Theres something wrong and I can't work it out.

[XxrosesxX]

Hi. My health has never felt the same since my second child 2.5 years ago. Just remember never feeling "right". I put it down to tiredness. My mood felt fine. But I had a variety of symptoms like weakness and feeling abit off. Periods were bad. 9 months ago I told the Dr at last how o had felt. She told me all my symptoms seem like anxiety. She gave me a CBT online course card. I walked out confused. I wanted to do loads of stuff. I wasn't worried. I wasn't nervous. But my body was letting me down. I went back and she gave me the combination pill. I tried that hopeful it would improve my periods. At the same time she took bloods to check iron, vitmain d, thyroid etc.

Three days into the combination pill I woke up trembling. Feeling sick. Panicking. Couldn't breathe properly. It last half an hour and my partner held my hand as I finally was able to sleep. The next day we talked about how odd it was. I stopped taking the pill straight away. I realised my mood was terrible the next day.

Blood results came back. She said no wonder you feel terrible you have no iron reserves. She started me on tablets. 8 weeks later another blood test confirmed numbers were ok. Receptionist said no further action. I stopped taking iron as I ran out. I was at that point doing the school runs,4 miles walking a day and feeling pretty good.

Then February this year a heavy period put me right back down. I was so weak o was shaking. My heart was pounding and I was soaking through loads of pads. The following week I laid on the sofa and cried. I just couldn't move. A blood test confirmed no iron reserves again but my numbers were higher weirdly. I felt horrendous. The next three weeks I took iron and watched my partner take over. I felt guilty as I'm a stay at mum and he was doing all the school runs.

I just had got better before lockdown and started taking her again. Since lockdown I have just felt rubbish. I had a locum dr give me the mini pill to try. I have always been told I can't have it due to anemia. But he prescribed it and I trusted him. I hoped I was lucky. But 12 days in I started bleeding. It lasted 5 weeks and I gave up. All that time I was weak. Tired. Sluggish. Feeling slightly queasy.

My cycle is back to normal now. But my digestive system is awful. I feel sick and stomach achy alot. I phoned the drs yesterday. Same man rang me. I just can't get access to anyone else! He prescribed me lansoprazole for nausea. He said it could be the iron tablets causing a reflux thing. I've taken it for two days now. Had an okish day but felt yucky and tired at teatime. Went to bed around 10.30. now I'm awake feeling sick and my throat feels like it's got acid in it. I am sat in the bathroom writing this with water.

I'm so confused as to why my body feels so Terrible. I feel something is wrong. It's more than just iron levels surely. I've been taken them for 3 months now and still suffer so many crappy feelings.

Where do I go from here?

@TorkTorkBam
Even a couple of mouthfuls of orange juice when you eat red meat, or at the end of a meal, would really aid your iron absorption and give you more bang for your buck.

Perimenopause?

Have you tried BlueIron? It’s gentler on your stomach, though it’s expensive.

Please don't rely on spatone for your anemia.

You need a therapeutic dose to alleviate your anemia, spatone is too low in iron to help.

I agree with a PP- Iron sulphate is very hard on the digestive system- but also the cheapest, which is why GPs tend to give that as a first option.
There are better more gentle forms of iron that your GP can prescribe, while still being high in iron won't upset your stomach so much.
Iron fumarate or iron gluconate are good.
Speak to your GP and ask if you can be prescribed a gentler form of iron.

Just to add- those posters suggesting spatone, ironblue etc. These are food supplements, not remedies for anemia.

The PP's GP has diagnosed anemia and she needs a therapeutic amount of iron.

For info
Bluetone contains 17mg of iron per dose
Spatone contains 5mg of iron per dose

Prescribed iron tablets from a GP ( whether suphate or gluconate) will typically contain 200mg per dose.

Suggesting that the OP ditches prescribed medication in favour of an over the counter remedy is irresponsible.

My anaemia was being caused by heavy periods which were being caused by fibroids. I had an endometrial ablation. Not had a period since. My iron levels have returned to normal as have my energy levels.

My anaemia was only treated properly when a separate incident (spontaneous DVT) meant that my full bloods were reviewed by a haematologist rather than a GP. All anomolies were reviewed together rather than piecemeal.

B12 but try methylcolbalmin only.

Hi op. I totally agree with changeagainandagain regarding endometriosis. I have felt exactly the same since my daughter was born 10 years. Never considered endo, as have super light and non painful periods. Until Decemeber when I had an infected cyst. Spent a week in hospital on IV antibiotics, very ill. Then the same again in February. My MRI shows I have severe endo. All over my ovaries, womb and bowel. All without the classic endo symptoms of pain and heavy periods. So once this is over I would absolutley talk to your gp about a referral to gynaecology.

Have you tried taking Andrews Salts? I take a spoon after each meal and it's helped me so much with reflux and feeling off. It helps you absorb vitamins too (I've heard lansoprazole is bad for absorption).
It's not very expensive so might be worth a go?

