Surely not everyone gets this tired?

[Sometimesonly]

Over the last year or so I have found it harder and harder to stay awake all day, especially if I have done any physical exercise. This just seems to be getting worse. This morning I walked for an hour and a half (had plenty of time and didn't fancy getting the bus). It was not a difficult trek! It was on the level and I walk a lot. I had to go to bed for a couple of hours tthis afternoon though to recover. This is getting ridiculous. My doctor says it's normal at my age (not yet 50!) and that my iron levels are slightly low. Is it really normal???

I believe most women need to pay a lot of attention to their diet as they hit peri.

If you’ve been ‘eating a lot of pasta’ for many many years your body starts to get messed up sugar levels over time...the start of insulin resistance. And that’s enough to make you feel tired constantly. It’s a drip drip effect exacerbated by your menopausal hormones.

I’m 46 and full of energy. I eat no processed food at all, lots of iron and b12 rich meat, green veg,eggs, no refined carbs (pasta, bread, rice etc). I also do fasting.

I supplement VIT D 4000 iu a day in the winter and take a magnesium citrate.

And exercise about 3-5 hours a week.

I actually feel better than I did in my 30’s such is the difference when you pay attention to what you eat and when.

Just to say that the supplements someone mentioned above aren’t suitable if you are taking the pill. A friend raved about them so I got them and luckily noticed before I took them.

Which supplements? I’ve got a Mirena coil but an rattling with supplements!

hamstersarse

I'd love to have your energy!

Update: I got back to the doctor and she has prescribed me a different iron supplement - still only 30mg though. This time it is ferric pyrophosphate - which I had never heard of. Does anyone know it?

Are you vegetarian?

Are you vegetarian?

No.

Ferritin of 18 is very low. It needs to be between 80-100 to feel normal. Many people are symptomatic under 80. Strongly recommend to get on to a decent high strength iron pill and push your GP to determine the underlying cause, and monitor your levels. Even if you get your levels up through supplementing, they'll just drop back down again if you haven't addressed the cause. (And it's not ideal to be on iron pills long term.) Be aware it can take 3 months or longer to build up iron levels, and it takes persistence. Don't have caffeine or calcium near to your iron as it inhibits absorption. Take the iron with vitamin C. Make sure your GP books you in for another blood test in 2-3 mths. If they are being difficult, book one for yourself through Thriva. It's a miserable way to live and your immune system is likely to be lower too, you have my sympathies. It can be addressed though so good luck and fight your corner!

Does anyone know what can cause low iron, if someone doesn't have periods (mirena coil).

You could be losing blood elsewhere, or maybe a diet poor in iron.

You could be losing blood elsewhere Whaaat? This sounds scary. How can you be losing blood without realising?

@turkeymince Thanks for the info. I actually live abroad so I have to pay for blood tests anyway. The thing is I have been supplementing for at least 2 years and my ferritin has gone up from 11 to 18 - at this rate it's going to take decades to get to 80. I have recently changed my GP. My old one just said flat out that ferritin levels are of no importance. This one agreed that it was a bit low but said I just need to supplement. I don't really know what else to do now.

Oh my. Two years and that is all? That's just not working, your doc needs to do something more to help you. Best wishes and I hope they help.

Coming back to say that thanks to this thread I got my B12 tested (313). However, once again I am just in the normal range so no action needed. I mean, I'm glad it's normal but it seems that I am just barely normal for everything but still feel rubbish!

The nhs normal ranges are crap.

If you are on the low side then I’d start addressing that.

Have they tested your thyroid function at all? I had extreme tiredness and a lot of the other symptoms you mentioned. I was also borderline on iron levels. For me it turned out to be a B12 deficiency and an underactive thyroid.

I have been taking a high dose vitamin b complex since February. It was recommended by gp for hormonal headaches. Pleasant side effect has been thicker hair, even to the point that dh noticed!
I lost about half the thickness after my last baby 15 years ago. I had plenty to start with but was still gutted when it failed to go back to what it was after a year post partum.

Have they tested your thyroid function at all?

Yes, it was normal.

Pleasant side effect has been thicker hair,
That would be amazing!