Extreme Tiredness/Fatigue

[RachyF]

Hi All

Am on day 12 and am excrutiatingly tired. Sometimes I can't move. Haven't walked to the mailbox, have had to take days off work. Is this normal?? Surely not. Finally decided to call my clinic but they are not there. I'm close to just eating some carbs because this feels wrong.

Can anyone help me before I speak with my clinic (hopefully) tomorrow.

Thanks in Advance

[winghama]

Hi Rachy,

Things to check - Are You:
1. Eating all your crackers and fruit
2. Drinking enough water
3. Taking a multi-vitamin

It can be normal for some to feel extremely tired in the first week or so as your body goes through detox, which is why the 3 things above are important. Dont give in to the carbs until you have spoken to your clinic. Read your programme again to clarify for yourself that you have been following it correctly - some have found that they were making mistakes without realising it as they had misread/misunderstood their programmes.

I am sorry you have had a rough start to your programme. I can assure you the programme does work, and when the detox part is over you feel incredibly energised and healthy. I hope you get this sorted quickly so you can start to really feel the benefits.

Andrea

[bumblebee]

Hi Rachy

I'd like to reiterate what the lovely Andrea has said - once the initial part is over you should feel extremely healthy and well.

Having said that, it does NOT sound normal to be experiencing such extreme tiredness and fatigue. I've heard of people feeling drained while they're detoxing and getting used to eating smaller amounts, but taking days off work and not being able to visit the mailbox doesn't sound like anything I've read on here.

I think before you go eating carbs or deviating from the program entirely, maybe try seeing your GP? It could be that Cohen's isn't the problem and there could be some serious underlying medical issues.

I hope you feel better soon and please let us know how you go!
xxBB

[RachyF]

Thanks for your replies. I'm pretty sure that I'm not doing anything wrong according to the plan. I actually feel better now. I don't feel the tiredness all the time, but on and off. With the tiredness comes mental fatigue as well and a feeling of not being able to go on.. not with life, or even with the programme (ok a little of that) but just like a general jadedness. I have actually been to the Dr, but I always find unless you have a really common ailment, they can't tell you anything. So if there were underlying health issues there wouldn't have been any indication on the blood test?

Anyway, I didn't deviate and hopefully will talk to the clinic tomorrow. I feel fine now and I soooo hope that I can get past this and get in to the zone that people talk about.

I have been having about 4 coffees a day (3/4 tsp instant per cup) which doesn't seem excessive, but I might try going off the caffeine too. Gosh - thats pretty much all my vices at once. I'm pretty determined to battle through this. Dear God please let me get to the cruisey place I"ve heard about!!

Thanks again. Rach.

[shell]

Hi Rachy,

How much weight do you have to loose, and how much have you lost?
Are you doing any exercise?

As the others have said, you shouldnt feel like you are, by being on the program.

Let us know what your clinic says.

Good luck.

Shell

[Miss Optimistic]

Hi Rachy

I'm only new on the program, but I would like to offer my two cents worth - in case it's any help.

I'm on Day 5 today and I too have been feeling lethargic, etc due to the detox. But yours seems a little extreme. Please don't be offended - I wonder if you could be suffering from depression? Could it be that now you are off all of your "comfort foods", you are really feeling low? (I speak from experience ). Anyway, I truly believe as time goes on, you will feel better - the first two weeks of any life changes are always difficult. But if in the meantime you're not improving, I would certainly suggest a visit to the GP. Sometimes just talking about how you are feeling can help - especially when you focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. Also, some full blood tests may be appropriate - as the Cohen blood test may not show everything.


Hang in there - and be kind to yourself. Let us know how you go.

Miss O

[RachyF]

Hi Again everyone.
My consultant went and away and asked dr cohen and came back and said i should eat an extra piece of fruit and 5 extra crackers for 10 days.
The tiredness has been much better, but i have now had almost constant IBS!! I had it badly years ago and i haven't really seen it for years and years, now it is back with a vengence. Perhaps the artificial sweetners stirred it up, but now everything i eat/drink seems to cause stabbing as well as dull pains and constant pressure.
Wow the effects of this diet are really taking over my whole life and debilitating me. I'm still so determined to stick with it but wish i wasn't having such a hard time

[RachyF]

So I can't have coffee, decaf, diet drinks, artificial sweetners, wheat, red meat. this is hard!! Thanks for listening to my whinge!

[mcpsych]

If the foods you list are affecting you now on cohens they would have been affecting you before and you should have known this before you started
which clinic are you with and have you put in a diary request yet

[sundaymorningstaple]

Originally Posted by RachyF

Hi Again everyone.
My consultant went and away and asked dr cohen and came back and said i should eat an extra piece of fruit and 5 extra crackers for 10 days.
The tiredness has been much better, but i have now had almost constant IBS!! I had it badly years ago and i haven't really seen it for years and years, now it is back with a vengence. Perhaps the artificial sweetners stirred it up, but now everything i eat/drink seems to cause stabbing as well as dull pains and constant pressure.
Wow the effects of this diet are really taking over my whole life and debilitating me. I'm still so determined to stick with it but wish i wasn't having such a hard time

Hello RachyF. Sorry you are having such a rough time of it. I'd like to help you if I can, but first of all I'll need some information.

First of all, I need to know which clinic you are using.

Secondly, if you are having all these problems, I would suggest you stop the programme and see your GP to get your medical problems sorted out first. Dr. Cohen will ALWAYS put your health BEFORE the programme. You can always start the programme again once your GP has sorted out your other medical issues.

[RachyF]

Hi Guys,

I think because i wasn't eating much food I started drinking lots of coffee, decaf, sweeteners and diet soft drinks. These are things I didn't use before so didn't get the symptoms. I'm back to the food on the plan plus water plus herbal tea and will see what happens. its probably for the best anyway - a REAL detox. hard though.

[RachyF]

.. yes, I should make it clear that I have food allergies and sensitivites before Cohens, just the change in diet changed my habits for a bit there.

[Ladybird]

Hi RachyF
Hope your change to the real programme food and plan is working for you now. It's a fantatic programme and I would thorougly recommend it. I haven't felt this good in years

How much weight do you want to loose and where are you from?
LB x

[jlou]

Hi Rachy

As someone who has suffered from IBS I can say that the time in my life I have had the LEAST problems from it, was whilst on Cohens. The only time it flared up was when I approached refeed and that was a signal that I needed to increase my food intake.

How much do you have to lose? And which clinic are you with?

Artificial sweetners and caffeine are the worst culprits so you need to steer away from them.

And remember the old saying: If pain persists, see your Doctor. We firmly believe on this forum in Health before Cohens.

Hey and why not start a diary? It helps people find you around this place as it gets a bit big sometimes!

Cheers and good luck
jlou

[RachyF]

Thanks Jlou. And sorry to hear you also have suffered from IBS. NOT fun!

Its great to learn about it and what triggers it though.

I have learnt more about it since starting Cohens, which is only a positive thing. I think this might have tied in with my tiredness.

I am very happy to report that that awful tired, heaviness feeling seems to have gone!! (fingers crossed I am not speaking too soon) but all week I am feeling SO MUCH better and seem to be getting into the much yearned for Zone!!

So that's why I really came back to this thread, as when I started it I was wishing for it so much.

I'm actually happy!

I haven't eaten all my extra crackers/fruits.. only an extra piece of fruit on a couple of days, and 1 extra crispbread on 1 day when I felt really low on resources. But now I'm feeling confident and hopeful that I won't need to have any extras. I'm already a slow loser (don't have much to lose) and don't want to slow it any further.

Thanks All x