These are my symptoms. What is wrong?

[MirabelM]

For as long as I can remember, I have very little energy beyond going to work as a teacher, sorting out my two kids, house and husband and general day to day stuff. I'm sick of feeling soooo tired. My exhaustion is now affecting my kids and husband.

Symptoms include: fatigue, exhaustion, never waking up refreshed, irritable, very low mood, tearfulness, slow weight gain, brain feels heavy sometimes and cannot juggle thoughts or tasks.

I've had blood taken recently and awaiting results but I'm worried. I'm worried there'll be something majorly wrong but at the same time worried there'll be absolutely nothing physically wrong so I cannot fix it.

Please help. I just feel like crying.

OP - have only read your posts, so apologies if I’m repeating anything.

The three main things I would be looking at re test results is thyroid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D (needs to be D3 result). With thyroid, you need too look at TSH and T4 readings (sadly, most of NHS doesn’t test or takes no notice of T3, but that’s another thread!).

What you need are both your results and the “range” that your trust uses as a reference. Don’t let your surgery fob you off with “your results are normal”. You can often be at the very edge of a large range - which you can at least use as a measure for how things move further down the line.

Vitamin D3 is a really useful result to know. A lot of people in the UK are deficient, but it can be remedied fairly easily.

From the symptoms you describe, it really sounds like you could be borderline hypothyroid, so definitely pay attention to your results and the ranges. The NHS can be quite flippant re this (ie they won’t treat until TSH levels are way off the scale).

Do not be fobbed off or labelled as neurotic or ageing. You know your body/lifestyle. Women are fobbed off far too easily with regards to these symptoms.

Same symptoms here, it was coeliac and underactive thyroid, both autoimmune and often found together. The underactive thyroid for me is Hashimotos and they can do antibody blood tests to check that.

I also have b12 injections and take vitamin D. Levels need to be optimal and not just 'in range' to feel well.

Also bone tired and achy OP. Mine was AI issues. Post again when you know what it was because it sounds like a ton of us on this thread suffer from various AI problems, and so you'll get a lot of different takes and stuff to read etc.

Good luck, I really hope you get it sorted.

I have just woken up and I feel awful. My head is absolutely banging. I can't face a full day in the classroom but I've been off recently with my little one who had Covid

I have many of the same issues.

I have very low irons levels, depression and sleep apnea.

Do you feel better in the holidays? I teach and juggle kids and it is exhausting. It really isn't like having a desk job and two kids because you are always 'on', always the one in charge and the mental load is huge. I feel like this in term time but not in the holidays, (or final half term) when exam pressure relaxes so much. That's when I exercise because I just can't seem to find the energy at other times. Perhaps ask to be signed off by gp for a week or two (I too have wished for an accident to give me a break), I think your mind is telling you something.

Go to a GP
Ring 111
Walk into a walk in centre
FFS get a diagnosis from a qualified professionnal rather than asking random strangers for health advice

But of course also get tests done for vit b 12, thyroid etc. It just replicates some of what I feel in term time.

These vitamins have changed my life in terms of memory.

I had exactly these symptoms with anemia. Plus breathlessness, pure horrible grinding exhaustion. I was eating crap to try and get energy and getting fatter, which didn't help!

Mine was heavy periods, ended up having a blood transfusion at one point and eventually and hysterectomy, the problem has gone now.

During my worst period I found iron tablets hard to tolerate, took a while to get that right. I took 2 X spatone sachets with berocca first thing every morning, after about a month that had raised my levels quite a bit. And do try a vit d spray every day as there's been no bloody sun for months, feels like. Honestly, I think I'd take a week off and try and rest and recover yourself a bit, you sound really low, I do hope you get answers and feel better soon. Sadly agree being pushy that you need answers/ help with your doctor is going to be necessary.

You don't necessarily have to snore to have sleep apnea. To diagnose it usually your sleep and breathing are monitored.

From what you're describing, I think your ferritin (iron stores) will almost certainly be low, the result may come back within normal range, but needs to be at least 80 for optimum hair growth. Thyroid disorder and low iron can also be linked. Hope you get some answers on Sat!

@wtaf37 if you care to read my post properly, you would see that I have indeed seen a GP a few times and have now elected to see a private GP. I am awaiting blood test results. Why bother clicking on the post if it annoys you that much. I've seen your other post obviously aimed at me about why people ask the internet for answers about their health. Fortunately MN have sensibly replied to you and have supported my initial reasons.

The knowledge provided to me by people's replies have made me get a list of questions together for the GP so I can better use of our appointment time. This can only be of benefit for everyone. At no point have I thought, oh that person reckons it's the menopause, I best get some her or so and so says it's vitamin d let's book a holiday.

