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.

I was like you when I was 14. For years I was exhausted with muscle pain and brain fog. I was diagnosed with CFS/ME. I would sleep all day if I could! I am now much better although do get tired still. There is no test just diagnosed with symptoms and time I have been feeling exhausted. Ring ME helpline for advice and take fish oil (highest dose) x

I've also struggled with anemia on and off since my teens and every symptom you've listed relates to it. I assume you've been taking iron supplements? A lot of people find them hard on the stomach and give up after a while but a haemotologist told me to take them all year round Monday, Wednesday and Friday and that will elimate constipation etc and still have quantities high enough to keep the anemia at bay - he was indeed correct!

Also consider rheumatoid factor given the stiffness and pain.

How long have you been feeling this way, and can you think of anything that changed or happened that could offer clues? Do you live anywhere that makes it possible you’ve acquired a tick bite without knowing? You certainly need blood work and no fobbing off from the GP.

What's your ferritin level? Insist on it being checked often. Mine went to 6 and I was off work.
I have similar symptoms and am considering now it might be a connective tissue disorder. I also have other symptoms like hypermobility and clicky joints (that dislocate).

Also - ditch the coffee (if you drink it) Even though I drink 2litres of water per day I still feel dehydrated/lethargic in the mornings if I've drank coffee the day before. I limit myself to one cup on the weekends (because I love the stuff) and it's very noticeable the next morning.

I'm the same - I had so many tests last year, but when I said that I was 'managing my symptoms with light exercise and better quality sleep' they turfed me out the door because It's not AS bad.

I've always suspected it's either chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.

Did you start getting symptoms after having a cold/virus ?

I had almost exactly your symptoms – turned out to be food intolerances and gut microbiome imbalances.

I went through every invasive test that top private hospitals could come up with, and in the end it was a local nutritionist that nailed it by making me drink a cup of sugary water and blow into a paper bag...

What about counselling- was your life very positive before the illness. Could your mood be contributing , could there be psychological contribution.

Haven’t you posted about the anaemia before?

Depression?

I have fibromyalgia and ME and this sounds very familiar - also definitely try to get vitamin D checked. Fatigue is awful

@BastardBiscuits

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.

It took me 5 years of exhaustion to, finally, be diagnosed with M.E and fibromyalgia.

Never waking up refreshed or feeling any benefit of a ‘good’ nights sleep. Unable to do activities without being unable to get off the sofa for the following few days. Going from running & weightlifting to being too exhausted to cook a meal...... all the while being told “well your bloods are fine, everything’s in ‘normal’ range”.

Ask to be assessed for M.E.

They do sound like symptoms of anaemia? What are your levels?

You said no children at home, do you have dcs?

It could also be depression, have you discussed that with your GP?

It could be a lot of things but you won't know until you have a full bloodwork panel done. If your doc won't do it you may have to order it privately.

I second getting your B12 checked I also can’t absorb it and I was so hazy I’d forget to put a coat on in winter when I had it

@Someone9

Also - ditch the coffee (if you drink it) Even though I drink 2litres of water per day I still feel dehydrated/lethargic in the mornings if I've drank coffee the day before. I limit myself to one cup on the weekends (because I love the stuff) and it's very noticeable the next morning.

Good advice, ditch tea and coffee if you drink it. Both can inhibit iron absorption and make anaemia worse.

I’d get back to the GP if your symptoms are worsening. And ask for a second opinion if they fob you off without testing. Full bloods, thyroid, inflammatory markers at the bare minimum.

A couple of things come to mind. One; what’s your diet like day to day? I had ME in my twenties and after copious doctors telling me nothing could be done I had huge success with a ketogenic diet. As has my DP who has a serious autoimmune condition.

My second recommendation is an iron infusion that you can finance yourself. I went to The Iron Clinic as a private patient and paid around £700 to have an infusion that raised an iron level of around 15 right up to a figure in the hundreds. That should be enough for life now.

You need a different GP and more tests as this isn't normal or acceptable. What blood tests have they run on you? Have they tested your calcium levels? My SIL had similar symptoms and was written off as being overweight and depressed - turns out she had hyper para-thyroidism.

This screams 'autoimmune' to me. Ask for a referral to a rheumatologist. I had persistent anaemia for years and years that was just dismissed by doctors as being because I was vegetarian, when I actually had a serious autoimmune condition (ulcerative colitis).

Do you have a carbon monoxide monitor at home?

As everyone else has already suggested B vitamins, diet, probiotics etc well worth looking into. The other thing if nothing else is making a difference would be getting some air quality checks. Have you had any changes/problems with your house around the time these issues started, roof leaks, new sofa or carpet, etc? It’s unlikely and left field, but worth checking.

Iron infusions will benefit someone for at most a year or two. They can’t give you enough to last a lifetime as that level of iron stored in your body would cause toxicity and kill you.

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? I have never felt so wiped out as before my underactive thyroid was treated.

Oh, you poor thing. You sound like me. I have ME and strongly suspect I have fibromyalgia although it's never been formally diagnosed. I agree with the others who are saying push the docs to look at these possibilities, ditto thyroid. I hope things get easier.

Look up symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as m.e . It's not just about being tired. It's a huge physical and neurological illness.

Be persistent finding out what's wrong with you. Ignore the , there's nothing wrong with you people and best wishes for good health.