When I reflect on my years as a vein specialist, certain patient stories stick with me. They are the ones that dramatically illustrate how a vein condition can quietly take over someone’s life, and how profoundly treatment can restore their health and vitality. One story that I often think about is that of a gentleman who taught me just how deeply vein health is connected to overall wellness, energy, and even weight.
This man was in his early 50s and was highly motivated to improve his health. He was constantly researching diet improvements, different supplements, and other ways to feel better. He was knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to make a change. However, he was extremely overweight and shared that he knew something was fundamentally wrong because no matter what he tried, he couldn’t lose the weight. He said he felt horrible all the time.
He described a debilitating routine. He worked a long day, about ten hours, but when he got home, he had absolutely no energy left. He would just sit around, unable to do anything else. This wasn't just on weekdays; the exhaustion carried over into his weekends. He said he didn't have the energy to do anything, so he ended up sitting around then, too.
Over a period of years, this lack of activity led to significant weight gain. He admitted that he felt trapped and couldn't escape his poor health. He knew his weight had reached a point where it was even more difficult to start exercising, creating a difficult cycle. I explained to him that while the extra weight did make exercise more challenging, it wasn't the main thing holding him back.
The biggest problem preventing him from being active was his vein condition. He had a significant case of venous insufficiency. When a vein condition reaches a certain critical level, tremendous inflammation circulates throughout your body, peaking at the end of the day. This inflammation disrupts the energy systems in every cell of your body. You literally have no energy.
This is a point that many people, including health care workers and providers, don't fully understand. I talk to patients who often beat themselves up psychologically because they can't start any exercise program. They think they have no motivation, they're weak-willed, or that they’re just "losers." I see the frustration and self-blame in their eyes. The reality is that their exhaustion isn't a character flaw; it’s the direct biological effect of the inflammation coursing through their bodies.
I often tell my patients something that surprises them. When I see this level of fatigue, I tell them, "You're going to get a tremendous improvement in your energy after we treat your veins. You will naturally want to move more and exercise, and you'll want to do things that will help you lose weight."
Then, I give them a piece of advice that probably makes me doctor to do so: I recommend they not start a new exercise program until after we begin their vein treatments. I know how demoralizing it is to try to exercise when you are so profoundly exhausted. You simply can't perform, and failure to do so only reinforces those negative feelings of being weak or unmotivated. So, I give them permission to rest and let the treatment do its work first.
We started this gentleman’s treatments, and sure enough, as his circulation improved and the inflammation subsided, he began to feel better. He naturally wanted to move more. He started being more active, and soon he was motivated enough to begin a daily walking routine. He started small, but his energy grew with each passing day. He eventually worked his way up to walking several miles every day.
About six months after we finished his treatments, he stopped by the office to say hello. He came to drop off some information he had found about a supplement he was excited about, which was very kind of him. But then he gave us an update that left my team and me astonished.
He informed us that he had lost 80 pounds in those six months.
He said, "It's because I feel so much better."
It was as simple as that. Once the inflammation was eliminated, his natural motivation and desire to be healthy could finally take over. He became the grand winner of weight loss in our clinic in the shortest period, and I am certain it was directly related to his vein treatment. This was before the new "magic" weight loss medicines were available. His success was purely the result of feeling healthier and having more energy after vein treatment and acting on it.
His story was a profound lesson for me. It showed me how a vein condition can take away someone's health, energy, and vitality. And, just as powerfully, it showed me how treating that condition can give it all back. If you feel exhausted, unmotivated, and trapped by your weight, I want you to consider that there might be a physical reason for it that has nothing to do with your willpower.
If this story sounds familiar, and you're struggling with fatigue and leg discomfort that are holding you back, I encourage you to seek answers. A simple, free vein screening can help determine if an underlying vein condition contributes to feeling exhausted, fatigued, and low energy, and if a vein treatment can help you.
1. How can a vein condition make me feel so tired?
When your leg veins don't circulate blood properly, inflammation builds up in your body. This inflammation interferes with your body's ability to produce energy, leading to fatigue, exhaustion and low energy especially at the end of the day.
2. I want to lose weight, but I have no energy to exercise. Could my veins be the problem?
It's a strong possibility. If you also have other symptoms like achy, heavy, or swollen legs, restless legs at night, or visible varicose veins, the fatigue you are experiencing is very likely linked to a vein condition. If you have low energy and a vein condition, vein treatments naturally increase your energy and can help with weight loss.
3. Will vein treatment automatically make me lose weight?
Vein treatment itself doesn't cause weight loss. However, it eliminates the inflammation from the vein condition that causes fatigue and leg pain. Eliminating the inflammation with a vein treatment restores your energy levels and makes your legs feel better. It restores your energy levels and helps you burn more calories.
4. How soon after starting vein treatment can I expect to feel more energetic?
Many patients report feeling an increase in energy and a reduction in leg heaviness within the first week after treatment. As your treatment plan progresses and the treated veins heal, these improvements continue.
5. What if I don't have any visible varicose veins? Can I still have a vein problem?
Yes. Most people do not have visible or bulging varicose veins, but still have venous insufficiency. Fatigue, leg swelling, aching, and heaviness are all classic symptoms of an underlying circulation problem that can exist without many visible signs.