on’t have the same energy to get through a day that you use to fly through; is your best effort no longer your best, does this all sound familiar? Do you find yourself reaching for coffee or those high energy drinks more often and them having less of an effect? At times the symptoms can be as subtle as not being able to concentrate, losing interest in things that use to bring you enjoyment or simple muscle weakness.

Fatigue is one of the most frequent symptoms bringing patients into the doctor’s office today, sometimes leading to multiple visits without relief and the patient leaving feeling helpless and hopeless. Often times it is misdiagnosed as depression. Your fatigue not only affects you but your job and more importantly your family, the result can be devastating.

The causes can be anything from stress, insomnia, depression, nutritional depletion, lack of exercise and yes it can even be from over exercise. Fatigue can also be due to medication side effects directly or indirectly. It can be due to underlying medical disorders such as hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease, diabetes, cardiac disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, anemia, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea to name a few. Only through a careful history and physical can the diagnosis be made. Once the diagnosis is determined, treatment will be tailored to your specific needs and you can begin to get back to feeling like yourself, living a full, productive life once again.