How to get a "healthy" energy boost?

[malin]

Almost everyday around 12 pm I get extremely tired and my body starts to ache, I've tried changing the time of when I take my pred, I've tried eating something (which makes it worse for some reason), I've tired strong coffees/espressos, energy drinks, fresh fruit juices and so on, I've even tried having a short nap but that also seems to make me feel worse afterwards.

The big problem is that this seems to happen when I am working but not so much on my days off. :/

I'm at a loss at what to do next? Any ideas of how I can boost my energy?

[Sangye]

Malin, I think this is pretty straightforward adrenal exhaustion. Pred depletes the adrenal glands, so they're not able to produce adrenaline like healthy adrenals. Caffeine or other energy drinks work by demanding more adrenaline from the adrenals. They don't have it to give, and the additional drain on them further depletes them leaving you even more exhausted.

It's a classic pattern:
1) You're tired so you drink caffeine.
2) It gives you a little energy but each day it works less and less.
3) You increase the amount you drink. That works temporarily.
4) Finally you get to a point where soon after you drink the caffeine you feel utterly exhausted. That's when your adrenals have nothing more to give.

The worst possible thing is to drink caffeine or use other stimulants. When you try to get off pred someday, your adrenals might be so depleted from the beating they took that you can't get off it.

If you have fresh fruit juices have some protein with it, like cheese. Otherwise the blood sugar changes will make you tired.

To increase your energy you have to do what you don't want to do: Give your body and adrenals proper rest. A full night's sleep, no caffeine.

Also, how much pred are you on? If the dose is low, you might need to split it in half to keep it from wearing off by the afternoon.

[julia]

Can you take short breaks and move around/walk. When I had to do paperwork I would have to get up and move or I would fall asleep at my desk. I worked in daycare so I was able to get up and move around.

[Psyborg]

Ok...so this explains my situation with my afternoon crashes then. I was completely caffeine free last summer through this winter, but when the Wegeners started I started caffeinating myself again. So I'm actually double slamming my adrenals? Any suggestions on an approach to getting back off the caffeine so it doesn't screw up my Pred tapering? I assume I need to do a gradual withdrawl to avoid some of the massive headaches?

[Sangye]

Definitely a gradual withdrawal, but don't drag it out too long. Try cutting back by 1/4 every few days.

[Jack]

GIVE ME COFFEE NOW!
:w00t:

[Sangye]

Well, since you put it so politely.... :laugh:

[malin]

Oh dear... so this means I have to say bye bye to one of my biggest passions in life? (Coffee of course!) :(
What about de-caf coffees? *trying to cling to small ray of hope*

[Sangye]

You can have decaf. You can have coffee if you limit it to 1-2 cups a day. Real cups, not the big mugs that are popular. And regular strength coffee, not espresso, etc.... Believe me on this. What you do to your adrenals now will impact you for a long time, if not permanently. No coffee tastes good enough to trade your future.