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Every day when I get home from school she's asleep. My Mom is only about 40 years old and whenever I get home from school she's asleep. She is also really run down and achy all day. I'm really worried that something is terribly wrong. Not 3 months ago she could Sticky hand fight and play and was generally normal. But now shes just run down and it seems like she's aged like 40 years on a few weeks. I'm really worried for her.

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Time for your Mom to see her primary doctor as all this sleep and being run down at her young age isn't normal.... unless she is caring for an elderly relative.... or is working full time, plus trying to maintain a household on her own.
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I agree, it's time she sees her doctor for a complete checkup. She may have something medical going on that needs medical intervention. Be supportive but encourage her to see the doc.
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That must be worrisome for you, especially when you come home from school and your mother is relatively young herself. How are you coping?

Would your mom agree to go to the doctor? If not, do you and your mom share the same family doctor? If so, perhaps you could make an appointment and discuss your concerns and describe her signs/symptoms/behaviours to him or her. Also, I recommend sharing this with a guidance counsellor at school to help you strategize on how to deal with the situation, as well as to validate your feelings and provide you with support.

You mention a couple of things - fatigue and achiness - that bring some things to my mind; however, I am not a doctor or nurse, and symptoms can mimic many different conditions/diseases. That being said, fibromyalgia is a common chronic condition that causes chronic fatigue and generalized pain, and morning stiffness. One tell tale sign is pain when pressing certain tender points in the elbows, neck, knees and buttocks areas, to name a few. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed to be in response to a physical or psychological trauma, or viruses such as the Barr Epstein. Another variant of fibromyalgia is chronic fatique, without the pain.

The other thing that comes to mind is has she been bitten by an insect, like a tic (which can carry Lime disease) or mosquito (which may carry the West Nile virus). Did she visit a foreign country recently?

Since your mother did not display any signs of depression prior to the rather sudden onset, it is a good idea to get her thoroughly checked out medically.

In the meantime, take care of yourself and continue to reach out.
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I am forty myself and I can tell you this it is not so much as you seem like you age forty years as it might be the early onset of menopausal symptoms. She needs to see a gynecologist not a psych. It could be that her white Blood Cell counts are out of wack. It could also mean that her hormones could be out of balance. I would check with gyno and endocrine before halling your mom off to the psy and poking her full of meds she may not need at all. There is a test to see if it is her thyroid and those are usually the free t3 or t4 and the complete t3 and t4. The doctor may want to order a CBC it could be she is anemic. With the age forty she could be getting anemic from an infection or a gynecological cause to the problem. Has she ever had heart problems or does heart disease run in the family or even kidney disease? If so the doctor can run test for that and see if there might be something making her tired because it could be circulatory and her blood may not be working in her circulatory system right.
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She could be depressed or have some other illness. 40 is very young to not be functioning. She needs to go to the doctor. If she resists try a mental health counselor or a psychologist
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The doctor should probably do blood tests to see if she's anemic, but depression could cause people to stay in bed. If it persists too long, it may be difficult to get her out. Is she starting to forget things? any loss of mental sharpness? Is she taking meds that make her sleepy? Lots of questions to be answered by the doctor.
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You might suggest that her body could be lacking some iron or a vitamin. It might be something else -- maybe even something serious -- but this suggestion may get her to see a doctor. The doc will likely start with a blood test to see what's missing. If that's okay, they can look for something else once she's in their care. Some people get into denial that they have anything wrong, or they're just too tired to help themselves. If you must, make the appointment yourself, then call a relative or friend or even a friend's parent to help get her to that appointment. You're clearly a wise and caring person; now you must also be strong. Good luck!!
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Dear Araina - It's good to see someone not only so caring, but so observational about a parent. If, after 3 months, she hasn't had the self-motivation to seek medical attention on her own; you have a bit of a challenge. Or maybe she did go while you were at school and didn't tell you? Have you asked her? Has there been a change in the family dynamic in the last 3 months (ie) has she taken on a new job or responsibility? Talking her into making (and keeping) an appt for a complete Physical Exam would be great. During the exam, the doctor will ask her questions about her health and order a blood panel and stool sample. Those results will shed some light on what steps to take next. If you can't talk her into it - you will need to ask a relative to help push her in that direction. Good luck.
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Always first a complete medical. Another possibility is thyroid problems. Please see she gets to her doctor. Feeling so low energy will make it harder for her to take action so anything you can do to help her get there is good. With low thyroid you have lethargy as well which makes it more challenging to do things. A friend or relative or clergy might be able to help too. Good luck and let us know how she and you are doing.
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I echo the advice to see a PCP, internist or even an ob/gyn, ASAP. If she's "achy", that's physical, not mental. Psychologists to my knowledge don't do physical workups and that's what she needs. Blood work is definitely in order; it's amazing what shows up from analysis of a few vials of blood.

I also wonder why kind of diet she's eating. Is she eating a balanced diet which includes protein and B vitamins? Who does the cooking for the family?

What kind of "aches" does she have, and in what part of her body? That could be a clue for a doctor to explore.

Do you live in an area close to forests, or areas in which deer might live? It's possible also she could have been bitten by a tick, although the symptoms are more extensive than what your mother has.

There's also the possibility of something systemic, in which case, the sooner it's discovered and addressed the better.

Or had she started on any new medications? I'm also assuming that she's not in chemo or getting radiation - they're physically and emotionally draining.

Have there been any emotional upsets in the family? Dealing with sadness, grief and other traumatic events can cause fatigue as well. Doctors are more aware now of what they call the "mind-body connection", or "Mindfulness" as some describe it.

Another question is whether or not she's napping, or has she been sleeping all day? What time does she get up in the morning? If she's up at 4 or 5 to get your father off to work, a nap in the afternoon isn't unusual.

How many children are there in the family and do they help with housework? Are there young ones at home? Does she work outside the home and if so, what is her profession?

Lots of questions to answer; categorize and record as many as you can and accompany her to visit a doctor, the sooner the better.

Some hospitals have a women's health center, which might be better because she won't have to worry about some of the male doctors who just pat a woman's hand and assure everything is okay.
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