There can be various reasons you may feel tired or fatigued when you have a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, both physically and emotionally.
When your heart is not able to pump blood to your body, this includes your muscles which can then make you feel fatigued, especially after exercise.
Fatigue is when you are feeling unusually tired and weak. It isn’t the same as feeling drowsy or sleepy and can’t be remedied by sleeping or rest. When you are fatigued you can feel like you have no motivation or energy. Fatigue can be caused by health conditions such as cardiomyopathy, but it can also be because of stress, bereavement, or anxiety.
Why do I feel tired and fatigued?
Medications such as beta blockers, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers can also cause tiredness and fatigue. These effects may wear off once your body adjusts to the new medication. It is also possible you could be suffering from an underactive thyroid or anaemia; this can make you feel more tired or lethargic, so it is important to have your GP check for these.
Lack of sleep or an interruption in your sleeping pattern could cause you to feel more tired in the daytime. Some people with heart conditions can experience emotional stress, this is often caused by having to come to terms with living with a heart condition and dealing with any changes to their heart condition. If the cause of the emotional stress can be lessened, then this can help to reduce the feelings of tiredness.
Five things you can do to combat feelings of tiredness and fatigue:
- Reducing your alcohol intake
- Not smoking
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating a healthy diet
- Try to schedule activities and tasks for the times of the day when you feel most energetic and allow yourself periods of rest throughout the day.
- Talking about how you feel with family members and friends can also help.
If you are concerned that you feel especially tired or fatigued then tell your GP, cardiac nurse, or consultant who may want to investigate further. You can also speak to one of our specialist nurses on our helpline by calling 0800 018 1024. The helpline is open Monday – Friday 08.30am-16.30pm.