Fatigue Causes

• Sleep disturbances

• Not enough sleep
  
  
• Too much sleep
  
  
• Sleep apnea
  
  
• Shift work (changing shifts, night shifts)
  
  
• Alcohol

• Heart diseases

• Congestive heart failure (fluid in lungs)
  
  
• Cardiomyopathy (dysfunction of the heart muscle)

• Lung diseases

• Asthma
  
  
• Emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  
  
• Pneumonia

• Nutritional disorders

• Malnutrition (kwashiorkor, protein deficiency or marasmus, total calorie deficiency)
  
  
• Obesity
  
  
• Vitamin deficiency (thiamine, B12, B6, folate, vitamin C)

• Electrolyte disturbances
  
  

  • Low potassium

  • Low magnesium
    
    
  • Low or high calcium
    
    
  • Low sodium

• Endocrine disorders
  
  
  • Low blood sugar or high blood sugar (diabetes)
    
    
  • High or low thyroid
    
    
  • Low cortisol (Addison disease)
    
    
  • High cortisol (Cushing disease)
  
  
• Gastrointestinal disorders
  
  
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
    
    
  • Peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
  
  
• Neurological disorders
  
  
  • Multiple sclerosis
    
    
  • Stroke
    
    
  • Lou Gehrig disease
  
  
• Infectious causes
  
  
  • Any chronic disease
    
    
  • HIV/AIDS
    
    
  • Tuberculosis
    
    
  • Hepatitis
    
    
  • Mononucleosis
    
    
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
    
    
  • Urinary tract infections
  
  
• Connective tissue disorders
  
  
  • Arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
    
    
  • Lupus (SLE)
    
    
  • Fibromyalgia
    
    
  • Acromegaly
  
  
• General disorders
  
  
  • Cancer
    
    
  • Anemia (blood loss or not making enough blood)
  
  
• Gynecologic
  
  
  • Pregnancy
    
    
  • Menopause
  
  
• Exercise disturbances
  
  
  • Lack of exercise
    
    
  • Too much exercise (worn out)
    
    
  • Excessive workload
  
  
• Psychological
  
  
  • Depression (loss of interest, ambition)
    
    
  • Anxiety
    
    
  • Grief
    
    
  • Stress
  
  
• Blood pressure medications work by different mechanisms to decrease blood pressure. The ultimate decrease in blood pressure also means a decrease in the amount of work the heart is doing, which can lead to a feeling of fatigue. Sometimes, the drug works not only on the heart, but also on the central nervous system.
  
  
  • Beta-blockers
    
    
  • Calcium channel blockers
    
    
  • Diuretics
    
    
  • ACE inhibitors
  
  
• Heart medications work in different ways to regulate the heartbeat. Fatigue can be related to the effects the medication has on the heart or to the effects that spill over to other areas of the body.
  
  
  • Digoxin (Lanoxin)
    
    
  • Amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone)
    
    
  • Procainamide (Promine, Rhythmin)
  
  
• Psychological medications used to help depression and anxiety work by increasing neurotransmitters in the brain that have a calming effect on the body, thus stimulating fatigue.
  
  
  • Antidepressants
    
    
  • Antipsychotics
    
    
  • Antianxiety medications (such as diazepam [Valium] or zolpidem [Ambien])
  
  
• Narcotics: Many pain medications are opiate derived. Drowsiness can be caused by opiates.
  
  
  • Acetaminophen and codeine (Tylenol with Codeine)
    
    
  • Hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Vicodin)
    
    
  • Oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet)
    
    
  • Propoxyphene and acetaminophen (Darvocet)
  
  
• Muscle relaxants work to decrease the contraction of muscles. This relaxation can lead to total body relaxation, which may cause you to feel fatigued.
  
  
  • Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
    
    
  • Carisoprodol (Soma)
    
    
  • Orphenadrine (Norflex)