Fatigue Presenting As Depression?

[Jeng5158]

Hey everyone, just want to see if anyone experiences this and how they handle it. I've been on an antidepressant for years (Wellbutrin). My depression is well-controlled and on most days I feel very stable. More recently my fatigue has been getting worse and I literally could sleep any time of day (except when I NEED to go to sleep and then insomnia kicks in of course lol). I've noticed that on Mondays, I feel super super super depressed. Like, don't want to move, everyone irritating me, just want to go to bed and sleep for days. It's been worrying me because I don't want to take more medication.

Thinking about it though, I don't think my depression has returned because literally every other day is fine. Normally, Mondays don't bother me because I work M, W, Th, F so I always know I have my day off on Tuesday. The day that it was the absolute worst was after a weekend of driving 4 hours, going to a wedding, dancing for a long time, and then driving back home on Sunday. This last Monday, I felt it a little bit, but I had been outside at a festival all day on Saturday and a little hungover on Sunday. I'm wondering if the deep depression I feel is really just bad fatigue from overdoing it or "running out of spoons." I'm usually better by dinner time and perfectly fine the rest of the week.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm always tired so it's hard for me to determine if I'm more tired than normal so I never put it together until I was thinking about the spoon theory and that the days that it happens are always after an active weekend. I'm not quite sure how to deal with it - I already drink coffee to perk me up and it's very difficult for me to get more sleep than I already am at night. Any ideas?

[kellygirl]

I deal with depression too and for me it does not present as physical fatigue. If you are feeling physical fatigue and haven't had labs done, I would start there, especially with the thyroid. My emotional state when I am depressed, is more like I want to lay in bed because I am emotionally fatigued, not physically fatigued and it is just easier to stay in bed and isolate than deal with what is depressing me. Don't know if that makes sense, but I would rule out all medical and then go from there.

[looneymom]

You might want to have iron levels checked. This does not sound like depression. It sound like you are trying to live your life to it's fullest. Good for you!! However, maybe you are over doing it a tad and thats why you are feeling more tired. However with low iron, your energy level will not keep up with you. If you are more active on the weekend, don't forget extra fluids and salty snacks.

[Debbie Rose]

I have had depression most of my life and am on welbutrin, paxil and trazadone for sleep. With the onset of my first POTS episode my depression was its usual-only moderately controlled and my fatigue (was told it was from fibromyalgia) was there in its usual up and down state. With the symptoms of hypotension, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate with shaky legs (and chest pain if I push too hard) anxiety started and my fatigue got worse but my depression did not. Still working to find someone to diagnose POTS

My therapist sent me to a psychiatrist who felt that with my cycles of agitation and irritability periodically with underlying and chronic depression she felt I had hypomanic bipolar depression. Once I started Latuda my depression was G-O-N-E !! I felt "normal" for the first time in 35-40 years !! But my fatigue was still there. If I overdo or am stressed emotionally or physically my fatigue gets worse along with brain fog and more fatigue the next day