Why do I feel like this EVERY morning?

[SquishyBones]

I know everyone wakes up feeling groggy but for me, I feel like absolute shit every morning. Beyond exhausted, nauseous, headache, extreme lethargy, dizzy and lightheaded .... EVERY morning. It goes away once I’ve been up around 2 hours. I’m sick of it. Every morning I get Up thinking I’m going to have to call in sick it’s that bad. This has been the case for around two years now.

I’m 39 and my only health complaint is iron deficiency anaemia

I also think one person's mild anaemia is another person's viral fatigue. I am on the cusp of being anaemic, so they dismiss it, but I feel rubbish unless I take Floradix, VIt D, eat meat and dark greens etc.

I would also look at your cycle, is it still regular? do you have any other symptoms that could suggest peri menopause? I am on HRT and it has really helped with these symptoms.

I’m 39 and my only health complaint is iron deficiency anaemia

Well, that's the only one you need to feel like shit, isn't it?

Assume you're doing something about it?

I've felt like this my whole life. Been to the GP about it twice now and just get "hmm, you could do with losing some weight" and sent home again :( It's impossible to have it taken seriously.

Are you waking to an alarm right in the middle of sleeping deeply? If mine goes off when I'm in the deepest sleep, I feel like I'm going to be sick, dizzy, stumbling, headachey, the lot. But when I'm sleeping more lightly, no problem.

I use multiples of three or 1.5h for the length of an average sleep cycle to work it out, so if I'm going to be getting up at 6, I'm in bed shortly after 11pm to be asleep for midnight; if the alarm isn't set, I'll either wake up at 7.30 or 9am (my holy grail is 9 hours' sleep - it's happened about 3 times in the last month and it is wonderful).

Other than that, lights out and staying out and no TV in the bedroom means what sleep I do get is undisturbed.

@RhodaCamel

I have the same. I never wake up feeling great regardless if I’ve slept well or not, I often say I feel like I’ve slept on a cobbled street. I don’t feel right until around 11am. I too am anaemic. I am also 47 suffer from bad anxiety and am in perimenopause but have felt this way for several years now. My gp hasn’t been much help.

RhodaCamel Could you possibly see another GP for a second opinion as this shouldn't be the way you feel for such a long time.

I felt 'vague' and 'cloudy' on and off all the time for a year or so and had blood tests etc and my GP said all was normal and I specifically said should I be feeling cloudy and vague to the point where I won't drive and they said yes that's normal..... I went to another GP and I was prescribed for thyroid problems and have never felt 'cloudy' again!

Second opinion always recommended if you feel you are not getting anywhere and things are not right.

SquishyBones definitely go and get a full blood test checking all your levels. Perhaps your anemina needs different medication to get it back to proper levels? Perhaps you have other deficiencies that are causing these issues.

Don't just leave it, it's not right.

All are iron deficiency anaemia symptoms.

Get your bloods checked for low folate / B12 / Vit D etc.
Mine were all v low and I was falling over at train stations etc.

Sleep apnoea is a possibility too?. I have it and would not have known (I sleep alone) without a test in hospital.

Meantime, I'd follow all the sensible advice above to mitigate what you can whilst you wait to find out more, (if your GP is helpful)

I used to feel like this, and then read about Novak Djokovic having no energy and being advised to give up wheat. It's been over a year now and it has transformed my life. I've lost weight, but more importantly, have energy. Go for rice, oats, quinoa etc instead. You can.get pasta made from peas or lentils. I can eat sourdough bread without feeling shite but it does bloat me so I suggest skipping bread for a while. Also, go organic because pesticides - who knows how they affect us?

@SoTiredNeedHoliday
I have often wondered if I have a thyroid problem.

As well as the other suggestions, I’d ask your doctor for a 9am cortisol blood test to check your cortisol levels - it could be adrenal gland related.

I suspect it's high cortisol. Look at the dawn phenomenon or the dawn effect on YouTube. It is a blast of cortisol which brings with it high blood sugar from your stored glycogen.

I have found that Ashwaganda helps quell it.

Make sure your bedroom is blacked out as it's the result of light coming in. It gives me anxiety.

Thyroid deficiency is really debilitating - constant tiredness and feeling cold were my main symptoms, plus depression and hair thinning. They all lifted within about 3 weeks of taking meds. (just one tiny pill every morning -so small for such incredible results)
Another possible cause that's easy to fix. Do you always use the same washing powder and fabric conditioner? If so, try a different brand for a couple of weeks (try to change to a different manufacturer as well as brand and scent) and see if it makes a difference. The scents and chemicals on the bedding can have an affect on your sleep.

Please don't mess with anything that could be related to cortisol levels without serious input from and Endocrinologist.

An adrenal crisis - whilst not common - can kill you, simple as that.

And please don't take "adaptogens" like ashwaganda in an attempt to sort it yourself.

There is a reason that medical professionals don't use this!

This was me! I started running during lockdown and it has changed me completely! I do 5k every other day, i now love it! Before lockdown i could barely run for a minute.

@Cociabutter

Do you drink alcohol ? I always sleep badly and feel crap the day after drinking - and I only have 3 glasses of wine !

Only!!

The poster isn't saying everyday, they don't mention how regularly, just that on a day that they drink they sleep badly and on on days this poster drinks they have 3 glasses.

I might be wrong though.

I felt the same for many years, worked out at 44 that it was caused by too much gluten in my diet. Since cutting it out the change is incredible. Obviously get everything else checked out first.

I would check there is no gas leak in your house, the other cause may be dehydration.

I’ve done many private thyroid blood tests as I am so sure it’s hypothyroidism I have - I’ve had results where TSH is high but not out of range (eg 3.9), and one where it was 5.95

Then doctors retest it and it’s totally normal (eg 1.5) even when done first appointment of the day in the morning and fasting.

It’s so frustrating as I have textbook symptoms. Antibodies in normal range too.

OP I feel like that too and I have CFS and fibromyalgia.

Took ages to diagnose.

Mine though doesn't get easier after 2 hours. I feel crap the whole time.

RohdaCamel def get it looked into and stress your symptoms as some people will have a higher tolerance than others, ie my tolerance to thyroid balance was low as I was having symptoms when I wasn't quite at the NHS threshold.
Hence why it took a second opinion for the GP to actually listen to me and find the problem and solve it.....

Iron deficiency can cause all those things

I feel very tired in morning and have tea and ginger biscuits to perk me up. Is that mad? It works

Do you have your phone in your room overnight? I use mine as an alarm but I turn off wifi/data and close all the apps so I'm not getting a vibration or a ping whenever something happens.

Have you had a thyroid test, that was me before I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid.

Can you get a blood test done?

Sounds similar to anaemia, but I felt the same and a blood test showed something more sinister.