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What Causes Extreme Sleepiness And Weight Gain?
Posted on
Fri, 26 May 2017
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 26 May 2017
Answered on
Thu, 15 Jun 2017
Last reviewed on
Question : Get extremely sleepy occasionally during the day especially after a meal. I can feel it first in my legs, Have gained 70 pounds over the last year and a half.
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I'm sorry you are having this problem. I have a few thoughts on this.
Gaining that much weight in 1 1/2 years is not normal and should be evaluated. Given the fatigue you are also having, it is important to check for thyroid disease with a thyroid panel (TSH, T4) which is a simple blood test.
Depending on what other physical features you may be having, checking cortisol and ACTH levels for adrenal gland function would also be a consideration.
Also a good idea to check a fasting blood glucose level or an A1C (checks average of blood sugar over previous 2 months) as diabetes can cause fatigue too.
Sometimes people gain a lot of weight from depression or from medications.
And, if you gain a lot of weight, it can interfere with good quality sleep, usually due to sleep apnea at night while lying in bed. This can cause daytime sleepiness. Diagnosis is with a sleep study (often these can be done from home now) and there is treatment for it.
So given this wide array of things to consider, I advise that you go in to see your doctor to evaluate what might be going on, and address that.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I'm sorry you are having this problem. I have a few thoughts on this.
Gaining that much weight in 1 1/2 years is not normal and should be evaluated. Given the fatigue you are also having, it is important to check for thyroid disease with a thyroid panel (TSH, T4) which is a simple blood test.
Depending on what other physical features you may be having, checking cortisol and ACTH levels for adrenal gland function would also be a consideration.
Also a good idea to check a fasting blood glucose level or an A1C (checks average of blood sugar over previous 2 months) as diabetes can cause fatigue too.
Sometimes people gain a lot of weight from depression or from medications.
And, if you gain a lot of weight, it can interfere with good quality sleep, usually due to sleep apnea at night while lying in bed. This can cause daytime sleepiness. Diagnosis is with a sleep study (often these can be done from home now) and there is treatment for it.
So given this wide array of things to consider, I advise that you go in to see your doctor to evaluate what might be going on, and address that.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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