Help me feel "well"

[GnTplease]

I'm 39, work a full time fairly stressful job and am a mum of one 5yo DD. DH is a dream, supportive, very hands on with home and childcare etc. Overall I'm super lucky with my life. But this last 12 months I just feel like shit health wise - I suffer from anxiety which I take sertraline for, have constant headaches (been to the docs and it's nothing sinister, just tension), have such low energy and feel so tired most of the time, have stomach cramps and IBS type symptoms, psoriasis - the list goes on. While I'm not sick per say...I just feel pretty shitty most of the time.
Has anyone else been in this situation. Is it just normal with age?
Any tips on how to improve my general well-being? Supplements? Accupuncture? Honestly I just want to feel myself again. I eat well, exercise when I get the time and am not overweight. Don't smoke, drink a bit but nothing excessive...I just can't get my head around why I feel a bit crap most of the time.

The stomach cramps and IBS symptoms could be a sign of food intolerances. They can develop or become more pronounced as we get older. I've had to cut out gluten the last couple of years and feel better for it.

I'd also really recommend the glucose goddess method for managing your blood sugars and the peaks and crashes that can leave you feeling exhausted. Her hacks (ugh, hate that word!) are very simple, but I feel so much better and more energetic since I started following them. She has a couple of books, but you you look her up on Instagram to get a feel for her approach.

You know I hadn't ever thought about food intolerances as it's never been an issue for me but I will look into it and search for the glucose goddess (what a name 🤣) - thank you!

I am in a similar situation but am overweight too. Im thinking of an anti inflammation diet, losing weight, taking vitamin d, getting bloods checked for iron etc. Plus more exercise and relaxation 😌

Another one here for the Glucose Goddess - Im giving her book The Glucose Revolution to loads of my mates.... life transforming for many, including me

IBS can flare up if you're stressed. I found cutting out alcohol completely worked for me. And I know the triggers now - eating too much, too greasy food, too much dairy also cause a flare up. I've started taking Actimel which seem to help too. And exercise really helps 😀

Taking magnesium always helps my energy levels. I felt knackered today and realised I hadn't had magnesium lately. Took a capsule and felt great.

Take gentle exercise as much as possible.
Swimming, Pilates or cycling. Nothing too high impact.

I would recommend therapy for your anxiety. I was similar to you with the physical symptoms, low energy and IBS. I ended up being diagnosed with Colitis in the end (not suggesting this is something you have btw) but with the therapy my anxiety has improved immeasurably and my physical symptoms have also improved hugely. Something to consider. Best of luck.

I was feeling tired all the time, headaches and IBS symptoms and I cut out gluten. I feel so much better now! I was researching food intolerances and did the low FODMAP thing. Cut out a load of things and introduced them back in to find the culprit.

If you haven't already done so get your thyroid checked. I'm underactive and many of the symptoms especially fatigue are typical. Every function of your body can be affected by it and it can change over time from one symptom to another. I've had a phase of period issues, tummy issues, headache and foggy brain, toilet problems, temperature regulation issues, stress etc but thankfully not at the same time. Usually mine is mild and under control but I need to keep a constant eye or I'll get a new symptom.

@junebugalice so I've done some counselling but it really didn't feel helpful, she said very little and I just filled the silence 🙈 would you suggest something like cbt?

@LaMaG I did get a blood test and nothing came up so I don't think it's that but thank you, I know thyroid issues can really throw you off physically and mentally

Did you get a copy of the results of the blood test yourself? The NHS thresholds for things like B12 (which could explain a lot of your symptoms) and iron are really low. If I am just in range for B12, I get a lot of your symptoms and feeling generally awful, same for iron.

Following this thread as feel like since I turned 40 my health as gone to shit - similar situation with young DC and stressful work. I never get enough rest.

I think there are a few basics:
-Eat full fat Yogurt every day (best greek and add fruit, Danone) I mix it up a this morning I had vegan coconut yogurt but this has helped with years of IBS
-Limit your caffeine
-Get a nice water bottle and drink 1.5l a day
-go for a walk (bonus points for if it’s in the morning)
And the big one…cut out gluten and diary (except Greek yoghurt)

Try it for a time eg just 21 days or even a week. If it feels good carry on!

Are you eating well? Ultra processed food is nasty nasty nasty!

Eat as clean as you can and if you love bread buy a bread maker as the stuff in shops is full of dreadful ingredients

it’s interesting how all these chemicals are approved by govt but are actually having a nationwide impact upon people’s physical and mental health.

I have started making a conscious effort to eat more berries etc. Plus small salads at least half the week.

I had almost the exact same symptoms as you, and it turned out I have Celiac’s disease.

Since very strictly cutting out all gluten from my diet I no longer get migraines, my digestive system is fine, and my anxiety and fatigue are massively reduced. I no longer need to take anxiety medication.

If you want to get tested for Celiacs disease, make sure you continue to eat gluten up until the blood test/endoscopy - if you cut it out before that, you can get a false negative result.

Also bear in mind that there is the possibility of non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which is where people test negative for celiacs disease but still get all the symptoms from eating gluten. So even if you get a negative test, it can be worth trying to eat strictly gluten free for a month or so and see if things improve.

I hope you can figure out what’s going on and feel better soon!

My first thought is that this is related to food. I would see a nutritionist and ask for allergy testing.

It is not normal to feel this way. Best of luck.

Thank you so so much everyone. I'm def going to try cutting out gluten for a while - it will be hard as it's a big part of my diet but it does sound like this could be part of the issue. I've also ordered a pre/pro biotic and multivitamin to take.

No, it’s not normal to feel like crap as we get older.

I would definitely explore the food intolerance route. But also sleep. Do you sleep well? Do you wake up refreshed? I started sleeping badly in my late 30s and have since become very protective over my sleep.

I would add prebiotic food to your diet as well. Eat a protein-focused, ant-inflammatory diet.

Aim to exercise as much as you can, but also to just move everyday.

Kefir is good. Fermented foods are helpful for bowel issues.

This ^

And walking.

That's a pity @GnTplease, it shouldn't have been that way. I tried some CBT too and I found it fine, it started the process off for me if you get me. I had anxiety for most my adult life, pushed it aside and suppressed it as best as possible so it didn't affect my life too much and, on the surface, it didn't but inside was a different story. It all kicked off for me at the beginning of the first lockdown, my anxiety was very bad and the physical symptoms (including dizziness and chest pain) started and it was then I knew I had to do therapy. I can't stress enough how transformative it was! I would recommend giving it another go, with a different therapist. Trust your gut, if you're not feeling it, then try another therapist. Also, a great book is "The Body Keeps the Score"- it's amazing at understanding the connection between mental health and the physical body.