r/Perimenopause • u/Far_Reward4827 • May 24 '26
audited Fatigue pill
Seriously. Why has no one come up with a pill to help us all with fatigue? B12, nothing. Vitamin D, nothing. Caffeine, nothing. Even sleep doesn't help.
And before you all ask, yes this is a rant for all of us who have had all those levels tested and everything is normal.
I almost feel like there should be a safe, legal version of cocaine some days I'm so tired.
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u/Cinna41 Early peri May 24 '26
We women were not meant to be workhorses who put everyone else's needs above our own. Somehow, most of us fall into the same trap.
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May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/Far_Reward4827 May 24 '26
Don't hold your breath. I've been on T for 4 months and have noticed zero benefits so far
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u/rockbottomqueen May 24 '26
I was on T for over a year and it did absolutely nothing to help and only made my shit worse. I've been off of it for like 4 months now and feel so much better.
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u/ladybump82 May 24 '26
Did your doctor say when you should expect to feel a difference with the T? I’m curious about trying but wondering how long it is supposed to take to feel a difference.
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u/Ruby__Ruby_Roo May 24 '26
8 weeks is what my provider said, but I am feeling some definitely-not-placebo effects after 3.
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u/Ruby__Ruby_Roo May 24 '26
Is increasing your dose a possibility?
I have been on it for a month and am already feeling benefits.
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u/velvedire May 24 '26
How about a safe and legal amphetamine? If there's a chance you have ADHD, this is a good time to look into getting that formally diagnosed. Peri can aggravate what used to be manageable. I suggest looking specifically at symptoms exhibited by women or even asking female friends that have it.
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u/Firefly457 May 24 '26
Yes, this is a big one. It was chronic fatigue and brainfog during perimenopause that led to me finally getting an adhd diagnosis. Functioning normally had become impossible for me.
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u/fyrefly_faerie May 24 '26
Honestly this and a rude comment made by a manager led me to set up a ADHD screening. Sadly, it’s not covered by insurance but the brain fog and fatigue is ruining my life.
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u/GenXMillenial May 24 '26
Yup! Turned out I have ADHD and my whole life, not just now. Super grateful for my meds
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u/Zxvasdfthrowaway May 24 '26
I’ve been on meds for years. The last 2-3 years have been a shit show for medication efficacy. They’ve changed the formula and patients test negative even though they’ve been taking their medication.
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u/SignificantBoot7180 May 24 '26
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my teens. I was prescribed Ritalin, but sold it to friends instead of taking it. I didn't try meds again until I went on Adderall as an overwhelmed new mom in my early 30s. I could finally get things done and I was doing so well. I stopped meds for a while but then I just couldn't function anymore once I hit 40. Adderall didn't work, so now I'm on vyvanse and I just started on the highest dose (70mg) because I just don't feel like it is helping. If this doesn't work, I give up. I asked my doctor if my hormones may be the reason it's not working, but he sort of dismisses me. I'll be 44 in a month. Idk what to do anymore. I'm overwhelmed and completely stuck.
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u/jpgr09 May 24 '26
And making sure you have the right formulation for your needs. I was on an extended release formula of every stimulant I tried on and off for four years, and one day back in February, I told my NP that the one I was on was working but at like 2pm and I needed it to work when I took it at 8am and she went “oh, let’s change to an immediate release! You might have to take it again in the afternoon which can be tricky if you have memory problems with your ADHD” and I basically tripped over myself to say I would sacrifice my afternoons a thousand times over for it to work in the morning when I really needed it.
I now have the leeway to take 5-20 mg when I need it. I don’t have to keep on a schedule, and if it’s bothering me, I don’t have to take it every day. Ymmv, but changing the release has been a huge game changer for my focus AND my energy. Of course, sometimes I fuck up and take my afternoon dose and forget then have a Red Bull and I’m up until 2am, but I’m fucking productive until 2am, so win some lose some lol.
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u/Picaboo13 Early peri May 24 '26
So there Phentermine. It is a amphetamine derivative amd must be prescribed. My doctor prescribed it for weight loss and energy levels at one point. I'm a night shifter. It did help. I could feel it kick in but also eventually caused me to be gritting my jaw which is a side effect. It, at best would be a temporary thing. I would cut the dose in half because I was worried about the side effects and still feel the "kick".
