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Why Are You So Tired?


Fatigue Cause Number Two: Caffeine Overload

Many of us grab an espresso, latte or cola for a quick burst of energy, but for some women, caffeine has the opposite effect. In an article published in the journal US Pharmacist, Dr. W. Stephen Pray, reports that caffeine is a stimulant, but if you take too much, the tables can turn.

"In some patients, continued abuse results in fatigue," Pray says. And if you think this means you simply require more caffeine to get the kick, this isn't the case. "Any attempt to solve the problem by increasing caffeine intake causes the fatigue to worsen," he says.

The solution to caffeine overload? Eliminate as much caffeine from your diet as possible. This means not only cutting out coffee. Chocolate, tea, soda and even some over-the-counter and prescription medications also contain caffeine and could be causing unexplained fatigue.




SOURCES: Harris H. McIlwain, MD, rheumatologist, adjunct professor, University of South Florida, Tampa; author, The Fibromyalgia Handbook, 3rd Edition. Ronald R. Fieve, MD, psychopharmacologist, professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City; author, Bipolar II. Nieca Goldberg, MD, director, NYU Medical Center Women's Heart Program; associate professor, NYU School of Medicine, New York City. Rebecca Amaru, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York City. W. Stephen Pray, PhD, RPh, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Okla. Rudy Rivera, MD, author, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat. WebMD Feature: "Living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue." WebMD Feature: "Why Am I So Tired?" WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Sleep Apnea—Treatment Overview." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic: "Depression: Detecting Depression." WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Hypothyroidism."