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?

I was going to write similar to mnthrowaway20202

I can't tolerate ferrous sulphate tablets (caused vomiting and diarrhoea last time I tried) but I am fine with Ferrous Fumerate. Might that be an option for you? They are cheaper to buy over the counter than if you have to pay for your prescriptions.

Or there is a mint flavoured iron solution meant for children that I was prescribed when I was pregnant.

I was also told that the levels in Spatone are no good if you have an actual deficiency (and I think it tastes vile, even mixed with juice!)

Oh god, supposed to start a new thread. Sore everyone. Can’t evee Ed n see how to delete the bloody thing

Like some of the other posters I think you need a full thyroid screen (in addition to looking into your iron etc).

I had horrific periods, no cycle whatsoever- sometimes I’d get two inside of a fortnight, sometimes I’d go a year without one and it would last weeks. They were always extremely heavy, and one lasted five months (Yes, truly!) before I finally got prescribed tranxemic acid. One doctor refused to believe me, until my husband explained he could confirm it (embarrassing). My iron levels were low too. I sometimes lying in bed staring at the ceiling TIL 5am, physically exhausted but mentally alive. Yet other times I’d be staring at something at work, convinced I knew the answer, that it was just on the edge of my brain. Doctors said I was anxious, that I had PCOS combined with endo, that I was pushing myself too far (studying full time while also working 40hrs), and/or I was exaggerating. This went on for nearly 12 years. I saw a gynaecologist three times and was told it was because I was fat, that it was in my genes and that there was nothing they could do except put me on the pill since there was no diagnosis. I twice asked if I had thyroid issues after reading articles in the media (including this one www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/08/underactive-thyroid-was-slowly-killing-me ) , and once the TSH was included in my blood tests. My GP stated it was normal. Like you, I had a sense that something wasn’t right but was made to feel paranoid.
Anyway, three years ago I got a nasty cold and a lingering hacking cough. I was also five weeks into a heavy period. My usual GP was away, and the locum who was recently qualified ordered a full blood screen in paranoia. I asked for a full copy of the results, and that’s when I saw my TSH, FT4, FT3, Iron levels, vitamins D and B12. It took me 5 months to get into a private consultant who specialises in Thyroids, but the last 2.5 years have been great. I feel more ‘me’, I sleep well mostly, my periods are still heavy, still somewhat infrequent but more around the 6/8 weeks cycle, but they last for only 4 or 5 days.i have less brain fog. The supposed anxiety is gone. I see my consultant twice a year, he adjusts my meds and life feels better.

Get a full screen done, get a copy of your results and do your own research. I obviously can’t say it’s your thyroid but there’s a huge number who go undiagnosed.

Wellhiyahun You can report your post to MN via the link to the right of your name and ask them to remove it.

(FWIW I agree with you)

I found that liquid Iron supplement was much better for me. The tablets were awful. I also have a bottle of Floradix in the fridge and take a swig every time I start to feel a bit odd. It works a treat.

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/8791/smpc

Ask for this. I had extremely low iron and was really ill. Couldn't tolerate the iron tabs at all (they made me puke about half an hour after I took them, every single time.)

I started on the Syton and mixed it with a glass of orange juice/a fizzy vit C and my levels finally started to improve.

Did they check your Vit D levels? Mine were also in my boots but it took a few more GP visits to get that checked.

For some reason spatone never works for me. I had issues with ferrous sulphate too.
Ferrous fumarate was better but I wanna switched to a liquid one instead. I thin some people have trouble absorbing some iron preparations it’s a constant battle.
I’m worse when pregnant but when not they can’t find a reason for it and blame heavy periods so I suppose must be that.
I sympathise OP as I know how awful it feels

Just report your post Wellhiyahun

First, iron overdose can be very serious so stick to the correct dose.