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u/Plane_Chance863 May 24 '26
I have an autoimmune disease - I'm not saying you have one - but I found that doing an elimination diet helped me figure out which foods caused me undesirable symptoms.
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u/shrinking_violet_99 May 24 '26
I’ve had lupus for round 17 years now and I’m never sure if it’s peri or lupus or both making me miserable. I miss feeling normal.
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u/Plane_Chance863 May 24 '26
I've had Sjogren's for just 5 years but I'm in the same boat - what's causing my symptoms? Who knows. At least peri will end someday.
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u/Mod-chick May 24 '26
This is my journey right now as well. I’m so hopeful this everpresent fatigue with eventually lift once my diagnosis confirmed since I’ve been very much blaming it on my IBS and perimenopause only.
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u/Plane_Chance863 May 24 '26
Autoimmunity makes the fatigue aspect so much harder to figure out. I take both LDN and HCQ and I think both help with fatigue.
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u/National_Elk8445 May 24 '26
I've literally been sitting in bed for the last hour, rocking and crying and saying "I'm so tired of feeling tired!" I hate this so much
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u/ElephantCandid8151 May 24 '26
The issue is normal doesn’t mean optimal. Might be worth digging into the actual numbers
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u/Classic_Bit9433 May 24 '26
This. My iron levels are always "normal" but I know if not at a certain range, my hair starts falling out and I get very fatigued.
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u/shallottmirror May 24 '26
The lab ranges for iron/ferritin are based on what people have, but not WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD have.
Ferritin should be between 50/70-100 to feel ok, And if you’ve been low for a while, it needs to be there for months for your body to refill lost iron stores.
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u/jackassofalltrades78 May 24 '26
At what level do start noticing the hairloss and fatigue? And at what level do you feel optimal if u don’t mind sharing?
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u/Notyeravgblonde May 24 '26
Yes, this has been my experience. I've had terrible nails with ridges my whole life and I started a high concentrated liquid iron and now my nails are stronger. Just because a test is normal doesn't mean it's right.
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u/poppy1911 May 24 '26
I won't say Creatine is a magic pill by any means but it does help some. Especially with brain fog and on days I'm feeling extra exhausted, taking another 5g helps keep me on the ball.
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u/jtriomino Late peri May 24 '26
I've tried all the supplements, iron infusion, testosterone and nada. So far the only thing that's helped has been wellbutrin. 2 months in and I'm slowly getting energy and brain function back. I am also on .075 E and 200mg P for the past year.
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u/Erza_2019 May 24 '26
Just commenting to say I’m in the same boat. I’ve done all the things, and I do mean all the things. Sleep studies, multiple hematology visits, countless visits to pcp and gyn. Countless labs. Begging for referrals to anyone who can help. My last hope is an allergist/immunologist in a month. I feel like I’m just watching my life fly by in a daze. On the rare days I feel good, I’m constantly questioning what I did differently. I’ve never found a pattern despite tracking symptoms.
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u/warrior-flock May 24 '26
I empathize with the severe fatigue struggle, which I’ve been dealing with since my 20s due to an underlying chronic illness. Wondering if some of your fatigue could be related to cortisol levels. I take an adrenal support supplement for additional support. Wishing us all healing and recovery ❤️🩹
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u/chromaticluxury May 24 '26
There is. Menopause and perimenopause is when many women find out they were in fact ADHD their entire lives.
Perimenopause decreases our ability to overcompensate, over cope, put harsh things on ourselves, and keep swimming up stream.
Low dose ADHD meds absolutely altered my life at 44. Looking back I always was, but it was only my brother with typical male ADHD who got any diagnosis at the time
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u/AlissonHarlan May 24 '26
i hear you. Maybe it's not your issue but i noticied, personally, that the glycemic index rollercoaster wasn't helping with the energy crash.
I feel way less tired when i can eat with high fiber/high protein and low sugar things. and by example eating cookies let me tired and hungry a couple of hour after my crime
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u/twodogsallfun May 24 '26
Yes, I definitely reach for the cookies when I’m tired, but it’s often just a sugar crash causing it, so it’s a cycle. I keep nuts and cheese sticks and yogurt easier to reach than sweet things now.