[quote MirabelM]@wtaf37 if you care to read my post properly, you would see that I have indeed seen a GP a few times and have now elected to see a private GP. I am awaiting blood test results. Why bother clicking on the post if it annoys you that much. I've seen your other post obviously aimed at me about why people ask the internet for answers about their health. Fortunately MN have sensibly replied to you and have supported my initial reasons.

The knowledge provided to me by people's replies have made me get a list of questions together for the GP so I can better use of our appointment time. This can only be of benefit for everyone. At no point have I thought, oh that person reckons it's the menopause, I best get some her or so and so says it's vitamin d let's book a holiday.[/quote]
Actually, you didn't mention that you had sen a GP - your post read:

For as long as I can remember, I have very little energy beyond going to work as a teacher, sorting out my two kids, house and husband and general day to day stuff. I'm sick of feeling soooo tired. My exhaustion is now affecting my kids and husband.

Symptoms include: fatigue, exhaustion, never waking up refreshed, irritable, very low mood, tearfulness, slow weight gain, brain feels heavy sometimes and cannot juggle thoughts or tasks.

I've had blood taken recently and awaiting results but I'm worried. I'm worried there'll be something majorly wrong but at the same time worried there'll be absolutely nothing physically wrong so I cannot fix it.

Please help. I just feel like crying.

You only said you had bloods taken.

And yes, I started the other thread about getting medical advice off MN. Because it is a dangerous game. We know that many anti-vaccination bods are reading all sorts of rubbish on Google and various other forums, consequently taking decisions that are dangerous to both themselves and others.

If you have approached your GP and have undergone tests, would it not be more sensible to wait for the results and discuss these with your GP rather than sending out a set of symptoms for others to diagnose. It's difficult to make a diagnosis with pt in front of you, let alone via a forum/paper list

I was not having a pop at you personally, just curious as to why people are willing to play roulette with their health

I felt like this and my hair was also falling out in big clumps 14 months after DS was born which isn’t considered the norm. I had lots of blood tests and it turned out to be vitamin D deficiency so I take a supplement daily now and I feel much better.

It’s most likely vitamin deficiency or could be thyroid issue.

Not at all playing roulette with my health. Quite the opposite. looking after it.

With regards to not seeing a GP, I'd have thought that would be obvious given that blood tests have been done and therefore requested by a GP. If you're not having a pop, then you do a great job at pretending to have a pop.

I find that if a thread is too long read right through, then clicking to see all of the OP's posts prevents me from missing what they're actually saying.

Sounds like an underactive thyroid. Good luck & hope you get the answers you need.

@ScribblingPixie thanks. I often don't have time to scroll through everything so I just don't make assumptions. I'm glad that 99% of posters have been very helpful.

@MirabelM

Will definitely look at app. Thanks.

I mentioned menopause to GP last year and he was dismissive and said I was too young

I had that last year when I was 39. It's bollocks. I've definitely been peri menopausal for at least two years. Doctors know very little about menopause and peri menopause x

@Lifeismeh

I haven’t read through the full thread but I’ve literally just been to the drs with the exact same symptoms you’ve put in your OP. My blood work is all normal because I thought I was having a hormonal issue.

She said I was stressed and needed therapy 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 i basically have too much stress in my life and need to manage it better.
I don’t feel any further to be honest.
Hope you get some answers.

A normal blood result doesn't mean it's not hormones. Hormones fluctuate x

This is very hard for you but you also work very hard.Great getting the bloods done .Whilst waiting I would look at your diet,try and eat lots of veg,fruit etc and drink lots of water.Take out the white refined carbs.I would take a good ie expensive multivitamin from a proper Wholefoods shop including vit D3 high dose.This can only do you good and make you feel as if you are helping yourself to better health.My thoughts are low thyroid levels and hormones.Good luck.

I have these symptoms. I'm 44 and I was recently diagnosed with Coeliac disease. I put mine down to a combination of coeliac and the antidepressants. When I went gluten free and came off antidepressants the tiredness went. Now I'm back on them, I'm exhausted again.

www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/menopause-symptom-sheet/

OP it might be helpful to read through thr above questionnaire. Dr Louise Newson recommends filling it in and taking with you to your GP appointment.

Hope helpful.

@MirabelM I think your post is completely reasonable and shows you care about your health and are keen to learn from others. Whether some people like it or not, GPs are not always knowledgeable of the in depth nature of all ailments and the reality is someone may have 10 minutes with their doctor to hone in on issues. This is particularly difficult with vague symptoms that could be a caused by a multitude of different things. Hopefully hearing from wider experience can be helpful to look at the different avenues to pursue and consider with a doctor. I'm sure all the responses will be helpful to many others that search for similar info.