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Original poster

Anyone else had a catastrophic loss of energy in their late 40s?

58 replies

SplinterSplit · 06/04/2019 17:34

I feel like my lower half is encased in concrete today. I am absolutely & utterly exhausted. Is it a meno thing? I had a hysterectomy years ago (but kept ovaries) so I've no idea where I am in my progression. No amount of rest alleviates the feeling. I feel like I could lie down forever. I don't want to be like this. I want my bloody energy back. Anyone else?

OP posts:
Mari50 · 06/04/2019 20:09

Me! Once I turned 46 I fell apart. Before that I’d started running and was doing great, managing 40k a week then had a terrible virus and have had trouble with my joints ever since. Have a diagnosis of hypermobility syndrome, everything aches. Any exercise I do now leaves me absolutely shattered afterwards. I don’t have anaemia or hypothyroid. Weight is difficult to manage as well, I’ve always been slim but now have to eat almost nothing to stay slim. I’m sure it’s perimenopause but not sure what to do yet. So yeah, my energy is on the floor. I often go to bed at 9/9.30 and I’m utterly wrecked when my alarm goes off at 6.30.

Fazackerley · 06/04/2019 20:11

are you on HRT? If not, take it.

Cherrysoup · 06/04/2019 20:13

Pick up something that weighs a couple of stone and carry it round all day. No wonder you’re knackered. I’ve done the same, a couple of stone on since last year after a medical emergency where I wasn’t allowed to get up. I’m 49, lacking in energy, but a lot of my issue is related to work, which is knackering.

Do check out the vitamin D thing, it’s surprisingly common.

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Women's health
Fazackerley · 06/04/2019 21:04

Actually tbf hrt has done nothing to help me lose weight! I agree losong 2 stone would probably make a huge difference. I need to do the same.

Home77 · 07/04/2019 09:02

40s here too...I wonder if what happens sometimes is, it is a combination of things such as menopause, maybe vitamin D as well and then maybe other stuff too. and it combines...had fibro type stuff after my surgery and adhesions and now perimenopause also...

something odd I have discovered is the more I try and say exercise a bit then I feel less tired. Vitamins can help. I take the menopace one, omega 3 oils and vitamin D. as well as the St Johns wort. still cranky and tired though, but helps a wee bit.

Fazackerley · 07/04/2019 09:56

Hrt has helped but I think mainly because I now sleep normally. Also not eating loads of carbs and drinking plenty of water.

hettie · 07/04/2019 10:23

My mum had 'just under' readings for thyroid. GP didn't treat, she kept plugging away and eventually saw a private endocrinologist who did more refined tests and is now on thyroid medication and is completely different.... If she'd had relied on gp she'd never have been treated, go back armed with NICE guidelines and insist on them finding the route cause

Oliversmumsarmy · 07/04/2019 10:41

I felt like I was wading and thinking through treacle.

Also put on 2 stone which I haven’t been able to lose.

But I had terrible insomnia. Bought a fit bit to track my sleep and it was worse than I thought.

At one point I was sleeping anything from 57minutes to 4 hours per night if I was lucky.

Multiple visits to the gps and tests revealed nothing (thyroid tested and came back TSH levels were 3. Wasn’t anaemia or lacking in vitamins but who knows what my results actually said)

Melatonin was my saviour. Not the stuff you get on the NHS (2mg of slow acting pills).
Dp buys it from the US when he is over there. I have 5 mg per night of fast acting stuff.

I now get a reasonable amount of sleep. Averaging 5.5-6.5 hours per night. Sometimes I get nearly 7hours and a couple of times I have had 8 hours which means I feel marvellous the following day and get so much done.

I have cut all wheat and dairy out of my diet as it was causing psoriasis and that is helping. But no matter how much I diet I cannot seem to lose any weight.

