Is this level of tiredness normal?

[Muddledandmiddle]

I’m 31 and exhausted. Like completely and utterly bone tired all the fucking time.
ive been like this for as long as I can remember. Mum to two preteens. We’ve moved this week which was a stressful six months and I do work a really tiring job which does affect my ability to get a deep sleep at night as my brain is just always “on”

im married and DH does more than his fair share.

I am so physically and emotionally burnt out all the time. The kids do a lot of sports and I am always on the go but I look around and think isn’t this most mums?

I’ve spent an extremely rare day with a friend today and after a few days I was scared to drive home I felt so tired, my eyes were burning and I just felt like I could lay down and sleep then and there. I’m so tired of feeling this way. Bloods were normal at drs last week.

I don’t feel like I can keep living like this but I’m just trying to live a normal life. Am I just pathetic?

So sorry to be late back to thread.. I am so tired this morning, again. I feel totally unable to function. My eyes burn. I feel like I have nothing to give. It’s so utterly depressing. I need to go and take eldest to rugby in a moment. I could cry. but I won’t. I’ll pack our bags and smile at every parent I had a hot drink to and I’ll make conversation and pretend I’m taking in anything at all that’s said. I have no memory retention.

im so tired of asking my GP for help. Maybe it’s time to switch practices?

My hair is so thin. It began falling out about 6 months ago and it’s at half the thickness it used to be. I feel self conscious about it now.

I have a constant headache. My body aches. My left collar bone hurts all the time, which is so random. My face is so tense and my neck, I think I must be grinding my teeth on my sleep but it’s permanently tight and achey. I feel like I need to poor a bottle of eyedrops onto each eyeball

Again - what were your ferritin, B12, folate and Vit D results? If you weren't tested on these then go back to your GP and request them ASAP. Start with those before going down any other route (perhaps add thyroid to the list).

You need at least 70 in ferritin for healthy hair growth but NHS says less than 20 is in normal ranges, it really isn't.

You need to be really insistent with your GP
Definitely need a loading dose of B12 and I suspect with your other symptoms you are severely anaemic which needs addressing urgently.

A doctor was pushing me out the door one day with “ busy mum , busy life etc “
I plonked myself back on the chair and insisted that she did something ( politely ).

I got high dosage iron tablets , and in 3 months I was so much better .

Im sorry you’re so poorly , take care and don’t let this go .
Good luck

What @LittleGreenDragons said is spot on .
the NHS threshold is not correct , ( I didn’t know the numbers at the time ) just knew that no matter what results the doc was looking at , I was still in need of medical assistance/support , hence my “ sit in “ .

She said earlier her b12 is 180 which is dangerously low and likely to be the root of her symptoms. The NHS doesn't treat until 140 though. The fact she's symptomatic should be enough to get a loading dose of b12 and an intrinsic factor test from a sympathetic GP.

You need to see a different GP. I'm no expert but it sounds like you would benefit from a thorough blood test and someone checking you for vitamin deficiencies. They're surprisingly common but very easily solved.

I had funny symptoms earlier in the year - itchiness, tiredness, dry skin and a few more. All my "levels" were normal but I started taking iron, B12, folic acid and a probiotic everyday and three months later, I felt SO much better and my levels were all noticeably raised too.

Just because something is "normal" on a lab test, doesn't mean it's normal for you. It would also be worth looking at your diet and how much exercise you get overall.

Please get your thyroid tested. Also an iron panel and Vit D.

Thinning hair often indicates thyroid a problem.
If you can afford it go for private blood tests , I’ve used Blue Horizon and I’ve heard Medichecks are good as well.
When you’ve got proof of all your blood levels you can take them back to a GP.
It’s exhausting fighting the health service all the time ( I got some pretty awful advice and ‘treatment’ —- my dog gets a better standard of health care) but if you’ve got evidence pinpointing what’s wrong you might be able to do a lot to help.
Good luck, it’s awful. I remember having to lean against a pillar outside the GP surgery as I was too exhausted to walk up two steps to the door. GP said everything was normal, when it was bloody obvious it wasn’t. Two weeks of self injecting B12 and I could breathe normally and walk a lot better.

I felt like you do last year for most of the year, getting progressively bad until I was struggling to move and could barely remember anything. My blood test results were all awful whereas what you have shown looks good, im not sure mine would even be that good if I checked now. The doctors were really unhelpful and just told me to ‘buy iron tablets’. Please do post your other results if you have them. I still dont feel my best but I am a lot better than I was. I continue to take ferrous fumarate (doctors never told me how much to take or how long for) and try to eat as well as i can but it’s a catch 22 situation… being exhausted and disinterested makes it hard to come up with tasty food at the end of a long day. You need to stop doing all the extra stuff, take time to rest and eat and sleep (so hard), it may take a good while till you start to feel even a bit better. Go back to the doctor again. They are so unhelpful.