I suffer from really low iron and nothing I do changes it apart from take vitamins. I take 7 seas pregnancy vitamins as they were the highest in iron. It does take a while to increase levels so give them chance to work but try fill up on red meat, dark choc, red wine, spinach etc to boost you naturally. When I forget my vits for even just a week, I can tell a massive difference and it affects me in all kids of ways so maybe stick it out for a couple of months and be strict with taking the iron

I have also had very low iron counts
I take galfur Syrup which is liquid iron that my doctor prescribes for me
I also have B12 injection every month

OP I was exactly the same after my last child. I eventually was told by a cardiologist that it was that my heart was speeding up too much when I stood or something - I have no idea but he said there is nothing they can do about it so 4 years on I am still ha big issues.

On the plus side I do now have transexamic acid to take during my periods.

Low iron is a SYMPTOM not a problem. The GP appears to be happy to treat this symptom and then it all comes back because they haven't found the problem.
Search Dr. Berg, read up on reasons for low iron.
Your results will be on your GP records. If you can book appointments online at your surgery then you can review your results online.
They tend not to test your T4s in England so this might be a good starting point.
The best advice 're locum, do not give responsibility of your health to anyone. Find out WHY you have been advised the mini pill is not appropriate - is it to do with clotting etc and then ensure this information is available for locum. Then challenge them - what research has this locum had to say different (they might have a fair and more up to date point).
Have you been referred to any specialists during your time? If not, ask the GP why.

Place marking

A common cause of this type of feeling can also be B12 deficiency. I felt physically weak like I couldn’t get through the day and I tried b12 supplements Holland and Barrett I take 1 a day and they’ve genuinely changed my life a bit!

I've felt how you describe, for over 16 years. Very low ferritin, pernicious anaemia and microcytic anaemia and all were caused by coeliac disease. There are so many causes of the different types of anaemia with similar symptoms. I hope you can find the cause for feeling so ill.

I have literally just had blood tests on Monday for the same thing. Since the birth of my youngest last year I have suffered with weight gain, extreme tiredness, aching joint, feeling cold all the time and just generally a yuk feeling of no motivation.

I had a csection that cause me quite significant blood loss and I just feel I never really recovered from it. My iron levels are always all over the place but the GP think a course of tablets every couple of months will resolve it.

I think there is something more going on with me and I am desperate to get my mojo back. Even sitting at a desk and working exhausts me.

I haven’t read all the posts but I can highly recommend the coil. I was very sick on oral contraceptives so find the coil fantastic, my periods practically stopped while using it, and no side effects.

I would take liquid iron daily - spa tone is gentle on the stomach, so you keep your levels up. There’s no point in getting your iron levels up, then letting levels plummet again.

Hope you’re feeling ok soon x

I've had low iron on and off since I had DC 6 years ago.

I also have low Vitamin D - to the point where I now take supplements year-round. I suffer fatigue and joint pain, which before they identified the cause rendered me practically immobile. I thought I was arthritic.

I'm just coming to the end of a 3-month course of 600 mg per day ferrous sulfate. The deficiency caused my skin to itch horrendously this time, though, and I still have that symptom so might be time to get my levels checked again!.

These things were never a problem to my knowledge before pregnancy played havoc with my body. A mooncup seemed to help with my painful periods. I've no idea why.

Good morning. I've read all your replies. I will answer some of the questions.

They checked my thyroid, vitamin d, iron and I am not sure but I think they did vitamin b yes.

I asked the locum I keep getting two days ago about iron that's more gentle. He said to take the lansoprazole for a month then I can have a blood test in a month and decide whether I need a different type of iron.

I have noticed (although it's all guessing) I feel sickly after certain meals. Not always. But spaghetti Bolognese, a beef joint, sausage cob have all left me with a sicky stomach in the last month. Sometimes once the sick feeling starts it lasts two or 3 days.

I was told after they checked my womb etc on a scan in February that I would probably be referred to gynocology if the scan didn't give any answers. It's never been mentioned and the locum mumbled my scan was clear when I first saw him.

