems, but rest assured that a vegan diet provides plenty of protein - too much protein can definitely cause serious kidney problems, but it's highly unlikely you'd be getting too little if your diet is anything approaching decent. I've been vegan for 8 and my husband for 7; with sleep therapy ( ... )
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