Overwhelming tiredness - getting frustrated by it and need advice

[WhoWhoWhoWho]

I have been feeling really really tired for ages. First time I went to GP she gave me a prescription for ADs as I have had depression before . She did blood tests but they didn't show anything. I took them for a few months like a good patient and they made no difference.

Finally went back to the doctor about it a couple of weeks ago, turns out it was a year ago when I first went! I still feel the same.
GP was quite dismissive but said reluctantly would retest and also test for sugars and B12 which weren't tested for last time.

The test results have all come back normal.

I'm just so so tired all the time. I fall asleep easily, wake not so easily. Have no energy at all. What could be wrong with me?

I have cut down on cups of tea, and swapped milk for soya milk as doing this has eased my ibs in the past and I've been quite bloated. I am also trying to excercise more - this is hard when you just want to sleep 24/7 but I think it might help if I can get in the habit/ find the energy

[Imnotaslimjim]

How do you sleep at night? Do you wake up, that you are aware of? Do you wake with a sore throat or jaw? It is possible that you have sleep apnoea and not know it. Obviously, that wouldn't show up in blood tests.

Did the dr test your thyroid function last time? If not, request it!

[WhoWhoWhoWho]

No to waking up with a sore throat/jaw.

I think I'm sleeping more heavily than I used to. DS is autistic and before I'd wake as he left his room during the night sometimes, whereas now he can get downstairs and start crying before I wake. Plus I wake with him in my bed most mornings, but that's nothing new.

I think she tested for thyroid issues.

[Imnotaslimjim]

Do you have a DP/DH you can ask if you snore? The snore pattern to sleep apnoea is pretty classic - your snoring gets louder and louder and louder until you do a choking sound, then you start again, over and over and over. You never get into REM sleep, which is the most restful bit, hence the tiredness

I would keep pestering the dr though until you get an answer. There will be other things they can check, even if there isn't a blood test for it

[mel2005]

could it be gluten? just a thought as you mention ibs and bloating, i feel so much better on a gluten free diet. i used to wake up feeling like i had never been to bed.

[WhoWhoWhoWho]

I don't think I snore, I'm a single parent so it's just me and DS. I'm pretty sure he would tell me if I snore. I will ask him.

That's interesting mel, it's something I could try cutting out myself I guess to see if it has any improvement. Have only just cut cow's milk out though so I'll adjust to that first and then try cutting gluten. I'm taking a probiotic too to help my ibs symptoms in the hope that helps. I don't know whether my ibs symptoms are linked in with my tiredness but it seem like it's worth a try.

My doctor was quite dismissive last time i went which was offputting. May pick another doc in the practice next time I go.

[mel2005]

gluten is hidden in things like soy sauce, gravy, beer, sausages etc, so you have to look at labels. its also harder to eat out as food can be contaminated if cooked with food that has gluten in. i have accidentally had some many times, like yesterday i put some gluten free bread in a toaster and contaminated it and i still feel terrible. it only takes one grain.
i started feeling better after a few days of being gulten free, it was like a fog lifted. its worth trying it for a week to see. i lost a stone as well which i think was the bloating and have gone down over a dress size and i have been on it 4 weeks. i tried and tried and tried to make gluten free bread (and i make normal bread every day so i am not a novice bread maker) i just couldnt manage to make anything i could eat but in the supermarket gluten free section tesco have genius gluten free bread which is nice and asda have worbartens gluten free in the normal bread section. they also both do gluten free sausages and pasta. sainsburys had less of a selection which is a shame as thats where i usually shop. there is a test for coeliacs but you have to be eating gluten for it to work or you get a false negative you could try that first, the dr can do it or you can buy it from boots. or you could be non-coeliac glutten intollerent. i would try it and see if you feel better, it took me two years to find out why i was so tired all the time.

[befuzzled]

Also get them to teat for vitamin d deficiency. I felt similar to you and that is what it was. Is not part of the standard blood tests.

[befuzzled]

Test!

[lilmissminx]

Mel - have you tried toaster bags? Just thought they may help keep your bread gluten free.
Bread often makes me feel bloated, and I can never face it during my period not sure about the connection? I am fine with potatoes etc, so should I be considering gluten rather than carbs as maybe affecting how I feel. I'm not sure if my tiredness is linked to it as my toddler has been getting up a lot in the night, and haven't been sleeping properly when he does
I will now risk stupid question.. is it always listed specifically as gluten in ingredients? Or can it be referred to as something else?

[mel2005]

well i am pretty new to this as well, it says gluten or wheat in the allergy bit on packets but not all packets have an allergy section. i look for
?wheat
?rye
?barley
?oats
?spelt
?kamut
this page has helped me alot
www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-lifestyle/choosing-safe-foods/reading-labels
thanks, i have ordered some toaster bags.

[LouPac]

I drink Aloe Vera gel every morning and it has really increased my energy levels Im not feeling as slugish as I did.........

[lilmissminx]

Thank Mel, glad my suggestion was useful. Keep an eye out for them in the pound shops as well, especially if you will use them frequently

LouPac - you are a brave woman! My Mum had some of that stuff and I can't find a word for how horrible it was! My do the healthy things have to taste so bad?!

[eurochick]

I had this and the GP ran a bunch of basic tests (incluidng thyroid function and iron levels, etc) and they all came back ok. I then had another round of tests for more unusual things. Again, all normal. When I went back again I saw a locum who looked back at my old results and said that although I was not anaemic my blood count was on the low side so while I was waiting for the next round of tests (including a chest x-ray to chek for TB!) she prescribed some iron tablets. They made the world of difference. I felt much better within a couple of weeks. I think that despite a good diet because I have very heavy periods, I just can't maintain decent iron stores but they never dip low enough to make me anaemic (I used to be a blood donor for years so I had a basic test for anaemia at every donation).

In short, you need a good GP who will take you seriously and have a good look at your test results.

[WhoWhoWhoWho]

Thanks all so much for all these replies, my energy levels seem to be slightly improved from switching to soy milk, having a daily probiotic, and trying to exercise more.

I think I will go back to the gp's again though but see a different one, at my age I shouldn't be soo crushingly tired all the time!

I think I may add some supplements to my daily diet too - I'm thinking iron, B12 and vitamin D. Worth a try!

[Miraxx]

I had abnormal fatigue for years and years. Never went to the doctor for that. Later, at 32, I developed other symptoms which were more "specific" and I had to get an appointment. Turned out at that point I had multiple sclerosis.

So, in my case, fatigue and tiredness preceded the diagnosis by many years. But of course there could be so many reasons for fatigue, as others here have suggested.

[wicketkeeper]

I know others have suggested changes in your diet. Gluten may well be the issue - but it's quite a major change and quite difficult to manage as it crops up in so many foodstuffs. I would suggest you try eliminating processed carbohydrates first. That's anything 'white' - bread, sugar, rice, flour - and also 'normal' pasta. Go for wholewheat every time - good quality wholemeal bread (more expensive, but also more filling, so balances out), unrefined sugar (not Demerara, which is just white sugar that has been re-coloured), brown rice, wholewheat pasta.

Supplements might be a good idea to give you a short term boost, but they are not the answer long-term - you are better off eating the right foods to get the vits and mins you need.

And keep up with the exercise - the more you do, the more you'll feel like doing.