To be scared I'll never feel healthy again

[Weakandwary]

I'm 31 years old. I have two young children. Last August I was given iron tablets and told I was anemic. It made sense because since the birth of my second child I've had bad periods and never felt energetic. I Often have a sickly feeling. I've tried all the tablets and contraceptive pills. Hormones hate me. They make me feel sick to my stomach. The mini pill made me bleed for five weeks until I couldn't take the weakness anymore and stopped.tranexamic acid failed to help. I've had scans that show no problems.

Since February I've been feeling rubbish. Really rubbish. My child started school in September and for five months I did every school run (a mile each way) with no trouble. Then a heavy period wiped me out. That's when I was given the mini pill plus another 180 iron tablets.

Since lockdown I've felt rubbish at some point every single day. I am currently laid in bed feeling dizzy and shattered. So frustrating. I'm happy in my mind. Not depressed. Would love to walk further when we go out. I'm eating veg and fruit and quite a good diet in general. Yet I can't recover.

I'm crying as I write this. Not to be dramatic but because I'm so scared for the future. I've got two little people relying on me and I don't feel fit to be their mum. The drs never listen when I tell them I physically can't be a mum some days and it's just lucky my partner has been able to work around me so he can get our child to and from school. I've told 3 seperate drs now that I couldn't even take my child to school in February and march. I tell them I'm weak and exhausted. They just do a sympathetic nod and give me iron. I'm too young for surgical options apparently.

The thing is I don't want to live like this anymore. Im scared it could be something worse. I've been on iron for ten weeks and I feel crap but I was light bleeding until 9 days ago for five weeks. I've been unsuccessful in my request to speak to my usual gp on ask my gp. (the only way you can get a drs help now) i always get the same male locum who has really poor English and kept forgetting what I had just said to hin. I feel I want to pour my fears out to someone who can actually give me hope.

I'm not suicidal but lately I've been thinking there's not much point in me living for years like this. I keep thinking it will probably kill me anyway as my body is in such a mess. My digestive system feels constantly sickly and my body can't get through a single day without me laying down.

I don't know what to do anymore. If I can't get better then I'll miss out on so much of my kids lives. We was supposed to go on holiday two weeks ago. I was relieved we couldn't go because I realised how crap I would have felt. Id of been too weak to enjoy it.

I am not sure why I'm writing any of this on here. I just want someone to tell me it will get better.

Hi there Weak, my best advice would be to speak to a GP tomorrow. Sorry you are feeling so ill, hope you feel better soon

I'm so sorry you are having an awful time.

I've been feeling similar since the birth of my third child. I've had all the tests, sleep studies and all kinds that just showed nothing.

I'm going to sound completely crazy but look up the Root Cause Protocol. I stumbled across it, and out of desperation I began some of the recommendations.

I didn't believe it would make a difference but it seems to be helping. I have much more energy than I used to.

So very strange post from me (and not one that I thought I'd ever say). But worth a try if you are not getting much help from the GP.

And obviously continue to try to get hold of your usual GP in case there are other options.

If the doctors aren’t listening then call your local health board to give them a little nudge. They’ll see from your records that you’ve been continuously with same issue and should refer to a specialist. They did with me for my issues.

I really hope you get it sorted x

I felt exactly like you from horrifically heavy, long periods that felt like haemorrhages and that left me very anaemic, despite taking a daily iron supplement. Walking across a room exhausted me and I felt depressed. My GP prescribed Primolut and a different iron supplement (having checked B12, which was normal -- you should get yours checked if you haven't), and then made a referral to a gynaecologist, who put me on Provera to prevent periods for a couple of months and booked me in for a scan to rule out fibroids. This was cancelled because of Covid-19, but after two months of no bleeding and a different iron supplement, I already feel better.

Good luck!

If your finances allow, and tbh I’d make it a priority, as you are getting no where with your gp, make an appointment to see a private gp. It’s very easy to do, just look up your local private hospital and all the details will be there with the costs involved which aren’t as much as you think. Your life comes first! It’s frustrating not to have a good gp service and you might be against private on principle but if it was my health I’d want it sorted.

@sunnie1992 thanks I will look it up

@flupi

I technically have private health care under my partner's work. I've not used them yet because I don't really know where to start.

My gp said to me my only option was the combi pill. But it seems unfair that the only option I have is one that gives me nausea and low moods.

I think I should perhaps try the drs again but what should I say? It seems that they ring you after you email them. I choose the Dr I wanted but i still got a locum. I'm not sure how to word it so they don't just push the pill option onto me. I feel like they should be testing me for my levels again.

