| I hope you find some answers soon! FWIW, I have a similar athletic history & am about 9 years into chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine’s likely post viral, but I can also remember a 24 hour race where I finished not feeling like myself anymore. I’ve had extreme exercise intolerance and all of the typical CFS symptoms. I’ve been to dozens of doctors and several top institutions with no answers yet. 3 years into it, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea — even though I’m not overweight. I’m finally feeling somewhat better after eliminating all caffeine (I only had 1 8oz cup every morning), plus 4 months off of any exercise, work, and as much stress as possible. Some of my mysterious and long-lasting symptoms, such as various food intolerances & dizziness, suddenly resolved. I stopped drinking alcohol a long while ago too, thinking even my occasional drinking could impact my sleep and recovery. I still experience post-exertional malaise if I go above zone 2, but I can now tolerate zone 2 workouts without the typical crashes that would occur 24-48 hours after exercise and would last for days. I’ll likely be on a nice e-bike soon, so that I can keep my heart rate more stable and low over hilly terrain. |
I also have mild sleep apnea and am not overweight. Although weight gain can directly cause apnea, it isn't the only cause.
Treating the apnea improved my quality of life an immeasurable amount. I started actually being able to have a life rather than a series of responsibilities to get through between naps. I still struggle with energy levels though.
I had symptoms for 10-15 years before getting diagnosed. I've heard doctors have become a lot more diligent about identifying it over the past 5 years or so.
I think something like 80% of people with it were undiagnosed as of 2016ish (as per a study done by surgeons).