Usually fine
Normal tiredness
- Tired after a busy week, a late night or travel
- Energy that comes back after a good night's sleep
- An afternoon dip that passes
- Feeling flat during a cold, then recovering
Private fatigue clinic · Macclesfield · Online across the UK
Your Energy.Properly Understood.
Exhausted, foggy or in pain, and told your tests are normal? We find out what is really draining your energy, and build a plan to get it back at a pace your body can manage.
Always alongside your GP and specialist care, never instead of it.
Why we exist
Fatigue rarely has a single cause
Persistent fatigue usually builds from several influences at once: infections, poor sleep, stress, blood sugar swings, hormones, inflammation, gut health and nutrient gaps. When routine tests come back "normal", too many people are left with no explanation and no plan.
404,000
people in the UK are estimated to have ME/CFS, 62% more than previously thought1
2.5 million
people in the UK live with fibromyalgia2
3 in 10
GPs report that they don't diagnose fibromyalgia2
1.9 million
people in the UK reported long COVID symptoms in 20233
72%
of people with long COVID report fatigue, and half report difficulty concentrating3
2 in 3
people who see their GP with long-term fatigue don't meet the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, so are often left without a clear label4
Sources: 1. Samms & Ponting, BMC Public Health (2025), DecodeME. 2. PACFiND study, University of Aberdeen. 3. Office for National Statistics, March 2023. 4. Darbishire et al., British Journal of General Practice (2003).
Know the signs
What's normal, and what's worth checking
Everyone gets tired. The pattern matters more than any single bad day.
Worth checking
Worth looking into
- Tired most days for more than a few weeks
- Sleep that doesn't refresh you
- Brain fog: losing words, slow thinking, poor focus
- Crashing a day or two after doing more than usual
- Widespread aches, tenderness or muscle pain
- Needing weekends just to recover from the week
- Fatigue that started after a virus, including COVID
- Sensitivity to light, noise or busy places
- Dizziness or a racing heart when standing
Don't wait
Arrange A Consultation Promptly
- Anxiety, fatigue and depression combined
- Poor or inadequate sleep
- Increasing anger or irritability
- Exhausted, tired all the time
- Cravings and addictions
- Mental sluggishness
- Hopelessness
- Loss of direction
Early intervention
The window for change is early
Fatigue tends to move from "tired" to "running on empty", and then to crashes after effort. The earlier the drivers are found, the more straightforward they are to correct.
1
Tired
Recovers with rest and a good night's sleep
2
Running on empty
Needs weekends to recover from the week
3
Persistent
Most days; brain fog and unrefreshing sleep
4
Crashing
Payback after effort; pain and poor sleep
5
Diagnosed condition
e.g. ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, long COVID
6
Severe
Mostly housebound; daily life heavily limited
Stages 1–4 · The window where early care makes the most difference
Stages 5–6 · Requiring a full diagnostic work-up with specialist labs and in-depth care
Our philosophy
Energy doesn't live in one place
Brain
Focus, memory and mental stamina; how the brain handles load, light, noise and recovery.
Body
Cellular energy, thyroid and adrenal hormones, blood sugar, the immune system, inflammation and the gut.
Mind
Stress, mood, sleep and the nervous system's "on" switch that can stay stuck after illness or burnout.
Brain Based CausesOf Fatigue
- Concussion or head injury
- Inflammation in the brain after infection
- Poor blood flow and blood pressure control
- Low brain chemistry, such as dopamine and serotonin
- Overload from light, noise and mental effort
Body Based CausesOf Fatigue
- Thyroid and adrenal imbalances
- Low iron, B12 or vitamin D
- Blood sugar swings
- Lingering immune activation after a virus
- Gut imbalance and food reactions
Mind Based CausesOf Fatigue
- Long-term stress and burnout
- Poor or unrefreshing sleep
- Anxiety and low mood
- A nervous system stuck on high alert
- Loss of purpose and direction
Measure, don't guess
Our Assessment Profiles
Three layers of assessment build a clear, prioritised picture before anything is recommended.
01
Online · about 12 mins · £12
Brain Performance Analysis
A self-assessment that scores eight areas of brain performance, with a personal PDF report and practical guidance.
Start here →02
At your Full Assessment
Clinical Fatigue Assessment
Validated screening and a structured clinical assessment, written up in a report you can share with your GP.
03
Recommended at your Discovery Consultation
Functional Lab Testing
Targeted tests chosen because your history points to them, never as a blanket screen.
See the lab tests →Your results
Everything comes together in one written plan: a baseline to measure progress against, the drivers we have found, and what to change first.
Your care journey
What to expect
All consultations are online, by secure video. Each step builds on the one before, at a pace that respects your energy.
Step 1
Discovery Consultation
Your £12 analysis fee is refunded when you book.
- Review of your Brain Performance Analysis
- Your fatigue story: onset, pattern and triggers
- Medical, medication and family history
- Review of any past blood tests and letters
- Next steps and lab test recommendations
£9560 mins
Book Online Consultation
Step 2
Full Assessment
Our most booked appointment.
- Validated fatigue, sleep and cognitive screening
- Structured clinical assessment
- Your lab results explained in plain terms
- A written report you can share with your GP
- 14 days of follow-up messaging
£12590 mins
Book Online Consultation
Step 3
Follow-On Support
- Progress against your baseline
- What has improved, and what is still hard
- Pacing, workplace and reasonable-adjustment guidance
- Interpretation of any agreed retests
- An updated, practical action list
£9560 mins
Book Online Consultation
Lab test fees are separate and quoted before anything is ordered. More about our consultations →
About your practitioner
Alan Lee
Alan is a clinician, educator and researcher in functional medicine and functional neurology, specialising in gut, hormonal and brain-based imbalances. He has spent 14 years working with people whose fatigue was put down to stress, being run down or getting older.
He combines cognitive assessment with functional medicine, and works alongside GPs and specialists.
- Institute of Functional Medicine
- The Kharrazian Institute
- Carrick Institute of Neurological Sciences
- International Association of Functional Neurology and Rehabilitation
- Association of Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine
Not sure where to start?
The Brain Performance Analysis takes about 12 minutes online and scores eight areas, from mental stamina to sleep. Your £12 is refunded in full when you book a Discovery Consultation.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Will you diagnose ME/CFS or fibromyalgia?
We don't replace a medical diagnosis. ME/CFS and fibromyalgia are usually diagnosed by your GP or a specialist after other causes have been ruled out. Our role is to find the drivers behind your symptoms and support your recovery alongside that care, and we can help you prepare for those conversations.
What happens at the first appointment?
Your Discovery Consultation is an unhurried 60-minute conversation about your fatigue: when it started, what makes it better or worse, your sleep, mood, medical history and any past test results. We then agree what, if anything, is worth testing.
Will you push me to exercise more?
No. In line with NICE guidance for ME/CFS, we don't use graded exercise therapy. Any activity advice is built around energy management and pacing, so you stay within what your body can recover from.
Do you work with my GP?
Yes. We work alongside your GP and any specialists, never instead of them. We don't change prescribed medication, and we can share our written report with your GP or consultant if you would like.
Do you see people outside Cheshire?
Yes. Consultations are available online anywhere in the UK, which many people with severe fatigue find easier. All appointments are online.
How much does it cost?
Discovery Consultation £95 (60 minutes), Full Assessment £125 (90 minutes), Follow-On Support £95 (60 minutes). Lab test fees are separate and agreed with you before anything is ordered.
Running on empty?
The sooner you understand what is draining your energy, the more can be done.
Book a Discovery Consultation