Patient feels exhausted despite normal labs, highlighting stress and lifestyle factors

A family nurse practitioner recounts a visit with a 43-year-old patient who complains that she no longer has the energy she had in her twenties.

The doctor notes that all of the patient’s lab results and vital signs are normal and that she has recently lost 50 pounds, yet she still feels fatigued.

The patient explains that she is a single mother of three, works two full-time jobs, and has stopped exercising because she feels overwhelmed by daily demands.

The clinician suggests that the lack of stamina is likely linked to chronic stress and a sedentary lifestyle rather than an underlying medical condition, and recommends gradual exercise and stress-management strategies.