Fatigue: Causes, Medications, and What Really Helps

When you feel fatigue, a persistent sense of exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest. Also known as chronic tiredness, it’s not just about sleep—it’s often tied to what’s in your medicine cabinet. Many people brush it off as stress or laziness, but fatigue can be a direct result of the drugs you’re taking daily. From blood pressure pills to antidepressants, even common pain relievers can drain your energy without you realizing it.

Take medication side effects, unintended physical reactions caused by drugs. Also known as adverse drug reactions, they’re often hidden in fine print. Beta-blockers for heart conditions, SSRIs for depression, and even antihistamines for allergies can cause drowsiness or low energy that lasts for weeks. It’s not in your head—it’s in your chemistry. And if you’re on multiple meds, the effects stack up. One study found that people taking four or more prescription drugs were over twice as likely to report severe fatigue than those on one or none.

Then there’s drug-induced tiredness, fatigue directly triggered by how a drug interacts with your body’s systems. Also known as pharmacological fatigue, it’s not the same as burnout. For example, proton pump inhibitors like rabeprazole can reduce nutrient absorption over time, leading to iron or B12 deficiency—which then causes fatigue. Or consider immunosuppressants like Prograf: they keep your body from rejecting a transplant, but they also slow down your metabolism and energy production. It’s a trade-off, and most people aren’t warned about it.

You might also be dealing with sleep and medication, how drugs disrupt your natural sleep cycle. Also known as medication-related insomnia or hypersomnia, this is a silent driver of daytime exhaustion. Some meds make you crash. Others keep you awake. Either way, your body never gets the deep, restorative sleep it needs. Nortriptyline, for instance, can cause both drowsiness and fragmented sleep—leaving you tired even after eight hours in bed.

Fatigue isn’t one thing. It’s a signal. And your meds might be the loudest voice in the room. If you’ve been dragging for months, it’s not normal. It’s not aging. It’s not just life. It’s likely connected to what you’re taking—and what you’re not getting enough of. The good news? Once you know the link, you can fix it. Below, you’ll find real stories and science-backed fixes from people who turned their energy around by understanding how their medications were working (or not working) with their body. No fluff. Just what actually helps.