3 Common Medications that are Making You Tired
Do you ever find yourself reaching for that extra cup of coffee to get you going in the morning? Do you continuously find yourself dozing off in an afternoon meeting? Or maybe you find yourself crashing on the couch at night before you even have a chance to eat dinner. Did you know your prescription medication may be the one to blame? According to a 2013 report by the Mayo Clinic, nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug, and more than 50% take two. While many of those medications are taken to keep us healthy, there unfortunately, can be many side effects associated with medications. Tiredness is one that many people struggle with. Americans already lack getting enough sleep as it is and when a medication that causes tiredness is also thrown on top of that, we will begin to lack the energy to even get through the day.
1.Antidepressants. Antidepressants are among one of the most common medications prescribed and often, side effects from antidepressants can be hard to avoid. One of those avoidable side effects being fatigue. Many antidepressants work by regulating the mood chemical in the brain called serotonin which plays an important role in sleep. Sometimes antidepressants will be taken at night because of the fatigue they may cause. However, if you are on an antidepressant and are looking for ways to alleviate the exhaustion, first consult your doctor.
2. Statins. Many Americans today are struggling with high cholesterol. For most of these people, they will be put on a cholesterol-lowering medication known as a statin; however, not everyone with elevated cholesterol needs to be on a statin medication. People that are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease or have a history of heart attack, may be better candidates for statin prescriptions. Statins are another medication that can work against you by causing you to feel sluggish and tired. The reason statins cause you to feel tired is because they decrease the amount of energy given to the cells in your muscles. Supplementing with CoQ10 is one way to help combat the sluggishness you may be experiencing on a statin prescription. CoQ10 is required for several enzymatic reactions required to produce cellular energy and to protect the body against free radicals produced during this process.
3. Blood Pressure Medications. According to the CDC, nearly 75% of Americans suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) and therefore are most of the time put on a blood pressure lowering medication. Unfortunately, like most medications, blood pressure medications come with their own list of side effects as well. Fatigue being one of them. Beta blockers, in particular, is a medication that inhibits the production of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that causes your heart to beat rapidly and when you slow down your heart rate, you are also decreasing the adrenaline that gives your body energy. Talking to your doctor about either decreasing the dose of your medication or swapping to another blood pressure lowering medication might be the answer to fighting off your fatigue.