What’s your diet like OP? When you’re tired it’s easy to lean on sugar laden, UPF food and it all becomes a viscous circle. Clean up your diet (and assuming your bloods are fine) you’ll feel better.

I also recommend vitamin D, thyroid and ferritin tests. Oh and folate.

My ferritin was right on the line of normal, as was my folate, and I felt awful. Three months of 5mg folic acid and taking ferrous fumarate every day and I feel much better. I felt similarly shit when my vitamin d was suboptimal, so I also take that everyday (a higher dose in the winter).

I'd definitely push for more tests OP.
I have CFS (Chronic fatigue syndrome) and have had to learn how to pace myself to make it more manageable.
Ironically, once that's under control I then end up with insomnia so I can't really win 😅

I have MECFS. I went through years of tests with slightly low iron and then taking B12, and thinking it was maybe just perimenopause.

Then it got worse after a virus (likely COVID).

Is it 'just' fatigue? Do you notice other issues? How do you feel after a good sleep?

MEcfs is diagnosed by ruling out other stuff and the presence of what they call post exertional malaise. So you do something fairly normal and then suffer disproportionate amount of fatigue after, sometimes with delayed onset. E.g. it could be a meal out in a restaurant, a long walk, an emotional upset.... An event...

I would keep a symptom diary.

How are you with alcohol? Do you tolerate it like you used to?

When did you notice these symptoms?

Could be any number of things but yes to checking thyroid and other things, but keep looking for answers.

B12 deficiency could be causing these symptoms. B12 is poorly absorbed in tablet form so it’s best to get intramuscular injections. FYI they check Intrinsic factor antibodies to look for pernicious anaemia which is a cause of b12 deficiency. Were you deficient in anything else? How is your diet?

People underestimate the effect stress and a lack of sleep can have on the body. Prolonged periods of stress are harmful so it could just be this especially if combined with a poor diet. Whatever the cause of the tiredness, you would benefit from some self care. I think you really need to make some changes because once you lose good health you realise how important it is and how we take it for granted. To be able to take good care of others we need to take care of ourselves otherwise you can burn out. Start working on your sleep. Go to bed and do some mindfulness everynight- I recommend yoga nidra (it’s not actually yoga). Make sleep a priority. It makes the world of difference. Work on ways to reduce stress.

my last thought is could it be long Covid or chronic fatigue syndrome? Does the fatigue worsen with activity? Or are you just permanently tired?

Hey OP. Sorry I don't have much advice but I'm just wondering if you have the possibility of taking time off work so you at least get a break from that part of your life? I know it's near impossible to get a break from parenting. I'm wondering how you would feel after say a month off (although this is also not exactly the most relaxing time of year even if you were off! ) Of course there could be a physical reason for your fatigue but sounds like your lifestyle is non stop.

@MewithME
we had the same thought.

sorry i really am trying to read all the replies and reply- sometimes the words feel hard to take in.

Intrinsic factor test just says negative- have screenshotted the other test here.

unfortunately I’m self employed so no more time off is possible; I took a lot of time off in October in hopes I’d feel well again but I wouldn’t say it improved anything really.

my brain feels scrambled today. Thank you for everyone’s thoughtful replies. I promise I’m listening and will try to implement the suggestions and actions in coming days.

diet is balanced. I do not smoke and I’m teetotal. . Exercise became unattainable energy wise a while ago but I walk the dogs each day and am not sedentary by any stretch.

Sorry forgot to actually attach

You sound like me. I wake up utterly exhausted and just get more tired as the day goes on. I’ve just sat down now to have a coffee and my eyes are closing.

Does that not mean your B12 is 150 which appears to be out of range?

Your folate and B12 levels are incredibly low - you need to push for injections.

I feel like this every day but am autistic. I find modern life just drains me. Worse now than ever but I have been through several years of dealing with my daughters memory health so have burn out from that I am sure.

I feel like there is more pressure ti be busy than ever. I find people exhausting. I feel completely burnt out. B12 jab and folic acid did help a bit though.

OP, with respect you seem to be ignoring advice to get your thyroid tested.

Your symptoms are extremely indicative of underactive thyroid, and in your shoes I would be straight back to the GP to request / insist on a Thyroid Function Test.

Your b12 needs to be treated, and you're under the reference range. As I've said a few times on this thread you need to ask your GP for loading doses.

B12 deficiency will account for every single symptom you're experiencing