When should you see a doctor about fatigue?

Fatigue is more than feeling sleepy after a demanding day; it may feel like low energy, poor concentration, or difficulty completing usual tasks. Sleep disruption, stress, infection, medicines, nutritional deficiency, and mood conditions can contribute. Fatigue can also occur with Fibromyalgia, Folate Deficiency, Glandular Fever, Heart Failure, or Hepatitis B, so the pattern and accompanying symptoms matter.

Keep a brief record of sleep, energy, work or exercise tolerance, appetite, weight change, mood, bleeding, pain, breathlessness, and medicines. Maintain regular meals, fluids, gentle activity as tolerated, and a consistent sleep routine. Avoid starting iron, folate, stimulants, or other supplements without advice, because treatment depends on the cause.

Seek urgent help for fatigue with severe breathlessness, chest pain, fainting, new confusion, marked weakness, black or bloody stools, or thoughts of self-harm. Arrange a timely appointment if tiredness is steadily worsening, follows an infection without recovery, or is paired with persistent fever, swollen glands, unexplained weight change, or low mood. Depression and Generalised Anxiety Disorder may present with fatigue, but fatigue alone does not establish either condition.

Ask what causes fit your symptoms, whether an examination or blood tests are appropriate, how medicines may affect energy, and which changes should prompt earlier review.