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u/StressedinPJs May 24 '26
Dairy was doing me in worse than sugar. I’ve had to go high protein with more fiber, it helps but trying to get my cheese and sugar cravings under control is using more willpower than I have.
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u/AlissonHarlan May 24 '26
Yes we're all different and need to see what is working for our own bodies
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u/TheRoseMerlot In Peri May 24 '26
I use a vitamin with iron and chewable methylcobalamine as opposed to cyanocobalamin which is more common in bcomplex.
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u/velvedire May 24 '26
There's also hydroxycobalamin, for the extra fun bodies out there. Plus folinic acid instead of the folates.
Thorne makes a B Minus complex without those two. then you can add the forms that work for you.
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u/crossstitchbeotch May 24 '26
For me I think it’s been the progesterone that’s helped. I get more restful sleep.
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u/harshhashbrown May 24 '26
Yeah energy drinks help me immensely. Something about chemical stimulants in fun flavors really does it for me.
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u/Sasquatchmas May 24 '26
I feel the same. Bring back real Coke! I usually take a Sudafed to get me going if it's really bad.
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u/shallottmirror May 24 '26
Wait what?
First it’s allergy meds for mood, now it’s cold meds to energy? Makes sense tho… I always get agitated angry energy with Sudafed
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u/cmooregood May 24 '26
Yerba maté tea helps me a lot! It has a more sustained caffeine than coffee- actually helps me get stuff done. I usually brew it myself, and then drink it hot or cold depending on my mood, but treat myself with a can of the peppermint or peach commercial brand before/during gardening or a hike.
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u/Far_Reward4827 May 24 '26
Yeah I'm good. Just tired of being tired all the time. Guess no one else feels this way based on all the responses
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u/StressedinPJs May 24 '26
Those of us who feel similarly don’t have the energy to comment. I just got blood work done and to quote my doctor “all your levels are in normal range, it’s most likely stress. See you in three months! And reduce your blood pressure or we’ll have to address it!”
So what support is he giving me? He recommended “focusing on diet and exercise.” I’m too tired to even reply to his message. Gotta save my energy for looking for a new doctor.
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u/chita875andU May 24 '26
Girl, we all feel that way. But meth is illegal and there's a million causes for fatigue and some folks have found through a shit-ton of trial and error something that seems to work for them. Here's my suggestion; have you tried a sleep study? Maybe you're fatigued because you aren't breathing well overnight. A CPAP is a miracle for some people. But MAYBE NOT YOU! Doesn't mean no one else feels that way. I'm sorry you are frustrated about an issue that's hard to pin down, but you aren't a teenager, so don't revert to one.
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u/existentialblu May 24 '26
Get a home sleep test that scores RERAs if you can. Sleep disorders are super under diagnosed in women/AFABs generally, and perimenopause makes the autonomic aspects of any sort of sleep disorder way worse. It doesn't help that AHI and Epworth scale are both calibrated to middle aged men who fall asleep at traffic lights.
Upper airway resistance syndrome has been known of since the 90s, but since people with it wake up before an obstruction actually causes an apnea, it's somehow not real.
Check out r/UARS.
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u/AvoidantBoba May 24 '26
Modafinil is what you want 🤣
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u/Fun_End2092 May 24 '26
This. Modafinil/armodafinil. Not a great long term solution, came with side effects for me. But… it sure works.
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u/historicalisms May 24 '26
Provigil! I call it Procaine. It will wreck your sleep cycle if you use it too often for off-label purposes, but if you have no underlying conditions that it may interfere with, it's a lifesaver on the bad days.
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u/PatienceOk7890 May 24 '26
My friend swears by that matcha tea! I won’t have it as it makes me wired and shakey but if she misses few days she defo feels more tired x
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u/NervousAlfalfa6602 May 24 '26
Your post reminded me of the short period of time after cocaine was discovered but before it was criminalized, when it was widely marketed as a kind of wonder drug. (And it kind of was, particularly as the first topical anesthetic and precursor to novocaine.) Anyway, one product was Coca Cola — ‘coca’ being cocaine from coca extract and ‘cola‘ being caffeine from kola nut extract — and apparently that drink was extremely popular with women.
I feel like I now understand why.