Sick of feeling ill but GP isn't being helpful

[QuestionableMouse]

I'm going through a phase of consently being/feeling ill. Right now I have cold type symptoms - mildly sore throat, stuff nose, wiped out.

I'm having the same every few weeks though and it's really starting to worry me (and have an impact on my life!) Just feel shit a lot of the time!

Had bloods done in April and everything was fine. GP suggested it's anxiety but I have real physical symptoms!

Honestly not sure what to do next - and I'm scared stiff that it's something serious that's being missed!

Yep. I can get really unwell with it, fluey almost. Happens to me every year. What fun!

Pollen appears to be off the charts this year so potential of that.
I know it's summer but had you your vitamin D checked? I

Check your place for black mold, it can be quite sneaky. Anywhere that has been or could have been damp is a risk area.

Have you had a dental check up recently? I had a very small dental infection for a long while which made me feel generally unwell.

Also do you dust regularly. Could it be an allergy to dust mites.

I'm actually waiting to have impacted wisdom teeth removed so that probably isn't helping! No black mould, damp dust regularly, vit D is normally low so i use a spray daily.

Think if i still feel ill tomorrow I'll get an appointment with the nurse. It's having a massive impact on my life, i feel like I'm constantly unwell and unable to do normal sruff!

From the GP's point of view, it isn't necessarily the case that they don't have sympathy for the fact that you are feeling rough. At the same time, it can be frustrating for GPs when they repeatedly see the same patient with ongoing issues with relatively minor symptoms and there's nothing they can find that can be medically done to assist them. They know there are other patients waiting for appointments - or just plain unable to get them!

Most GPs are overworked and unable to provide the service they would wish to, as they're just spread too thin. It would be great if we (as a country) had enough GPs to offer longer appointments, more home visits, and a generally more patient-centred, flexible and sympathetic experience of primary care. But this would take a long period (i.e., several decades) of increased funding, medical education and recruitment to achieve. I can't see it happening in the UK in my lifetime (and I'm still over a quarter of a century from retiring). 😥

What exactly have you stopped doing? You say you can't do normal stuff, but what have you stopped doing and why?

1. Might just be a grotty virus making you poorly on a low level. Try and keep your immune system topped up.

1. You seem to think that anxiety can't give you physical symptoms. It very much can.

Could there be anything going on in your house? Any damp? Any dry mould anywhere you can’t see it?

I had some years ago constant coughs and colds. We discovered a hidden leak causing some damp we couldn’t see. When it was fixed i was back to normal levels of maybe 1 bug every few years rather than every few weeks.

Could be one bad virus causing multiple flare ups

This happened to me but it was recurring chest infections. The doctor wouldn’t prescribe me steroids or anything when I needed them and I’ve ended up with quite severe asthma

Could be allergens food and pollens/moulds.

What do you feel that a nurse appointment tomorrow would achieve?

Sorry to hear you're feeling so rotten. In other countries such as Canada, repeated colds and tummy bugs are investigated as a potential sign of immune deficiency or autoimmune disease. Perhaps ask your GP to run an immune panel looking at CD4/CD8 ratio, NK cells etc.

I go to bed feeling okay and wake up feeling ill. Changed my pillows, new mattress, changed the washing powder I use.

That's a big clue. In the first instance I would sleep in a different room or friends house and see if it changes symptoms. Dust/pollen can settle overnight/evenings and make you feel ill as can upholstery fumes. Use a damp cloth to wipe all surfaces and hoover every day. Shut the windows and door. Clean the curtains etc etc and take that antihistamine!

There are many. Loratine, cetirizine, chlorphenamine maleate, fexofenadine etc. Just because one doesn't work does not mean none will. And yes, allergies can sometmes make you feel like you have the flu.

Do you have feather pillows? I'm very allergic to feathers.

Have you tried an electric air filter ?

No feather anything!

I genuinely don't think it's allergies - I was exactly the same in my last house and on holiday 🙁

Keep a diary of when your symptoms occur. Include a food diary, plus a sleep diary. I would also monitor your stress and anxiety.

I do get this when I just randomly wake up feeling fluey. I think it's related to my period, could it be hormonal?

There are also some nights when for whatever reason I just sleep oddly, and will wake up again feeling fluey with a temp. I'm not sure if it's something to do with my cycle making me more anxious or what, but it definitely happened at the same time each month

I don't think the GP can really do much with vagueness of symptoms. Definitely try a regular antihistamine to see if that helps. Once you have more information you can go back to the GP.

It's interesting that you mention periods too - i have mine right now and it's like my body has gone haywire! 🙁

I'm just going by you saying it's worse in the morning. So it's something in your room(s). If you've changed so everything is different from this/previous house then I would, at the very least, try getting the dust/pollen down with various routes (damp dusting, daily hoovering, air purifier, etc). I would also try an antihistamine. It's the easiest box to tick off but you seem very reluctant to do this.

Otherwise watch what you are eating in the evenings and see if anything triggers it more.

Dust Allergy Symptoms
The symptoms of dust allergy are very similar to those of other types of allergies, such as hay fever or animal allergies.

The most common symptoms are:

• Sneezing and runny nose: It is the most frequent symptom and is caused by irritation of the mucous membranes.
• Watery and itchy eyes: Due to conjunctiva irritation, you can also have watery and itchy eyes.
• Itchy nose, mouth or throat: It is possible to have an itchy nose, mouth or throat due to irritation in the mucous membranes.
• Coughing: A common symptom caused by the accumulation of mucus in the throat.
• Wheezing: It appears when breathing due to an inflammation of the airways.

https://www.metropolisindia.com/blog/preventive-healthcare/dust-allergy-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/

I just wonder about silent reflux which is going very high up? That affects people more lying down. Worth trying Gaviscon Advance last thing at night for a month and see if it changes anything?

Also makes me wonder about your sleep? Has your dentist ever mentioned teeth grinding? If you're anxious that could be affecting your sleep in some way.

All of you saying "It's just anxiety!!!" can do one. I'm bloody glad I asked for my bloods to be done because I'm badly anemic with low b12 again!

After a chat with a lovely new GP this morning, I'm also getting a celiac screen.

Probably also explains why the antihistamines weren't helping either!

Yes I feel for you OP. If the GP doesn't know what's causing something, there go to phrase is :
"It's most likely anxiety!" It's very annoying. Why can't they be honest and say "I don't know what is causing it." It sounds like you may have, Chronic fatigue syndrome / ME or Long Covid? People saying it's minor. It is not minor to feel ill every day! Try not to push yourself too much. Rest when you're tired. Hope things improve for you soon

I do have Long Covid. Just recently started feeling really bad (much more than usual) and I'm not surprised with a ferritin of 6!!!