I don't feel he's a good Dr for me. But I think he's been taken on to help out (they have a huge shortage) and it seems you can't get near the usual drs who have been there for years. I've requested three times for a specific person and it's always him that calls regardless. I feel he let me down massively given me a pill no other Dr would. He told me most women benefit. I also feel the other day he decided I needed lansoprazole because I had it twelve years ago as a teenager.

In the past I've had heart palpations. I ever as an 18 year old I started feeling sick alot and also had a Skippy beating heart. They did an MRI scan. I had another scan done too and wore a special heart monitor for 24 hours. All they said was one quarter of my heart was more muscular than the other. But they found nothing wrong. Looking back they didn't do checks on my iron etc. Was that what was wrong with me back then?

I feel like you have to go to the gp with all your own answers these days.

I've tried transexamic acid. It didn't do much. Without oversharing it made things worse on day four when I stopped taking it.

I've tried hormonal contraception. It causes me to feel sick and down. I had panicky shakes on all 3 that I've tried. Mercilon, microgynon and desogestral.

My partner has us on his work private medical care. I've never used it. He wants me to call them and break it down on what's been happening. I feel abit unsure where to start. I almost don't feel worthy of private health care. We are not rich. My partner's just clever with computers and has got a reasonably good job doing security. I am not sure how it all works though. Especially with coronavirus.

The way I would describe my life is its a lucky dip. 3/4 times I feel rubbish. Occasionally I get a day where I can go out for a long walk with the kids or a day out. I probably feel rubbish 4-5 days out of 7. So it's affecting my life. Especially with you f kids. Anxiety is not my issue. But yes I do feel anxious now as what happens if I can't look after my kids. Take them to school and wherever they need to be. What if I can't go out at the weekends and have a nice day. I don't want to be half way through a day out and suddenly feel sick and spoil it for the kids. Not that we have days out now as Corona has made sure of that. But my daughter could be going back to school in June.

As for celiac disease. How would I find out if I had that? Thank you.

I agree that your iron deficiency needs more probing. It's a difficult time to be ill, with face-to-face consultations replaced by phone ones and a limited choice of who you can consult, but I feel you've been fobbed off a bit so far. YY to seeing what else has been checked previously, as B12 and folate, vit D, thyroid panel and perhaps coeliac screen could all be relevant. Any of these, as well as iron deficiency anaemia, can certainly cause crushing tiredness as well as a plethora of other symptoms. I agree with the pp who said you might expect to be on supplements long-term but don't double up your dose or take multiple sources of iron without GP guidance. Ferrous fumarate might be gentler than sulfate.

I'm surprised you haven't had any help with your periods themselves. The pill is a really hit-and-miss solution and increases bleeding for as many women as it reduces it. Something like tranexamic acid could treat your bleeding on an as-needed basis and break the cycle of anaemia and the cascade of other medications, and hopefully you could feel more like yourself again.

Do try again with your GP surgery. People on the internet can't look at the whole picture for you.

@Makinganewthinghappen If your heart is increasing too much on standing, that is Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. It can be triggered by pregnancy for some people, although there are lots of different underlying causes and triggers and it’s absolute nonsense that they can’t do anything about it, the vast majority of people return to a normal or almost normal quality of life once they’ve had appropriate support/treatment. Some, like myself and my son, don’t, but that’s because of our underlying cause.

There are medications or combinations of medications you can try to control the symptoms, as well as specific non-pharmacological things you can do yourself to improve your quality of life. An awful lot of Cardiologists either don’t know anything about it or are extremely dismissive of it, Electrophysiologists (specialist Cardiologists) tend to be the better option.

Have a read of the PoTS UK site and see if you can get referred to one of the doctors listed on there.

Sorry, cross posted with you. It sounds like you have a lot of different stuff going on. I hope you can get somewhere with your GP.