To think SOMETHING must be wrong with me?

[BastardBiscuits]

I’m 39. Utterly exhausted 24/7. When I wake up in a morning I’m not just groggy, I literally can’t function. I feel nauseous, utterly exhausted, headache, body aches, stiff everywhere, I can barely walk properly as I feel like I could just collapse onto the floor.

I only work part time. No kids at home. No illnesses that I know of other than ferritin deficiency anaemia.

My last shift at work is tomorrow. I’ve had to resign as I literally cannot function properly.

Dr says nothing is wrong with me. I’m 39. I look on Facebook and see pics of people out for lunch or at the gym etc and it makes me feel depressed. I barely have the energy to go to toilet. My 87 year old grandma has more energy than me.

Certainly sounds like something is wrong.

I’m 38 and knackered but I’m pregnant and have a toddler so that’s my excuse!

Can you see another doctor?

3 different doctors have said the same thing 😩 I’ve been like this for around a year now but it’s gradually getting worse. I used to work full time, then 5 half days a week, then 4 half days, then 3 ... now I’ve had to admit I can’t even do that.

OP it clearly sounds like something is wrong, can you see another GP? How long have you felt like this? Have you had any investigations done? When was your last blood test? Are you on medication that affects your energy levels? How many times have you been to your GP? There is not enough info in your post.

Yes this sounds all wrong. I second asking to see another doctor. They should at the least be doing blood tests and trying to work out what is going on. Don’t give up until you get somewhere. You have resigned from your job because of this, it shows how bad things have got for you.

Have you had your thyroid tested?

What have they tested for?

Thyroid
B12 deficiency
Fibromyalgia

I’d ask to be tested for the above 3 OP.

Have you ruled out obvious causes (aneamia, sleep apnea, allergies)? Have you tried mindfulness, yoga, exercise? This sounds very difficult OP I hope you find answers.

Why isn't ferritin deficiency anaemia enough to explain all the symptoms?

How are they treating the ferritin deficiency? Isn't that the cause of most of your symptoms? I know when my ferritin levels are low, I feel terrible.

Push for further tests. It's not normal

ME?

Do you snore op?

I assumed that's being managed. 3 doctors couldn't have missed something like that, could they👀

How long has it been going on? Have you got a carbon monoxide detector?

What tests have you had? How’s your anaemia being treated?

My ferritin is extremely low and I can’t absorb anything to increase it, they eventually said when I hit the menopause it might improve but we’d tried all the options and no luck. I’m also B12 deficient and don’t absorb that but feel better with regular injections. The “healthy” or “normal” levels of B12 in the U.K. are wildly different to those in other countries, it took me years to get diagnosed and kept assuming it was my rubbish ferritin. I ended up seeing a different doctor by chance who immediately put me on a loafing dose of B12 and said I’d be on them for life and now you wouldn’t even know my ferritin sucked because the B12 has made such a difference - literally life changing.

Get copies of your test results and do some research of your own if you feel you’re being fobbed off.

Other than anaemia? All of what you describe are symptoms of anaemia.

Have you tried liquid iron - Floradix is good at getting quickly into the bloodstream without the unpleasant side effects that tablets can cause.

Also, if being tired means you don't leave the house much, you could have Vit D deficiency which also presents the same symptoms. Try the spray version DLux as the body absorbs it better than tablets.
If a week on both of these doesn't show any improvement, you need to pester the GP for further tests.

Also agree about Vit B boosters as @AnneLovesGilbert suggests.

What are your vitamin D levels like?

Are you especially flexible OP? A connective tissue disorder could be a consideration if you are having a lot of body pains and nausea.

I feel similar to you a lot of the time and I have ME/CFS. Unfortunately it's not easy to diagnose and very little treatment. But may be worth looking into. Hope you get some answers.

One of my friends have something like a chronic fatigue thing where when it hits she can't literally function. She has to lie down and feels like shes done hours of hack breaking work.. it seems like an invisible illness. Its hard to watch her because when shes active shes just like everywhere doing lots of things

Maybe you have that?

Have you found the cause of your anaemia? What treatment are you having? I would push for a biopsy to rule out coeliac disease.

Maybe thyroid? I said for years mine was causing issues but the levels were "ok"
I've been diagnosed with hashimotos recently

What’s your ferritin level? And can it be explained by periods or is the cause unknown?