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.

Definitely get your b12 checked. You may have pernicious anaemia and are unable to absorb it. I have 3 monthly jabs. I felt like you before it was picked up. Good luck

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

I only had the same thing and I felt exactly the same as you. I actually thought I must have cancer or something equally serious. Dr gave me prescription dose Iron tablets (The ones you get at the chemist will not make enough difference, you need high does ones). It took about six weeks for me to feel better, but I felt like a new person! Go and speak to your Dr and get iron tablets.

*dose

Perimenopause??

I was a little older than yih but my main symptom was exhaustion. Can also cause joint stiffness.

Also you need to find out why you’re iron is low. Mine was heavy periods. I got Transexamic acid and they made a huge difference. They are brilliant.

Sounds like you are hypothyroid, OP. Have you got your thyroid lab figures on hand? If you post them it might be clear that something is up (although they may only have tested your TSH, even so would be good to see it). If you don't have your results you can ask for them, you're legally entitled to get a printout.

If you are hypo, or heading that way, then your ferritin may also be low, along with Vit D, B12 and folate. All that can make you feel absolutely ghastly, trust me, I know, I've been there.

Hi OP,

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea last year and it has made a tremendous difference. I could still tell something wasn't 100% right and after following a thread on here found this link

www.vitamindtest.org.uk/

for private blood testing. My results showed I was inadequate and the GP accepted the test and put me on a loading dose immediately. I felt extraordinarily better.

The test cost £30 and the results come by email and the results are accepted by GPs as it is an NHS hospital.

Keep looking for solutions - they are out there. All the best x

Is your anaemia being treated?

Have you had blood tests op? I presume so if your dr is saying nothing wrong.

My friend has fibromyalgia and what you describe is often how she feels. I believe no test flags it up. It is a complex condition.

Thyroid?....I was exhausted, and my 80 yr old stepmum has more energy!
Went for blood test and thyroid level was very low...Need thyroxine daily for life now.

Has thyroid function been tested?

Maybe ME or thyroid?

.

Please, please, please get a second opinion - you sound exactly like I did in 2012 and it almost killed me!
I too had ferritin deficiency anaemia and I also had a doctor who kept smiling politely at each appointment and telling me not to worry - I then went for a routine blood test and the nurse struggled to get blood from and when she finally managed it, she asked if she could take an extra sample for my platelet count - by that evening I was in a hospital bed on a life saving full blood transfusion and would have been dead within a week.
I have since been diagnosed with a very rare blood and bone marrow cancer called Polycythemia Vera but if it had been left to the original doctor, I would never have even had the initial blood test.
Wishing you the best of luck as I know how listless and exhausted you feel and know you're not exaggerating - are you struggling to breathe?
Anaemia on its own can be very serious if left unchecked - good luck x

Is your anemia being treated?
I've had it a couple of times, several years apart, & found it totally debilitating until my iron levels were bought back to normal.

Friend was similar, she was finally found to have lupus.

DM was down to crawling to the bathroom when coeliac disease was diagnosed in her 50's.

Lyme disease is hard to diagnose
www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/

Sleep apnoea can make you feel like this as you don’t enter deep sleep for long enough. You can ask to be assessed for this by wearing a monitor overnight which assess your levels of sleep. No blood test will show this and you’re only know you have it if you’re partner witnesses it. My husband has it and now wears a cpap machine at night. He used to hold his breath in his sleep, he also snored but the breath holding was more noticeable in him. It’s worth looking into especially as you have probably had blood tests to screen for most ailments that cause chronic fatigue

So I'm assuming you've had your thyroid and vitamin levels checked.
Ask for a sleep study because how you feel is exactly how I felt, turned out that I had obstructive sleep apnoea.

Much better now

Haven't RTFT so apologies if someone's already said this, but I would suggest you might find this website helpful. They will give you a lot of help to know what to say to your GP to get the right tests and they will even interpret blood tests for you. They are great. Not saying it's your thyroid, as it might not be, but it certainly would be worth investigating. www.tpauk.com/main/

I had every single one of those symptoms on a regular basis for years.

I was finally diagnosed with nocturnal seizures and I've been taking medication ever since - transformed my life. Still have them very very occassionally but it was only when I stopped having them that I realised how ill I'd been.

Of course this may not be what you have OP but its worth considering.

Get a full blood work done. Then get a print out of your results, there are lots of helpful people and websites around to help you. But you do have to keep going back. (Be a squeaky wheel.)
What tests have they done?
You should also probably get a full gynaecological examination including ultrasound of ovaries.
Then a gastro investigation (I also had a CT scan last time).

And when that came up clear for me last time my notes were sent to a haematologist, and I'm now on quarterly blood tests.

So far I have low thyroid, and seem to have a vitamin B12 issue. And right now I'm concerned as it was this time last year my health deteriorated quickly, although at present I feel okayish.

Low ferritin will make you feel like that.

I had this. After 2 years of to and fro with the GP I finally landed with a student doctor who actually followed the protocols for my symptoms and blood results, rather than dismissing me as a hysterical woman

She referred me for a scan due to heavy periods, which found a large fibroid which I subsequently had removed. This combined with mirena and a course of supplements for low folate has changed my life. I fee normal again

Just throwing cortisol deficiency out there as something to rule out

My dd has ME; have a look at that. It's hard to diagnose, and it has different 'faces' according to who knows what. Some people have more pain, some have more exhaustion etc. My dd sounds like you; there are also certain smells and flavours she can't tolerate j- she'll be sick, it's not just a dislike - her joints are always popping too.