Why am I so fucking tired?

[thatmustbenigelwiththebrie]

Over the past few months I have felt like a motor getting slower and slower.

I've always had a lot of get up and go. I LOVE sport, it's my passion, and keeps me sane. I've always run, cycled, swam most days and been very active, as well as working in a busy job (no kids).

However now it's getting to the point where I can't even do these things any more. I feel drained. I have no energy. on Saturday I didn't even get up until midday which is unheard of for me.

I have never felt like this before. Been to the GP who said he couldn't see anything wrong. But I feel like my life as I know it is ending. It might sound dramatic, but if I can't do my sport I don't know what else to do with my time and I am scared of getting depressed. I tried to run round the block yesterday and lasted ten minutes as I could barely put one foot in front of the other.

More to the point, if there were a tangible reason why I couldn't run etc any more I could deal with it and move on, but at the moment I feel like there is this inexplicable awfulness inside me that won't go away.

I agree about having some tests done, even if you have to do that privately. After every pregnancy our iron levels deplete. I was found to be very low in iron recently so had an infusion. I was also very low in vitamin d.

I had my iron levels checked recently and they were only 1 point away from being anaemic but because they were in the “normal range” by 1 point I was told everything was absolutely fine 😑.
I am utterly exhausted to the point I could fall asleep just from walking up the stairs. My friend whose a nurse said she has seen people with iron levels 20 points higher than mine who have been like the walking dead so I must be feeling dreadful.
Definitely push for blood tests (iron, thyroid, b12, magnesium, folate, CRP, full blood count and ANA). These will test for deficiencies and also if there is any inflammation going on in your body and also for possible autoimmune diseases.

Check Iron or vitamin D levels. Both have come low for me and I am always exhausted and crave for sugar and coffee. Just did a full blood test and waiting for GP appointment

Another vote for requesting a B12 check. I was found to be low in January and was given a course of injections which definitely helped. Now awaiting another blood test result as my symptoms are back despite me taking b12 tablets for the last 3 months. Some people can't absorb b12 from food very well (mainly found in animal products so vegetarians often have low b12 levels), which is why the injections can really help. Doctors can do the injections as regularly as every 8-12 weeks if you're levels are regularly low. I had to specifically ask for b12 to be checked as it is not included in a standard blood test.

Sounds rubbish. Just covering off the boring basics-

• Could you be pregnant? (I see i am not the first to mention this )
• Do you eat a decent diet, especially iron?
• Do you always give yourself the opportunity to sleep for 7- 8 hours a night?
• Do you drink alcohol? (Massively cutting down hugely helped my tiredness. I am a huge fan of 0% beer)
• Do you need to lose (a lot of) weight? Again, when I am biggest I am really tired.

If these are covered off, I would def go back to the docs. If your last thyroid blood tests were in March, that is 5 months ago, maybe things have changed?

-No, not pregnant, I don't need to lose any weight, (bmi is about 19), I don't drink alcohol as I don't like it. My diet is OK, I have been trying to improve it for a few months. I get my five a day but also eat too much chocolate! I sleep very well so I don't think it's that.

I felt like this and turned out had under active thyroid

Sorry just seen you have that under control.Maybe your iron levels or b12?

It maybe you're not absorbing the thyroid meds as well as you
used to. Try taking levothyroxine at bedtime on an empty stomach
for better absorption, op.

When you get your blood tests done, check that a full blood count be included (probably will be, as it's cheap, standard and includes the main diagnostic markers)

Also think if you have any other symptoms at all, mention them too - don't just ascribe to age/hormones: nightsweats, breathlessness, joint pain, gum issues, headaches, changes to appetite, changes to bowels, persistent bloating, increased urinary urgency, lots of little infections which linger?