Can you be tired for 1,5 years, have bloating and it is not cancer?

[Wobblyheart]

I know you all are tired of me. Heck, I am tired of me. I am so tired of feeling absolutely exhausted. It's been 20 months now and every day no matter rest or not... just full body total exhaustion.

So many tests done, nothing to be found. I also lost my appetite or seem to get full quicker than before. Put on weight and my belly really is big and feels heavy like I am pregnant again (I am 100% not).

My thought is now colon cancer but I had normal fit and calprotectin tests. My bowels habits did change a bit? But seems that I have normal weeks sometimes too. I am awaiting a referral for a rapid diagnostic center and just so scared. We couldn't find any innocent explanation for my tiredness and I read about cancer fatigue and it is exactly how i feel.

I am 38 and have a 1,5 yo.

My sleep isn't great but not the worst, I don't do more than a normal mum would do with regards to household etc.

So if a kind person reads this, is this possible to be tired for over 1,5 years, have normal blood and normal fit and to have cancer?

Bloating does not have to be cancer. Could be SIBO/dysbiosis. Autoimmunity. A friend of mine had celiac disease and a lot of bloating.

Tiredness could be many things, too. Depression. Burnout. Autoimmunity.

I have autoimmune disease and was deeply tired for years. It has gone into remission without me needing any drugs. Try not to fret. Some things are fixable.

May sound simplistic but cows milk makes my husband feels sluggish. He now has goats milk as he’s milk protein intolerant, not lactose and goats milk has a much smaller milk protein element.

Have you had coeliac test?

Thank you for kind words.

My problem is that I know its not vitamins, not autoimmune, thyroid pr diabetes.

Unfortunately, I also had bowel changes (needing to go more often)... I don't know what else to think.

The gut produces more serotonin than the brain and depression and anxiety can cause IBS and bloating. Often doctors and patients overlook that there could be a mental health element.

Do you have any issues like endo or pcos my belly looks like that, heavy bloating, full, tired and it’s those.

Lots of things could cause exhaustion and digestive issues and not be cancer. Sorry to say it, but are you sure it's bloating and not weight gain/middle aged spread? You have a 1.5 year old and have felt like this for 1.5 years, so my assumption would be more it's something triggered by pregnancy/life changes since becoming a parent.

I developed a vitamin D deficiency after I had my 2nd. I felt absolutely awful. Like I didn't know it was possible to feel that exhausted and unwell and not being dying of cancer. I was sure that something serious must be wrong. It was in part simply that I was deficient in vitamin D. High dose supplementation sorted it out in about a month.

As for digestive issues, there are lots of things that can cause digestive problems (which also often cause fatigue and vitamin deficiencies too due to malabsorption). Things like IBS, coeliac's, bile acid malabsorption, SIBO, I have something called pancreatic insufficiency, which means that basically my pancreas doesn't work anymore and I can't properly digest food, which causes bowel issues, but also fatigue and malabsorption issues. Have you had a CA125 test done?

This might scare you, and sorry in advance. But have you had a CA125 test yet? That is to check for Ovarian cancer. STOP! don't freak out, the tests are a process of elimination so if that test is ok, then it's on to the next one.

A pp mentioned Coeliac. Have you had this test yet also?

Have you seen a dietician? Tried eliminating wheat or gluten or dairy or fodmaps? Blood tests for coeliac can give a false negative. Any signs of too much histamine? SIBO as a PP said.

Thyroid tested and looked into testing I think it's T3 and T4? Often only one is checked. Same with iron, sometimes ferritin isn't checked. B12 checked, vitamin D? And finally perimenopause symptoms.

Do you eat a diet high in processed foods? To me those are classic symptoms of inflammatory processes in your gut. Have you tried eating only fresh, whole foods? Staying hydrated is also v important. I'd also add in a probiotic.

Your gut synthesises many hormones and neuro chemicals, an unhealthy and inflammed gastric tract will 100% have you feeling sluggish, exhausted, bloated and potentially anxious. They are classic symptoms.

