To ask you what is wrong with me?

[WhimsicalPig]

I feel awful all the time. Physically, mentally. I’ve had a huge range of bloods done twice and GPS say they can’t find anything so that’s the end of it all. But I feel exhausted all the time, I get headrushes a lot. My brain is constantly foggy. And when I say exhausted, I don’t mean really tired, I mean I get dizzy with exhaustion. I could lay down in the cold and rain in The road and sleep. It’s dangerous for me to drive a car. Doctors have put me on sertraline but this has neither changed the situation nor has it made it worse. I am mum to a two year old but have two days a week away from them whilst I work in a job I do enjoy, or would if my brain wasn’t so fogged up I could think properly

Its affecting my physically and mental health. I can’t run more than a few metres without being knackered and out of breath. My skin has become really full, grey and wrinkly. My hair has gone dry. I want to eat junk food all the time, but I actually have a good diet with lots of veg and whole grains. Don’t eat much meat but some chicken, have other protein though. I take a multivitamin, omega fats and a probiotic. I also have powdered things like collagen and turmeric which I have in smoothies a few times a week. I eat lots and lots of nuts and seeds. But my face is so hideous, I had my hair cut today and I couldn’t even look in the mirror I hate it so much. I look about ten years older than I am. My teeth are hurting and going yellow, but my dentist said they were healthy last time I saw him but they look terrible.

I have been feeling awful for months on end. It’s just constant and the GPS no longer care. They’ve got me some mental health meds and on the waiting list for counselling and see you later, but that doesn’t change the physical issues I’m having and the medication hasn’t changed the physical issues. I can’t sleep even though I’m beyond shattered, like this is a tiredness like nothing else. I’m not overweight, I’m 8.5 stones at 5’5”. I can’t afford to go private, nor can I afford to get my teeth whitened or have Botox before anyone says anything. And I have got a good skincare routine going with spf and retinol etc. I feel like something is really wrong but because it isn’t showing up in blood tests doctors don’t care. I worry with the breath loss, headrushes etc it’s my heart but no other symptoms. I just don’t know where to turn, I feel alone. My body is clearly screaming at me something is up but I don’t know what it is. I’m scared.

Docs told me my iron was "normal" but when I actually looked at the ferritin levels they were about 50 which for many women is simply not enough. I had an iron infusion because tablets irritate the stomach and are not as effective. It made a huge difference. I also went back on the pill which is acting like HRT because peri won't show up in bloods usually.

Under-active Thyroid would be my guess,

the range for normal is pathetically led with regards to gps. Say in layman’s terms the range of normal is between 3-8 someone could be Al happy and thriving at 3, and someone else could be on their knees struggling like you are. But because it’s “in range” then they don’t care.

id ask for further thyroid checks.

peri could be part of it, could be a few things together.

Also, sert could also be having an impact. I don’t think this is one issue.

get a new gp this one isn’t doing you any justice.

Nope, not that I noticed?

I didn’t get Covid till after my first vaccine. I had three vaccines and no more. Don’t think I’ve had Covid since that first time?

The NHS is rubbish in relation to b12. You can have dire results but the nhs will tell you you’re totally fine. Ask for your results and post them here.

Loss periods 3 years = hormones. If it is not thyroid or premature menopause/menopause then PCOS needs looked at insulin resistance. Pick a GP with DFRSH or DRCOG after their name in your surgery. Good luck and don’t give up

Could still be low iron. The range for "normal" is vast and many people experience many symptoms in the lower half of the "normal" range. Unfortunately a lot of doctors don't know/ aren't interested so often only tell you if you're actually anaemic. I only found out about this when I developed a bald patch (thankfully since regrown with high strength iron tablets) but I now realise I had so many symptoms due to low iron.

Look at bloods results. You want to know your ferritin level and if it's anything lower than 30, severe symptoms are possible. I think optimum might be 150? I know I still get a few symptoms up to about 70. But I felt like absolute death at 20 or under. However anything over 13 will return a test result of "normal". It's a medical scandal and leads to many people taking meds for a huge array of preventable symptoms: Hair loss, bad teeth, exhaustion, palpitations, migraines, depression, and more.

Disclaimer - I'm obvs not a medic! Whilst high strength iron is cheap over the counter, you need to have regular ish testing to check levels. Don't test after illness as that skews results. It is really important to find a doctor who understands low iron so you can find the cause ( eg can't absorb or vegan diet or heavy periods,). In my experience it is female docs who specialise in reproductive or menopause that have been best.

