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 was, also going to suggest dehydration.

Removing most highly processed wheat products sorted mine out.

@StormTreader

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.

StormTreader it's not impossible you just need to not take no for an answer. You basically say you're not leaving until you get some help as it is affecting the quality of your life. Sometimes you might feel you are explaining the depths of things correctly but to others, they might feel you are glossing over things so not that concerned. The GP's also have to weed out all the hypochondriacs out there ....... If they keep on the loose weight tack and haven't done blood tests then ask to be referred to someone for help with weight loss so they see you are serious. Otherwise, see a different GP in the practice for a second opinion. Don't give up though.

I feel the same most mornings, like I’ve been dug up. It’s not like a hangover feeling. More like I imagine as if I’ve done ten rounds with Mike Tyson. I can suffer from anaemia too.

Our mattress is fairly new, so are our pillows. Have been going to bed pretty late so trying to work on that maybe try going to bed a bit earlier. I take two reg meds for headaches. I take a while to get to sleep but i must get some because I’ve been having some crazy dreams lately!

I did mention about carbon monoxide to my DH as our boiler is in a cupboard in our bedroom, we do have an alarm & he’s assured me all is well with it.

Lately though, I’d say for the last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling extremely tired, to the point where I can actually fall asleep in the afternoon (I work part time mornings).

My last blood test revealed I wasn’t aneamic anymore, just. That was in January of this year. I’m thinking of trying to get another one done, just to see where I’m at as I can’t take iron tablets what the dr prescribes so I take the feroglobin capsules.

I have a circadian rhythm disorder (DSPD) and feel like this if I have to wake up early (early for me, i.e. in the morning at all).

I don't think its a circadian disorder because I've NEVER woken up feeling energised or refreshed, except for 2 random days where I then wasted the whole day desperately wracking my brains to try and work out exactly what had been different. Every morning is a sluggish haul out of bed, I often motivate myself with the thought that I could have a nap in the afternoon if I needed to, although usually after a few hours awake I don't feel so horribly groggy so I very rarely do.

I'd deeply love to wake up feeling more awake than when I went to sleep - I'm far more awake now at 11.30 at night than at any day I can think of before about 1pm.

Vitamin D deficiency? CFS/ME? Hypothyroidism?

Are you taking iron supplements for the anaemia?

I have this permanently- cause is abnormal sleeping. I have a parasomnia diagnosed by a sleep study at Papworth. I basically cannot get a good nights sleep due to abnormal sleep cycles
It sort of helps to know why even though no cure.
I’d definitely get bloods done and ask for referral to sleep study.

I used to feel like this most mornings, almost hungover feeling - having not had a drink at all.

When I gave up carbs it stopped. I really believe having a carb-heavy meal late evening was giving me la sugar hangover.

My 42 year old sister (otherwise in good health) used to feel the same, until getting B12 injections at the GP's.
Good luck - hope you get it sorted

@picklemewalnuts

Dehydration?

Bad pillow?

Poor sleep- could you have sleep apnoea? I have fibromyalgia and wake up feeling like I haven't slept.

I have fibromyalgia too amongst other things. Non restorative sleep is a symptom.

Could be loads of things. I feel bad if I sleep for too long. 7 hours is right for me - more than that and I feel like crap and struggle to open my eyes in the morning.

@StormTreader I am exactly the same, down to the couple of days where it was fine and I couldn't work out why.

@SquishyBones it also takes me hours to get going in the morning and getting anywhere before 11am is a fucking marathon effort even if I've had an early night in preparation.

Since going self-employed and then more so since lockdown, I've been living as much as I can on my natural night owl rhythm (though sleep now assisted by promethazine because my allergies are hideous). So sleep at 2-3am, wake at 10-11am. And... It helps a bit. I'm still not energetic or refreshed after sleep, but I feel better about my days and what I get done in them because I allow myself to be awake and do things when I feel awake, like now 😂

I wish I knew the answer, vitamin D helped my moods but not my energy and endless blood tests have said I'm fine, apparently.

And I've felt like this since mid teens, at all sizes and levels of fitness. I used to dance competitively, so fairly fit and toned then, twenty years later I'm much rounder and much less fit, but how I feel in the morning hasn't changed at all :(

That's not very helpful, sorry, but I feel less alone because of this thread 💙

(Haven't RTFT)

Well they’re all my symptoms when I have low ferritin levels, so maybe up your iron intake again?

Too much sleep?

I felt like this when I had anaemia - which occurred after my 2 miscarriages, and after methotrexate treatment (wrongly suspected ectopic). Also when I was pregnant, and now that I have thyroid issues.
Anyway get some good iron tablets.

When i felt like this i was diagnosed with IIH not long after.

I feel like this too.

I have kidney disease

Thyroid disease

And two autoimmune diseases

I felt like this when I had low cortisol - exactly how you described. It was diagnosed by blood tests (I was trying to wean off steroids and my adrenal glands were not working properly). I still struggle with it now when under stress.

Probably not the same but you have my sympathy as the symptoms are awful - hope you get some answers.

@WantToLiveByTheSea I have started a kidney support thread in general health if you are interested....sorry to Hijack OP, hope you feel better!

Iron deficiency can cause all the complaints listed.

I was going to suggest anaemia before I even read the last line of your post. I felt the same every morning and it was the anaemia. Why are you anaemic? You need to get the cause of the anaemia sorted, heavy periods?

I have felt varying degrees of rough when I wake up in the morning for years.

In my case I am wondering if it’s related to wheat/gluten as I definitely eat too much bread and feel ‘lighter’ when I don’t. Plus a few other digestive symptoms, I don’t think it agrees with me. Interesting a few posters have mentioned it too.

How long have you felt like this?
Get your vitamins up - a good probiotic, D B etc and track your moods and cycle then go to GP. If we do everything to help ourselves with diet and supplements etc and nothing changes the GPs are there to help. Good luck.

@SandysMam

Thank you