Am I just getting old or is something wrong with me?

[Waitinginmycar]

Is this just the aging process, is this how it happens?
I am in my mid forties and have always enjoyed good health and have been in reasonable/good shape but I realise my health has really deteriorated over the past few years.

Over the past years this has happened:

• teeth have gone bad, I floss every day and obv brush twice with fluoride toothpaste but I suddenly have so many cavities! Two of my teeth chipped out of nowhere, pieces fell out!
• I have really bad dizzy spells out of nowhere, just whilst sitting down or doing nothing. I sometimes wonder if this could get worse, at the moment it only lasts around ten seconds but what if it gets even worse for example while I am driving? I fainted once about two years ago but never since.
• constantly wiped out. Walking up the stairs has me embarrassingly winded

• BMI lower end of normal
• Private GP thought my iron was very low and said iron stores were totally depleted, I never got around to getting the treatment as the iron infusion was £900. Checked again with NHS gp after 18 months and they said it was low but normal
• Hormones normal, not near menopause yet.

I saw the NHS gp one year ago and they said this is just the ageing process, this how it feels to get older. Is it? Is it feeling dead tired all the time and seeing your body gradually deteriorate? Feeling slightly panicked!

Yes I stopped being vegetarian recently for similar reasons. I was sick of feeling ill all the time and thought I needed to give myself a break. I had a good vegetarian diet, my partner is also vegetarian. Now I supplement with some good quality locally reared organic meat from our village farm shop a couple of times a week (our reasons are climate/welfare related). My dogs are very happy with the change! I'm hoping this helps with my dizzy spells as they're so debilitating.

@LizzieSiddal

You need to go back to your private GP, tell them you don’t want the iron infusion but do want them to prescribe iron tablets. The ones you can buy over the counter are not good enough!! You need them to be prescribed as they are much stronger. (Take with a glass of orange juice so all the iron is absorbed and you’ll have no “tummy” issues.) You’ll feel better within a couple of weeks.

When I had low iron my store was 12 and I was given iron tablets by my GP, within weeks my appetite was back and my energy levels were up. Good luck!

You can just ask for the exact same tablets over the counter at any pharmacy and it's the exact same product and strength. Just about £7 cheaper than buying on prescription. You literally just go to any pharmacy and say please can I buy (in my case) Ferrous Gluconate otc. They have never asked me for a script, just asked have I been prescribed them, which I have. They understand most people don't want to pay £9 for the exact same product as you can buy otc. It only makes sense to buy on prescription if you've got lots of other medication on your script too. Otherwise you are just getting ripped off AND it's costing the NHS.

Gullible if you’d read the full thread you would see I have explained why I wrote that.

@LizzieSiddal

Gullible if you’d read the full thread you would see I have explained why I wrote that.

I have read the whole thread .

I've commented on it regularly since last night. You asked for a link this morning but you don't need a link, you can just ask over the counter and it's the same product,

@LizzieSiddal

The ferrous Fumarate I buy over the counter is exactly the same as what I was prescribed.

Can you link please, I didn’t realise you could buy it so strong, over the counter.

No I can’t ‘link’. If you’re choosing not to believe me, I don’t care.

So this is interesting. What’s the difference between Iron Gluconate (which you can buy “high strength” over the counter and is 14mgs per tablet and Iron Fumerate which you can get from your Dr and is 235mgs per tablet? I can’t see anywhere on line where you can buy that strength OTC.

No I can’t ‘link’.
If you’re choosing not to believe me, I don’t care.
I was asking you to link as I was interested in buying them.

The Nhs boundaries can be much higher as its about saving money! Get your iron sorted for a start

@LizzieSiddal

*No I can’t ‘link’. If you’re choosing not to believe me, I don’t care.* I was asking you to link as I was interested in buying them.

So go in the chemist and ask, just like I did. I initially had them prescribed, but they wouldn’t prescribe me a second lot or retest my blood, so I went in the chemist and asked.

I don't think that's normal. I'm 66 and don't feel like that. I think you need to go back to the GP.

So go in the chemist and ask, just like I did.
I initially had them prescribed, but they wouldn’t prescribe me a second lot or retest my blood, so I went in the chemist and asked.

I just said that I’d been to the chemist and they sent me to the dr as the iron you can buy OTC is not as strong as you can get by prescription. I’ll leave all you “experts” to it!

Good luck OP. If I were you I would go back to your private GP and get medical advice.

I can't tolerate Ferrous Sulphate or Ferrous Fumarate which I was first prescribed. I am tolerating Ferrous Gluconate well. It's 300mg and I'm on 6 a day. I've bought it OTC in Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons, all at that strength, no problem.

Here's the ones I take.

I don't know why you are being so rude. They are the exact same strength.

I take the otc iron, the exact ones my gp prescribed me ! But at a third of the cost. I now buy them in bulk off amazon (even cheaper😋)

Increase your iron and calcium. Start today. My mum experienced what you described and it was down to severely low iron. She never ate well and really needed more red meat and dark green vegetables. But she survived on soup and the occasional sausage! Hope you start to feel better soon.

What are your periods like OP ?
Mine are now heavy for two days and that’s what seems to have caused my low ferritin. I’m currently waiting for a mirena coil in the hope that it reduces or stops my periods.

Have you had your thyroid checked? OH has underactive thyroid and two of the major symptoms were issues with teeth despite excellent oral hygiene and constant tiredness

Blood test is needed to sort out if you are anaemic.
This will make a huge difference to your energy and well being of course.
Making sure you are on the correct dose needed than a off the shelf low dose.
Is the dizzy from iron or low blood pressure

Nope not normal. I’d take a guess at either low iron or low blood sugar. Ask to be tested for both diabetes and iron levels. I felt like I was going to die when I had very low iron, it was like I had tunnel vision and was walking through treacle.

Thyroid is also a good shout.

@Egeegogxmv

I used to find floradix very helpful but I never actually had my iron tested so it might have been a placebo effect🤔

Floridix is magic stuff IMO.

I buy 3 for 2 in Boots and swear by it.

OP, low iron is a killer as is Vit D deficiency.

A close friend was absolutely exhausted and finding daily life a real struggle and she is now on a monthly Vitamin D capsule to help and iron.

I would start with those two.

Around this age your past health indiscretions will catch up with you.

My first thought re. teeth was any past eating disorders? I wouldn’t say that was normal but if you had years of not eating correctly then it certainly can show up in your teeth.

As pretty much everyone has pointed out, it's not the ageing process per se but more about how ageing affects your ability to get nutrients from what you're eating. Have you had kids? I've always ended up totally depleted after pregnancy, teeth crumbling, low iron, low vitamin D, low b12, and heaven knows what else.

Floradix or ferroglobin are both recommended for low Iron stores.I think you would notice a big difference TBH.I felt weak and dizzy as you describe ,and much better with iron .Both of these are fairly gentle on tums ,so constipation risk is fairly low.Lots of Orange juice with meals as above PP says will help also .Hope you feel better soon xx

[quote Waitinginmycar]@Gullible2021
That is so interesting, I need to google - I was feeling so bad about not making that iron infusion a financial priority, especially as I have a couple of friends who swear by them... they say it acts faster than taking it orally, which is what appealed to me

Apparently supplements take a good few months to take effect?[/quote]
I had an iron infusion privately a few years ago. I think it was around £700. I can’t say I walked out of there a new woman but I’m content in the knowledge that I’m now going into middle age with enough iron stored to probably get me to my grave.

i had 8 at one point, latest test was 10 which the GP said was low end of normal and not something they treat you for

I think mine was 15. Now it’s hundreds.