I have the same symptoms. I’m post menopause and on HRT. I eat healthily and take supplements, which help to an extent, but the fatigue and dizziness are disabling at times.

Have you been tested for coeliacs disease?

Honestly OP, this sounds like classic Long Covid. Right down to the problems with teeth, bloods coming back fine, insomnia and the crushing awful fatigue and low mood.

Your probably have chronic exhaustion. I had it bringing up my daughter and working etc. Your body needs rest and nutrition. Look up adrenal fatigue.

Compare when you were healthy to now. What's different? Likely to be lack of deep quality sleep and not eating enough, your doing two jobs with parenting and work. Are you switching off and relaxing? How's your breathing? Needs to come from the tummy but when stressed you only breath short.

If you can't run, your body is telling you not to run at the moment. Listen to it. Do some short walking and track your progress. I know it's hard. It's a long road to getting better. Eat broccoli, walnuts, loads of good veg. But everything revolves around sleep and this is critical. Are you dreaming? If not a good indicator your not sleeping properly. It's hard to not do what you are used to doing, but if you don't slow down it will take longer. It took me about four years to get better.

Paul McKenna has a good book called control stress with a cd I used at night. Also mark Williams title something like coping in a frantic world.

Agreed - your symptoms are exactly like a family member of mine who was eventually diagnosed with coeliac disease.

didn't show up in the blood test at all either, it was diagnosed by colonoscopy.

they look 10 years younger than they did pre diagnosis now they are following a gluten free diet. It's scary how ill coeliac disease can make some people when it's something that is entirely treatable through diet once it is diagnosed. Its estimate that 1 in every 100 people have coeliac disease.

@Aquamarine1029 if bloods aren't used to diagnose oerimenopause what is please?

• Do not routinely use blood tests such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements to diagnose perimenopause or menopause in otherwise healthy women (who are not using hormonal contraception) aged over 45 years, with typical menopausal symptoms. Diagnose the following without laboratory testing:
• Perimenopause — if the woman has vasomotor symptoms and irregular periods.
• Menopause — if the woman has not had a period for at least 12 months (and is not using hormonal contraception).
• Menopause — based on symptoms in a woman without a uterus.

From NICE

@WhimsicalPig Op you sound like me. I think it’s the peri menopause with me but haven’t had it checked out so can’t be sure. I’m 40.

Addison's disease

Addison's disease
Are your guns turning grey
Salt craving
Extreme fatigue
High heart rate
Low blood pressure
Loss of appetite
Skin turning brown on knuckles & elbows,knees.

Check hormones for sure, I've had no period for 9 years FSH levels normal but now oestrogen is rock bottom & prolactin is through the roof both cause tiredness.

Ask gp for referral to endocrinologist or sleep clinic or somewhere, make sure someone listens

Definitely sounds like you need to be tested for coeliac disease. Don't cut out gluten from your diet until tested.

Low testosterone?

Low cortisol?

Maybe an allergy. I knew someone who was allergic to mould. It was invisible in prepacked salads etc and had the same symptoms. Picked up through allergy testing. Couldn't drink beer, blue cheese etc

myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
There's no tests unfortunately so it's basically just a process of elimination, you need keep on at your GP, otherwise you'll get no where. It took 7 years before I was finally referred to a ME clinic and given a diagnosis. Good luck

Several things come to mind to me:

• iron deficiency (when I had this I was so tired I couldn't walk more than a few steps and I had heart palpitations, so the symptoms can be extreme)

• chronic sleep deprivation, caused by anxiety. (I've had anxiety before that made me constantly dizzy and have vertigo. I thought I'd mention that because the symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks can be very physical. It took me so, so long to realise it wasn't a physical condition causing it, and I'm still baffled how anxiety can present so physically with no other symptoms. CBT cured this for me.

Chronic fatigue also fits the bill - however the two reasons above are treatable, and chronic fatigue isn't, so it might be worth pursuing potential causes that are treatable first in case you can cure it that way.

I have RTFT and would swear blind this is menopause. Read Louise Newson’s book on peri menopause. Other links here- https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/

NHS refuses to recognise menopause until you’re 45 and something shows up in bloods. Anyone under that is given anti-depressants and told they’re otherwise fine. I fought for HRT and guess what? It worked. So frustrating.