I also wonder if there could be another issue causing me to feel this weak. It feels these days you've got to tell them what you want. Or is there side effects from coming off the pill?

I’ve had the same on and off since my second pregnancy- 8 years ago. It got way worse on my third pregnancy 5 years ago and since then my periods have been so heavy and floored me. They’ve given me iron to take daily- one doctor said I need to take them daily until I’m past the menopause. I’m 43- so about another 10 years. More recently a more sympathetic doctor said that a coil could sort it as it should make the periods lighter so i don’t lose as much blood and feel less tired. I am booked in for this at the end of the week although I’m assuming it will be cancelled due to Covid.

It’s horrible OP and the level of tiredness is indescribable. Stick with the iron, maybe discuss other options like the coil with a GP. Good luck.

Could you try a mirena coil? They often stop periods entirely, or at least lessen their severity.
Worth discussing with your doctor perhaps?

Why don't you stop hormone contraception full stop and either have a copper coil or just use condoms. Stopping hormone contraception was the very best decision I made in my life.

Have you had a thyoid function test OP?

I hadnt felt myself since DD was born 20 months ago - feeling weak, dizzy, fatigued, brain fog, constantly ill with infections, anxiety, low mood etc. In the end of I got sick of trying to get the GP to do something and got a thriva blood test online. It turns out I have vitamin D deficiency and have now been prescribed a booster, with over the counter supplements afterward indefinitely. I feel loads better already. There are things you can do to help rule things in or out. Obviously it would have been great if my GP had ordered a blood test but I tended to find it was played down, blamed on MH or being tired with a young child and I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere.

I have chronic fatigue/ME/fibromyalgia. I’m a single parent. Two children. You get used to feeling crap, you adjust your life to manage and 99% of the time you cope.

Fc it’s something fixable, but I would suggest getting your iron studies checked, your thyroid and Your b12 xx

Have you ever been tested for pernicious anaemia OP? Your symptoms sound like if should be checked

Hi I had a blood test done 2 months ago.

They tested iron, vitmain d and thyroid.

I don't want to take hormones but the Dr argued that's my only option to improve the bleeding. The locum was trying to push them onto me again the other day and he said I can't force you and it's up to you what you want to do.

I don't feel sure about the coil. I don't want to have something I can't control. I'm so cautious after everything I've tried since February.

I'm also uncomfortable stomach wise this week for the first time since taking iron. It's making it harder to go so I'm also on fybogel.

I know exactly how you all feel who started struggling after having children. It ties in with them being born and you just presume your tired.

It upsets me because before kids I was energetic and I worked full time and socialised. Now i couldn't do a part time job as I would be too weak.

@ImaPinkToothbrush12

Can I ask what symptoms you have please? Also how long have you had it and does it come and go or is it always there?

I doubt I have this but I do wonder sometimes.

@Panpig is that different to normal anemia? I've not heard much about this?

I cannot tolerate hormones and I have endometriosis and terrible heavy, long periods.
Mefanemic acid is very good. If you take it from the very start of each period it reduces the flow and the pain.
Take the iron, also take a vitamin C supplement and a B12 and magnesium. All of those help with energy but can also help with the constipation that can result from iron tablets.

I think you should ask for a B12 blood test from your gp just to check the levels. There are lots of symptoms of B12 deficiency like exhaustion, breathlessness, palpitations, feeling cold, tingling etc. I had very low levels after pregnancy and was prescribed injections which are every 12 weeks. It makes a huge difference to my energy levels. Might be worth investigating anyway

@Weakandwary yes it is different to normal anaemia. Although the main symptoms are the same. It runs in my family on one side, and it is related to the way your body can or cannot absorb and process vitamin B12. It's not very well known about but can be easily tested for with a specific blood test.

Coeliac disease might also be worth thinking about - low iron and then lack of absorption of iron when on supplements lead to DC2 being diagnosed.

I’ve had the mirena coil fitted for heavy periods and it’s worked a treat. Have you tried it?

If you have private medical insurance call them. Tell them what you’ve said here and ask if you can see one of their gynaes. They will tell you what you need to obtain from your GP which will probably be an ‘open referral letter’. Then you call them beck once you have it and they will give you the details of one of their gynaes to call. In non Covid times you would be in front of a private gynae within a week. There will probably be an excess to pay on the policy but it sounds like it would be money well spent.

Thank you everyone I really appreciate the suggestions. Is b12 usually a seperate test?

Yes it would be useful to actually have a copy of my bloods. I don't know if they are doing them at the moment but I'll get in touch tomorrow.