Fed up of feeling crap all the time?

[wipebored]

Ok so in my 40's on HRT but seriously have been feeling like this since my early 30's but it is getting worse. I've always had migraines since my childhood but they have got worse and more frequent throughout my life. I am under the care of a neurologist for these and have medication and have tried them all my migraine is highly refractory. However it isn't just that its everything. Like even if I don't have a headache I've slept badly and so feel tired and exhausted. If I've slept ok, don't have a headache then I have stomach pain that lasts for hours or I have neck and shoulder pain, or my knees are sore, or I come down with a bad cold. A few weeks ago I woke up, I'd slept well, no migraine, no stomach issues or other pain. I was so excited to have a good day on a day when I was off work and could catch up on my to do list. I ate breakfast, wrote a list stood up and my back went out and was out for a week.

I could go on but my point is that I never feel completely well. I try to do all the right things I eat well, cook from scratch, I don't drink or smoke, I exercise, have a good sleep schedule, I stay hydrated, eat to balance my blood sugar levels and yet I still feel like shit almost all the time in one way or another. Looking back I've never had great vitality but it probably is getting worse as I get older and it's just depressing to always have pain or discomfort or exhaustion and I just wondered if anyone else could relate?

I was like this (see user name!) Had loads of blood tests and nothing flagged. In the end I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I’m still not 100% convinced as like you I didn’t have the pressure points. It felt more like “we can’t find what else is wrong with you so let’s call it fibromyalgia”!

Anyway I decided to treat it like fibro. Changed my exercise routine, early nights, losing weight with WLI and I’m definitely improving. Still have good and bad days though.

I’m convinced one day a new illness will be discovered which will explain this terrible malaise that is experienced generally by women.

I'm so sorry to hear what you are going though. When I had lots of stuff going on and just felt awful all the time, my doctor was no help as the reference values for the NHS often say you're fine when you are getting symptoms. I started working with a (BANT registered) nutritionist. We did lots of tests and really targeted supplements and played around with what works diet wise. I now feel 100 times better.

I found out for example that although my thyroid was working fine, I had high thyroid antibodies (Hashimotos disease). The NHS don't test antibodies so told me I was fine. Working with diet and lifestyle I've reduced these and am feeling a lot better.

im similar and was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome. I was 100 % better during pregnancy I think as my body got stronger naturally, carrying more weight and more hormones. but it didn’t last

I was on hrt for a while before breast cancer; it helped a bit, but I had to come off due to the bc. That kick started me into strength training as a prehab and post hab cancer intervention. But the upshot was that a lot of things improved. I also added in more cardio via a rowing machine (as running can affect my joints and it builds muscle.)

Ive since found that I’m also developing some mild intolerances thanks to menopause. I’ve not had any testing, I just notice foods that make me feel better or worse. I really can’t seem to eat chicken any more for example. I get very achey in the night and the next day. But a fresh lamb steak is fine 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m not eating much meat though, swinging more towards plant proteins and fish. I seem ok with eggs.

I definitely go through phases of not feeling great. Tamoxifen doesn’t help but my mother said menopause made her feel gluey.

im also hypothyroid and I seem to need to take extra b12 and folate based on tests - I’ve had a lot of peripheral neuropathy issues. I’m also adding in a low multi vitamin and extra zinc in the evening as again I’ve noticed I’m generally better if I take zinc (also possibly a hypothyroidism thing.)

so it’s worth looking around at what else may be affecting you.

I was definitely having bad histamine issues a few years ago which seem to be manageable now. I went on a gut biome drive which I think has helped there.

Thanks everyone lots of good suggestions will ask my GP for an Iron test and will look into seeing a nutritionist or perhaps a functional medicine doctor, not sure I can afford that but I will investigate.

You are not alone OP. I don’t have migraines but I am forever in pain. Most days I have to convince myself that it’s all in my head otherwise I couldn’t do anything.

Look more into ehlers danlos syndrome with hypermobility. The connective tissues in you neck, spine and jaw all collaborate to cause the migraines, occipital neuralgia. Please google occipital neuralgia if you've not had it sighested before. EDS accounts for all of your ailments and is something you should really review. It is massively overlooked by health care as they only look at there own wheel houses, as in oh you have stomach ache ... you need gastroenterology. Then they will say tests are fine and go back to the GP. Fibromyalgia is often a lazy diagnosis of well we dont know so it probably that rather than going into more depth. It is also a spectrum and has flares. Also, keep track of when your joint pain is worse. (It may be all the time) But also as progesterone levels rise as you get nearer a period it increases joint laxity in the body, which causes more pain and weakness. If this sounds dubious, consider how studies are being done on why injuries of female athletes increase at certain points in their cycle. It is good to know these things as it does affect what treatments you should/could have and knowing what is wrong validating.

With the hrt, check the hormones and see if adapting them might help. Not cure, just help.

I have fibromyalgia and migraines. Tonight I’ve taken dihydrocodeine, naproxen, pregabalin and magnesium to help me sleep. The pain makes it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. I’ve always been a very tired person even when young.

Perimenopause on top has wiped me out, I eat healthily and take lots of supplements but I always feel terrible. Always tired and sore.

I haven’t felt well
for 25 years due to chronic illness - I’ve forgotten what it felt like now tbh

"But also as progesterone levels rise as you get nearer a period it increases joint laxity in the body, which causes more pain and weakness."

@DraftLovely I've already noticed this pattern, that my pain is worse when I am in the progesterone phase of my cycle. My hip pain will be so bad I can't sleep for example.

Yes that was me very badly. What has finally helped after many years of awful pain and fatigue has been getting in to weight lifting. I find dead lifts for example really help my back and hips. (I’ve had to eat well around it too, or I had terrible doms) I know a woman PT who was diagnosed with hypermobility as a young woman and told never to lift heavy bags. She tried that for a while and decided it was rubbish and got into weight lifting. It’s been the main thing that’s helped her. Someone else I know was in a wheelchair in their 20s with EDS, similarly started body building (paced obviously) and is healthy and fully mobile.

Unfortunately this was not something that was explained to me when I was diagnosed a decade ago. I’ve only realised after I started resistance training for post cancer treatment