Absolute Crashing Exhaustion

[biggerthanwas]

Believe myself to be peri-menopausal, probably fairly early stages (period still regular, though lighter). One of the symptoms is a terrible, crashing, overwhelming fatigue. It's as bad as first trimester pregnancy fatigue, but less... warm and comforting. It's more as if my body is running on empty/drained (these cliches have come to life with my experience).
This afternoon I came back home with my kids and I was stumbling along the street. I could barely keep my eyes open. I let the children in, put them in the bath and then staggered into bed. I lay on my back for an hour while the children played. I couldn't even summon the energy to get out of bed and put them into bed on time (and this is not the first time this has happened in the last two months: normally my kids are in bed by 7. The last few weeks they have sometimes gone to bed at 8 on a school night as I can't heave myself off the matress). And my joints ache, like the onset of flu.

Last week, I came back from the school run and felt incredibly proud of myself because I made myself sit down at the kitchen table and do some chores instead of getting back into bed, which I have taken to doing since Easter. Sometimes I stay in bed all day until the kids come home. Previously, I would do stuff in the evening, chores and jobs and reading and I'd be up and about the house (I'm a single parent so there is no one else intervening here) and now I just go straight to bed and sometimes fall to sleep drooling at 7.30.

So. Is this normal peri-menopausal exhaustion? And if so, can I hear descriptions from all of you of what it feels like.

I'm not unhappy or depressed, btw. Just feel shapeless, husking out and knackered.

[Mintyy]

I don't think so ... I am in the throes of the actual menopause and have never experienced exhaustion like you have described

[Ameliagrey]

No it doesn't sound like menopause.

You need to get yourself off to your GP for blood tests. You could be anaemic, underactive thyroid, or a virus.

[totallypearshaped]

How did your GP visit go? I had something like this but was diagnosed with ME.

[NotMostPeople]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? I'd get an appointment with your GP as tiredness is a symptom of an under active thyroid there are lots of others and not everyone gets them all. I get feeling the cold and increase in weight as well as exhaustion.

[mumblechum1]

Another one here who doesn't think it's the menopause. Sounds more like anaemia tbh (have experienced both).

Hope you got some help from the GP

[HoneyandRum]

Did you get your blood tests? Sounds exactly like the severe anemia I experienced.