To expect more from a GP consult?

[SickOfBeingTired2019]

I went to the doctor today as I just can't seem to shake off the constant feelings of nausea and tiredness. I've been struggling with sleeping, averaging 2-5 hours of broken sleep a night, I always feel like crying and I've lost 6 pounds since Christmas. The gp just checked I wasn't pregnant then laughed it off and said this is how all stay at home mums feel and have I tried going to bed earlier? I asked for a blood test to check my iron levels and she huffed about like I was being a drama queen before referring me for one amd telling me to just be less run down. I feel like I wasn't taken seriously because in her eyes I'm "just a mum". Surely feeling like this isn't normal for all mums? And how does one become less rundown?

Doesn’t sound great. Why are you not getting enough sleep? Is something waking you up (children?) or is it just that you can’t sleep?

Do you think you may be depressed?

My children are all sleeping through the night. I just can't get to sleep till after midnight most nights, then wake around 2am and usually drift off again around 5am, before waking for the day at 7am
I go to the gym every day, I don't drink coffee after lunch time, I've tried baths amd lavendar before bed, nothing seems to work. I'm just so tired and I feel like the doctor discounted everything I brought up because I'm just a mum.

Did she refer you for blood tests to check iron/other levels? If not (or possibly even if she did) ask for a follow up appointment with a different GP not least because of the unexplained weight loss.

Women are regularly not taken seriously about health issues, you might find this thread interesting reading:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3402449-Aibu-to-ask-you-to-tell-me-your-experiences-of-being-dismissed-by-medics-as-a-sick-woman-I-promise-to-listen

She did eventually, but only after I insisted. The thing is, her main advice was to just be less run down. How the hell do I do that?

Tiredness & unexplained weight loss needs investigating (how a work colleague was before cancer diagnosis). Can you see another Dr at same practice? I've done so after being lectured by a locum (a middle aged woman, not the usual just out of med school ones who are all lovely) about 'you can't keep relying on anti depressants, they are addictive you know' & huffing with disapproval when I insisted on my repeat. Yes I do rely on them, as the alternative is I spiral down to the depths & act on the suicidal feelings. I complained. She only lasted a week or too thankfully.

Go back and ask to see another GP. Bloods should’ve been done as a bare minimum (could also be a thyroid issue) and she should’ve been screening you for depression also.

Be less run down? Bottle it and she would make a fortune

In contrast I went to my Drs freely admitted I had cocked up and stopped taking some medication (I was being sick due to a virus and they made me feel worse) i asked for a blood test he has given me four because once he gets my arm in the chair he wants to make sure he has checked everything (needle dodger/ getting old) he is catching up with me next week sometime to give me the results some times my Drs surprise me

I went to my GP a few years ago, tired to the point of tears all the time (no kids to blame), constantly cold, feeling sick etc. The GP told me that's what happens when you have a busy job and social life and I should just take it easy.

She rolled her eyes when I insisted on a blood test. Result = 6 months of iron tablets for anaemia. Shame she was a locum as I'd have liked to go back and quote Spike Milligan ! Get your blood test OP and go from there.

Magnesium deficiency is number one cause for not sleeping, and also contributes to energy, though few doctors seem to know about it. B deficiency is prime candidate for lack of energy. Get a good, high strength B complex, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K (D doesnt work without K). Take them in the morning. Holland and Barrett do a brilliant natural magnesium derived from marine sources. Take 3 of them at night and see if that helps. And no, your GP did not sound helpful!

P.s if you go to the gym a lot you will also be losing lots of magnesium and other salts when sweating. Try potassium with the magnesium too. Hope it helps!

B12 deficiency?

Fightingfit - all the Bs, which is why I suggest a good B complex, though B12 is the most important yes.

I'd go back and see another GP.

Could also be a Vitamin D deficiency! Unfortunately we have to really fight for anything we want done by medical professionals. I’m sorry you’re feeling so rubbish.

Thanks for the advice, I'll look in to multi vits and see what's best x
I'm not even doing lots at the gym, just slogging away on the treadmill an hour a day. If I don't go I sleep even less.

I think the vitamins are a good place to start, especially the magnesium, but all important. Good luck and I hope you feel better!

YANBU. Unexplained weight loss in particular needs looked into to find the cause. I would go back and see a different GP and discuss.

I'm going back to the G.P tomorrow as its been almost 3 months and I'm even more exhausted than before. Have had iron levels checked, they're fine, had a cervical smear done that's fine, pregnancy test, negative. But I'm still bone tired every day but now with random stabbing pains in my pelvis and frequent need to wee. Don't have a u.t.i, and there's no pain or burning sensation.

I'm worried I'm going to get fobbed off again. The last 2 visits have resulted in gp saying being tired is just part of being a sahm with a young family. What can I say to convince the dr that its not normal to always be this tired?

I’m shocked on your behalf that you got the brush off before. Can you say: ‘please don’t dismiss my concerns just because I am a stay at home parent. I know myself and I know this feeling of exhaustion isn’t right.’?

Maybe naming the prejudice will at least make them pretend to take you seriously.

Btw, I had similar and the dr did all the blood tests. They were all in the normal range, but my Vit D was right at the bottom of the range. Since then I have taken large doses of Vit D and feel loads better.

Ask to be tested for diabetes. Are you still loosing weight?

How long have you had the pelvic pains? Fatigue and frequent urination can be symptoms of endometriosis?

Your doc sounds awful, I would get the blood test and see if you can see someone else next time. Personally if it does turn out to be something wrong from the blood tests I would complain that you had to lobby so hard to get the test and that she was so dismissive! Being a stay at home mum is hard (not that being a working mum isn’t very hard too- my point is there are lots of people who just don’t realise how relentless being a SAHM can be too). Good luck op.

I posted too early, just seen your reply. What about vitamin D or thyroid? Did they test you for diabetes? I was under a gynaecologist because I had 14 day periods for three years after the birth of my second, I had the fatigue etc you describe and my hair was falling out at one point, my periods have now returned to normal but I still suffer the tiredness. Gynae put it down to stress and hormonal imbalance.