Fatigue & Low Energy
Feeling tired occasionally is normal. Feeling persistently exhausted, struggling to think clearly, or finding that your energy doesn't match the demands of everyday life is different.
Fatigue can have many contributing factors, and figuring out why you feel tired isn't always straightforward. As a naturopathic doctor in Red Deer, I work with adults experiencing persistent fatigue, low energy, brain fog and related concerns. My approach focuses on understanding your symptoms in context, identifying factors that may be contributing, and developing a practical, individualized plan.
Fatigue Concerns I Work With
Persistent Fatigue & Low Energy
Fatigue can look different from person to person. You may wake up tired despite getting enough sleep, struggle through the afternoon, have difficulty keeping up with normal activities, or simply feel that your energy is much lower than it used to be.
When fatigue persists, it's important to look beyond the symptom itself. Depending on your history, assessment may include consideration of sleep, nutrition, iron and nutrient status, thyroid function, metabolic health, medications, mental health, hormonal changes and other potential contributors.
Brain Fog & Difficulty Concentrating
Fatigue isn't always just physical. Some people primarily notice difficulty concentrating, slower thinking, forgetfulness or a sense that their brain simply isn't working as well as it normally does.
Brain fog can accompany poor sleep, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, chronic stress, metabolic concerns, certain medications and a variety of medical conditions.
Rather than assuming a single cause, I look at when symptoms began, what makes them better or worse, and what other symptoms occur alongside them.
Post-Exertional Fatigue
For some people, physical or mental exertion leads to a disproportionate increase in symptoms rather than the expected temporary tiredness.
This may include increased fatigue, cognitive symptoms, pain, sleep disturbance or other symptoms following activity. Understanding how your body responds to exertion is important when deciding what kinds of activity and lifestyle recommendations are appropriate.
In these situations, simply being told to exercise more may not be helpful. Care should reflect your individual capacity and symptom pattern.
Stress, Burnout & Overload
Periods of prolonged stress can have very real effects on sleep, energy, mood, appetite and the ability to recover from everyday demands.
When stress is part of the picture, my approach is not to attribute every symptom to "high cortisol" or assume that stress is the only explanation for fatigue. Instead, we look at the broader context—including workload, sleep, nutrition, mental health, physical health and recovery—and consider what changes are both useful and realistic.
Sleep-Related Fatigue
Getting enough hours of sleep does not necessarily mean that sleep is restorative.
Difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking, disrupted sleep schedules, snoring, restless legs and other sleep concerns can all contribute to daytime fatigue.
When the history suggests a possible sleep disorder, appropriate medical assessment or sleep testing may be an important part of the plan.
Fatigue Associated With Chronic Health Concerns
Fatigue commonly occurs alongside other health concerns, including digestive disorders, hormonal changes, thyroid conditions, chronic pain and other persistent illnesses.
For patients with complex health histories, my role is often to help step back and look at the whole picture: what has already been investigated, what may have been overlooked, what deserves further medical assessment, and which modifiable factors are reasonable to address.
A Comprehensive Approach to Fatigue
There is no single "fatigue test," and persistent tiredness is not automatically caused by one nutrient deficiency, hormone imbalance or lifestyle factor.
My approach begins with a detailed history.
We may consider:
When your fatigue started and how it has changed
Your daily energy pattern
Sleep quality and quantity
How you respond to physical and mental exertion
Nutrition and eating patterns
Menstrual and hormonal history when relevant
Digestive symptoms
Stress and mental health
Medications and supplements
Previous illnesses and medical conditions
Existing laboratory results
Other symptoms occurring alongside your fatigue
The goal is to develop a clearer picture of what may be contributing rather than jumping immediately to a standardized treatment protocol.
Testing & Assessment
Laboratory testing can sometimes provide important information when investigating fatigue, but more testing is not necessarily better.
Depending on your history and what has already been assessed, we may review or consider appropriate testing related to areas such as:
Iron status and anemia
Vitamin B12 and other nutritional factors
Thyroid function
Blood sugar and metabolic health
Other investigations suggested by your symptoms or medical history
Functional medicine testing is used selectively and thoughtfully—when the result is likely to provide information that meaningfully changes what we do.
Just as importantly, some patterns of fatigue require conventional medical investigation. When symptoms suggest that further assessment by your family physician or another healthcare provider is warranted, I will recommend it.
My Approach to Treatment
Treatment depends on what we find.
Recommendations may include nutrition, sleep and lifestyle strategies, evidence-informed nutritional supplementation or herbal medicine when appropriate. Treatment also takes into account your medications, existing medical care, preferences and capacity for change.
I don't believe that someone who is already exhausted needs an enormous list of things to do.
Whenever possible, we prioritize the changes most likely to matter and build from there.
For people whose symptoms worsen significantly with exertion, recommendations around physical activity are individualized rather than based on a generic exercise prescription.
What to Expect
Your first appointment gives us time to look at your fatigue in the context of your overall health.
We'll discuss your symptoms, when they began, your health history, sleep, nutrition, medications and supplements, activity tolerance, stress and other relevant factors. We'll also review laboratory results or previous investigations when available.
From there, I'll help determine whether additional assessment is appropriate and develop a plan based on your individual circumstances.
You don't need to arrive knowing why you're tired. Figuring out which pieces of the puzzle are actually relevant is part of the process.
Why Work With Dr. Jen Pilon?
I am a registered naturopathic doctor with more than 10 years of clinical experience working with adults with both straightforward and complex health concerns.
My approach is evidence-informed, collaborative and individualized. I take persistent symptoms seriously while also recognizing that fatigue can have many different causes—and that good care sometimes means knowing when further medical investigation is needed.
Testing and treatment are chosen purposefully rather than according to a predetermined protocol.
My goal is to help you better understand what may be contributing to how you feel and identify reasonable next steps without making an already overwhelming situation more complicated.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Fatigue has many possible causes. Poor or disrupted sleep, iron deficiency or anemia, thyroid disorders, nutritional factors, medications, hormonal changes, metabolic conditions, mental health concerns and a variety of medical conditions can all contribute.
Persistent or unexplained fatigue deserves appropriate assessment rather than assuming that it is simply caused by stress or a busy lifestyle.
-
There isn't one standard panel that is appropriate for everyone. Testing should be guided by your symptoms, health history, examination where appropriate, and what has already been investigated.
Depending on the situation, conventional testing may include assessment for anemia, iron status, thyroid function, blood sugar or nutritional factors, among other possibilities.
-
Normal basic laboratory results don't mean that your symptoms aren't real, but they also don't necessarily mean that more specialized testing will reveal the answer.
When initial investigations are normal, I look more broadly at your history, sleep, nutrition, medications, activity response, hormonal and metabolic factors, mental health and other symptoms to determine what deserves attention next.
-
It depends on the person and the cause of the fatigue.
Regular physical activity can be beneficial for many people, but someone whose symptoms worsen substantially after exertion may require a different approach. Activity recommendations should take your current capacity and response to exertion into account.
-
Usually not as a starting point.
I use functional medicine testing selectively when there is a specific clinical question and the result is likely to change treatment. Often, a careful history and appropriate conventional laboratory investigation provide more useful information initially.
-
Yes. Naturopathic care can complement conventional medical care, and persistent fatigue sometimes requires investigation from more than one angle.
I encourage patients to maintain appropriate primary care and specialist relationships, and I will recommend further medical assessment when your symptoms or history indicate that it is needed.
Ready to get started?
If persistent fatigue, low energy or brain fog is affecting your daily life, we can take a closer look at the bigger picture and determine reasonable next steps.