Hi I have low iron the doctor wants me to have the coil but I'm not sure on this but I can also try tranxemic acid when I'm in my period so I'm surprised they havnt offered these options would it be worth asking. I have gerd and a small hernia and the iron does make it much worse , I havnt found a ppi that works for me they all make me feel sick, gassy and tummy pains. I'm managing best I can with liquid iron and gaviscon. I will have a blood test soon and see how my levels are I really wanted to take iron tablets at the highest dose to boost me right up but was so hard on my stomach. So I'm trying to do it slowly. I also take vitamin c and d. Did they check your b12 and vitamin d levels? The other thing I thought was I once woke in the night like that it was a panic attack the doctor explained it as your subconscious can cause it at night even if on the surface you feel you are ok but something is maybe playing on your mind and during the day you keep it at bay but at night it can take over. Could it have been that ?

I'm sure it's been mentioned but try a liquid iron supplement. I couldn't terate iron tablets and it's not uncommon.

I think you need to access a different GP, by the sounds of it that won't till be until Covid-19 is less of a threat. Your periods need sorting out. I have the merina coil fitted to stabilise mine, wonderful for me.

Ok - This is about my Dc but may help you to think about iron deficiency...

My DS started losing his hair, I can pinpoint the date we went to see the doctor, but day one he was given blood tests and vitamin d tablets. He was referred to a consultant. The consultant appt was so far in the future I went private (hair loss is not an NHS priority as not life threatening!)

Consultant started him on various remedies including iron as ferritin levels were very low. It turned out to be this, but hair didn't start growing properly again for months and he wasn't considered to have high enough ferritin levels until month 9. His hair (short) had grown back properly after 12 months

He was 8 at the time and short for his age (9th centile), we have continued the iron (a good multi vitamin by now, not prescribed) and as of 4.5 years later he is now 50th centile for height.

Hope this helps you - you will probably have to take some kind of iron supplement daily and consistently for at least 12 months to get the results... and continue taking it for several years to stay normal.

We used various types of iron with him - particularly one gentle on the stomach at first.

• I should qualify - At first he took a prescribed high dose of iron, and as the problem resolved he went on to an over the counter vitamin supplement. You will need a high dose for around 9 months, possibly longer, then to continue to take something more therapeutic (like spatone or a good multi vitamin) for a number of years.

There’s something irritating about a dr reverting to stress and anxiety when you present with a physical problem.
I understand that they’re often related, but....
I wonder how often they do that with men

Amen to that. No excuse for suggesting that as the explanation of first resort.

Just to add another suggestion into the mix, the symptoms of Coeliac disease can be fatigue, a general feeling of unwellness, iron deficiency stomach problems and can often be triggered by pregnancy.

OP, I had all of this but it took ages to connect it to iron reserves. I remember the (new) GP calling me with my results and being flabbergasted that I was still functioning!

What changes everything was taking a B12 spray. It really, really helped the liquid iron and my mood changed in a matter of days.

It is my most recommended product now. I buy it for everyone who is about to have a baby 😂

Seriously: give it a go.

Just to second @WahWahWahs, The consultant recommended he went on a good multi vitamin as well as high dose iron....and he was also short of vit d at the time. We had to try quite a few combinations to get it right for his stomach!

I would double check your thyroid results. You are entitled to a copy of all your test results, if you can get the actual numbers (and ranges) then it might show your thyroid is starting to struggle. Iron deficiency often connected to an underactive thyroid, as is B12, folate and Vit D deficiencies. Giving birth can trigger hypothyroidism. Doctors often don't diagnose hypo when they should and people are left to struggle.

I'm not a doctor btw, I am just a hypo patient but have been going through this for several years now. I am iron deficient too and trying to get my ferritin level (stored iron) raised.

B12 deficiency, definitely

Do you have an app for booking Dr appointments? If so you may be able to get the detail of your blood results by logging into the app. This is how I found out that the blood result my gp told me was "a little bit out of range" was actually over 600 when the normal range is 9 or below.

I think the problem with your throat is acid reflux, I had the same ~ I take the same tablets as you, Lansoprazole and was told they would take a few weeks to work, which they did, now my acid reflux is non existent.

Spatone isn't strong enough and iron tablets are really hard on digestion. I strongly recommend Floradix the herbal iron tonic. It's expensive but very strong, gentle on the stomach and the effects are immediate. You might also need Vitamin D spray (DLux - stronger spray, not tablets as Vit D can't be absorbed in tablet form) and B-complex. Try these as they have all helped with extreme exhaustion for me. (B-vits every other day or every three days as they can make your fingers tingle.)

I'm not saying these will cure any underlying cause, which sounds worrying, but they will help the symptoms. As someone with constantly low iron, heavy periods and extreme exhaustion for years, I have tried so many things and these help most.

acpinternist.org/weekly/archives/2017/10/17/2.htm
"Every-other-day iron supplementation may offer better absorption"

Did the doctor mention giving you an iron infusion? This is when you’re hooked up to a drip for about an hour, my daughter has had this done in a doctor’s surgery by nurses. If you are super low with one type of iron deficiency (sorry I can’t remember what, maybe iron stores) then this can help when tablets and liquids can take too long to bring you up.

If you are taking iron tablets you need to be super careful about constipation though, this can be a very nasty side affect.

When I started to read your post I immediately thought low iron/minerals, your GP was disgraceful for going down the emotional route first.

I have Vit B injections and folate supplements from my GP, otherwise I'm numb and feeling like you do. I'm post menopausal. I always had issues with contraception. I now have a coil fitted, they aren't like they used to be, so keep an open mind and when lock down is fully over, discuss your options.