Health Library · General Health

Why am I always tired?

Overview

Chronic fatigue has a handful of common medical causes worth ruling out before assuming it's just life. A basic lab workup catches most of them.

Symptoms to watch for

  • Persistent tiredness unrelieved by sleep
  • Low motivation
  • Poor concentration
  • Physical heaviness

What else could this be?

  • Iron deficiency anemia
  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • B12 deficiency
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Sleep apnea
  • Depression
  • Long COVID
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic kidney or liver disease

How it's diagnosed

First-line labs: CBC, ferritin, TSH, vitamin D, B12, metabolic panel, A1c. Sleep study if snoring/witnessed apneas. Depression screening.

Treatment

Treat what's found — supplement deficiencies, treat hypothyroidism, address sleep apnea, adjust sleep and exercise, treat mood.

When to book a visit

Book for a fatigue workup — Clindle can order all common labs same-day.

Book online today

Frequently asked

What labs should I ask for?

CBC, ferritin, TSH, vitamin D, B12, metabolic panel, and A1c cover the majority of common causes.