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, it seems highly likely that you have b12 deficiency. You are already taking iron and still dizzy plus you have heavy periods- in all likelihood you might be deficient in b12. Ask for a blood test. You can take a supplement but if your levels are really low (below 80) then you need injections. B12 deficiency can also cause nausea, tiredness and low moods.
And please ask your GP to refer you to Gynaecologist, in all my years of experience with Gynaecology problems I have realised that gp' are no good for sorting your problems but will give you a referral if you stick to your guns. Gynaecologist are really good at sorting issues with periods and most would want you to come and there is no thing as normal heavy period, no period should affect your quality of life. If it does , it needs to be treated and hormonal pill is not always the correct treatment.

@Weakandwary, I am was battling with the same 10 years ago. I am actually quite surprised to read how someone else is describing my very symptoms!
I was prescribed the very same tablets tranexamic etc and nothing helped. It took me 2-3 years After the birth to recover to some normality.
No GP ever diagnosed me.
I did not like the coil idea and contraceptives did not make any difference.
In the end I stopped all medications.
Fast forward 10 years on, I spend in bed every first 2 days of my period.
My energy never recovered but the bleeding is under control.

I think it is a separate test. Some doctors are really good about testing for it. Some try and fob you off. Fingers crossed you get an interested one! Also the NHS 'normal' range does tend to be lower compared to many other countries. So they usually say it's normal range, but might still be low enough to be symptomatic.

I don't really have answers for all your symptoms but I couldn't get my iron levels up after my pregnancy on normal iron tablets. I tried two different kinds and they gave me bad digestion problems and nausea I couldn't take them at all.

GP fobbed me off but I managed to get a liquid iron supplement from a Dr at the hospital called Sytron and I swear by the stuff. Apparently liquid iron doesn't raise your iron as well but I disagree, I mixed it with orange juice and my iron was back to normal really quickly with absolutely no side affects. Might be worth a conversation and see if you can get some? It also tastes really nice as well it's cherry flavour and weirdly mixed in with the orange is delicious!

Are you planning on having any more children? If not, then a uterine ablation (with or without sterilisation) might be an option. Absolutely changed my life. I have one day of light bleeding a month, having previously been at home a few days a month with heavy bleeding. Honestly it was transformative

Thanks everyone. I will try and quiz them on b12 etc.

@BEANBAG765

That's awful that your energy as never recovered. That's my biggest worry as if it doesn't I don't know how I can be a good mum.

@HeyMicky I asked about that and the Dr said nobody would touch me at my age.

Do I need to request a referral to gynocology through the GP? I presume they won't want to see me at the moment anyway?

@Maxamill that sounds nice! I just have ferrous sulfate. Are they likely to prescribe me liquid if I ask? I do take spa tone some days.

I had it at 35. It's easier now you've had kids. But it will depend on your trust. Get a referral to a consultant. Neither my GP nor my consultant argued with me at all - it took about 5 mins with each describing my symptoms. Definitely worth trying - you may get a more sympathetic response from your consultant. Keep a diary, wrote it all down, document it so you don't forget anything. Good luck

@Weakandwary I'd just ask them for it as the iron tablets aren't agreeing with you. I was told that there's various iron supplements they can give but they always start out with the cheapest option and work their way up the list. I honestly felt horrendous taking the iron tablets, I tried two different types and didn't agree with either of them. It's worth a try, it might not help all your symptoms but will definitely help your iron levels!

I tried spatone but the doctor told me it isn't strong enough to raise your iron levels just to maintain them 🤷🏽‍♀️

Is b12 usually a seperate test?
Yes. B12/folate. BUT do ask if your thyroid was well within normal range or low end of normal.

I was on prescription iron 3x a day for 14 years because I was anaemic otherwise.
I never felt well. Mini pill made me bleed for the whole 5 months they insisted I try it, Mirena coil made me bleed every day for the whole 9 months they made me try it.
Turns out I had fibroids and endometriosis.
Hysterectomy cured it, wish I had been given the option a decade ago rather than having to beg for 4 years to have one. No man would have to suffer like that for a totally curable issue.

I had low B12 and Folate and I felt like I was wading through treacle, everything was an effort and I had terrible cramp in my legs, I had some folic acid tablets and a B12 shot and felt completely back to normal quite quickly, I also have dreadful periods and cannot take any form of hormonal contraceptives, but thankfully I seem to be heading for the menopause.

The mirena coil has changed my life. If you haven’t tried it then I would highly recommend it. My periods were so heavy no other type of contraceptive pill worked to reduce them. The coil has totally stopped my periods and changed my hormonal balance so I no longer suffer.

A friend of mine was given iron tablets for fatigue for years then finally found out she had lupus. I’m not saying you have lupus but you should keep pushing for tests and answers. Good luck.

I would push for a referral to a gynaecologist. My GP has been very sympathetic over the years with similar symptoms (no children here, so not that sort of fatigue) but a bit clueless. I can’t have hormonal contraceptives either, though I have tried in the past. I saw my third gynae about 5 years ago when my bleeding was so heavy and depleting that it was affecting my ability to do my job. After having a mirena, which my body rejected after a week, I was put forward for an endometrial ablation (only suitable if you’ve completed your family) and it’s changed my life. It’s still taken two years to get my iron levels back up to half what they should be, but I feel so different now.

Do try to get a referral to diagnose exactly what your problem is, because you can and will feel better with the right treatment.

I’m sorry but your GP is wrong. Norethisterone is a drug used in ivf to stop bleeding. They should give you this rather than putting you onto a contraceptive pill. Might be something to enquire about.

I was anaemic through heavy periods, crying all the time, exhausted and dizzy. Never felt refreshed after a full night's sleep. Started having iron infusions at the local hospital, in and out in a few hours. They changed my life. Contact the blood transfusion nurse specialist through switchboard and get your gp to refer you. Had a mirena coil in the end so stopped gave the iron infusions. I wasted many years of my life to anaemia. Iron transfusions will change your life.