Pluginwall · 07/04/2019 10:50

My mum had 'just under' readings for thyroid. GP didn't treat, she kept plugging away and eventually saw a private endocrinologist who did more refined tests and is now on thyroid medication and is completely different.... If she'd had relied on gp she'd never have been treated, go back armed with NICE guidelines and insist on them finding the route cause

This

I put on 3 stone but was told that my thyroid was “in range”. I got to the stage where I was so exhausted that I changed my hours to part time and spent my days off sleeping. I saw a different GP who put me on levothyroxine and worked with how I felt. I now know I start to feel unwell when my levels are more than 1. Since proper treatment I have been able to go back to full time work,, start a business on the side and passed an MA (I am still fat though)

Letterkennie · 07/04/2019 11:39

This is me too. 48, and 2 stone appeared really suddenly on my tum!Angry

I had a rotten virus last year and I’m still not over it and feel knackered. I’m on a mission to take loads of vitamins and stop eating sugar. I’m miserable with it!

Alienspaceship · 07/04/2019 11:47

I have all these symptoms despite good diet, no alcohol, little caffeine and high doses of vitamins, fish oil, magnesium etc. Anyone tried acupuncture? Some studies show it’s effective.

MajesticWhine · 07/04/2019 11:52

I have this same issue. Overwhelming fatigue, feel like I can barely move, even when I have slept ok. I have assumed it is related to hormone levels as it is definitely worse at different times of the month. Worse just after period and just after ovulation. Have had some blood tests run and apparently all is normal. I think they checked thyroid levels and I'm not anaemic. My GP has mentioned sleep apnea (which I'm fairly sure is not it) and chronic fatigue syndrome.
I have thought it is a perimenopausal thing but not quite sure what to do about it. Have not been offered HRT. I'm 47 and periods are regular.

Letterkennie · 07/04/2019 11:55

I’ve also got a really dry mouth. Sad

Romax · 07/04/2019 11:57

I've lost all my energy as i approach 47..and can you imagine chasing after a toddler? I had a baby mid 40s. I'm knackered.

You need to post when posters come on asking whether they should have their second baby at 42 etc. They are always dominated by 49 year olds with baby and a toddler seemingly finding it all a breeze!

Romax · 07/04/2019 12:02

@Oliversmumsarmy

What brand do you kind me asking?

Oliversmumsarmy · 07/04/2019 15:05

I use CVS own brand 10mg pills which are capsules you can pull apart with powder inside.

I estimate half and take the powder direct then put the capsule together again for the next night.

Going to ask Dp to see if they do a 5mg version next time he goes

Letterkennie · 07/04/2019 16:42

You can buy melatonin in liquid, gummy sweet and chewable tablet form from Biovea.

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/04/2019 01:21

I am interested to hear how a lot put on 2 stone on their stomach and has anyone managed to lose it and how they did it.

This is exactly what happened to me. (Put it down to the menopause)

Atm (late 50s) I can see my weight creeping up again in the last week yet I am hardly eating (under 1000 calories. Ds actually spent a few days with me and logged everything) and I have been quite active lifting and carrying heavy boxes and climbing in and out of the back of a van.

I desperately want to lose weight because I know it isn’t doing me any good being the weight I am but nothing seems to shift it.

I hover between 2 weights 5lb apart and when I get to the lower amount I seem to put the 5lbs on over a few days then lose it again over the next few days

SiennaSienna · 08/04/2019 01:55

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s when I had your symptoms. My initial blood tests were borderline but the full thyroid panel revealed antibodies. I’m now on medication, b vitamins and vitamin D and feel like a different person. Good luck!

SiennaSienna · 08/04/2019 01:57

Sorry I didn’t see you said late 40s. I’m 40 but would still insist on further thyroid testing.

Goposie · 08/04/2019 03:41

I have done the Michael Mosley blood sugar diet. Lost a stone from my tummy!

Cottonwood · 08/04/2019 04:06

Maybeit's can I ask what you did diet wise?

Fazackerley · 08/04/2019 07:28

Oliversmummy i eat too much. Can lose 5lb by stickong at around 1200 cals a day but put it back on after a weekend of eating what used to be normally.

HaventGotAllDay · 08/04/2019 07:34

53 and since the menpause hit I am a zombie.
2 stone up top. Gone from a 34 bust to a 38 and from a 12 top to a 16 and sometimes an 18.
This thread has given me the kick I need to say when term finishes I will go and discuss hrt etc with GP.
I take the vit D spray and fish oils, floradix iron every so often and I get through having accepted this is a normal age thing.