Absolutely. I used to have PTSD and when I was triggered by it, my gut would malfunction horrendously to the point where I wondered if I was seriously ill. When I became regulated emotionally again, things would go back to normal.

Hello my dear! Oh goodness. OK firstly get those colon cancer thoughts out of your head. You've done both FIT and calprotectin tests and they are normal.

Might help to keep a detailed food and symptoms diary. Helped me a lot to figure out what I had going on with my health (turns out I developed gluten intolerance). This is what I used, helped me to organise my thoughts and keep track of things. You can always make your own:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CFCRMTKX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I concur with the Vit D, I recently found mine was low and I feel so much better since I've been supplementing (Vit D3 plus K2).

I still suspect your thyroid is affected as this started after the birth of your child, classic time to develop hypothyroidism. You'd need full TSH, FT4, FT3, TPO and TG antibodies tested. Can't recall if you have had that done.

Was about to say this. My bloating went right down once I had ovarian cysts removed.

Wheat makes me bloated and sluggish to the point all I can do is sleep, and dairy (mainly just milk) makes me bloated as well

Yeah I agree with all of this. After pregnancy my body was totally drained and I had lots of deficiencies including vitamin D. People dismiss vitamin D deficiency but it can have major effects and that bone crushing tiredness is one of them. The GP likely won't test for it (I was only tested because I attended multiple
Miscarriage clinic) but you can buy a test online. Taking OTC supplements won't work if you do have a deficiency, you need a proper weekly loading dose.

The picture of your stomach just looks like someone who's had a baby not that long ago tbh. Pregnancy can damage your abdominal muscles, have you seen a physio?

What tests have you had?

Overall though, I think tiredness and bloating is most likely a sign of a diet that is not right for you leading to poor digestion. We have been ensuring we est the 30 different plant foods a week for a while now and it's very helpful. Moderate exercise - even just a short walk' especially after meals hugely helps me with bloating. Vitamin d and iron are often low so a OTC version is helpful - to be classed as a problem by nhs they have to go v v low when actually, you can have symptoms long before.

Tiredness is made worse by poor digestion I find. With a young child, constantly broken sleep is often a problem.

Omega 3 supplements can be very helpful for overall mild low mood and also with sleep.

I found I was deficient in a particular mineral that I'd never even heard of. It changed my life when I fixed the deficiency. I'd had it for decades. Years of chronic fatigue gone.

A lot of things can be fixed.

I am definitely a walking mental element!

Can you say

1. what tests have you had (I am certain that at the very least, they'd have checked for cancer markers as standard).
2. What is your diet like? What kind of food do you eat? Have you noticed any difference when you eat certain foods
3. Do you exercise?
4. What sleep do you get? What time to bed/what time to wake up/ do you fall asleep easily or wake up regularly etc.

I have adenomyosis and two tiny cysts in the all of the womb but I wouldn't be surprised if I had endo too. The tiredness though started at the end of my pregnancy and just never shifted. And it's a different type rather than being tired.

It's I take the flight of stairs up and my muscles ache and I am out of breath. My body feels heavy like lead all the time.

Yes I am not coeliac.

Awww thank you for your reply, your posts always make me smile :)

I most certainly had those bloods done. I think i must be the most tested person in our county lol

Thank you, I think having a symptoms diary will help me a lot, thank you for the link!

I just... feel soooooo unwell like I've never been before in my life but yes those two tests are normal, my bloods are normal. I just need to keep calm and carry on. Will see what the rapid diagnostic service will say.

Hope you are keeping well xx

Yes

Mine was IBS

Specifically lactose intolerance.

Not recently but I had ultrasound and ovaries are normal.

It could be gynae related, I had cysts, adenomyosis and endo and was exactly like this. I bloat like mad still after a hysterectomy and felt so heavy and exhausted all the time. It also massively affects my bowels.