Amongst other things;
I have been going backwards and forwards to my GP for over a year with several physical and emotional issues that have been slowly getting worse for over 2.5 years;
Extreme lethargy and dizziness
apathy
Brain fog..... I feel like im living life in treacle and cotton wool
Muscle aches and joint pain
None restoritive sleep when I do get 7/8 hrs
Regularly unable to sleep past 4/5am end up taking nytol
Anxiety on a night but okay during day
Random things like dry eyes, hair thinning and bouts of noticeable hair loss - gaps in eyebrows
skin changes.....2022 had roascea out of nowhere
Seem to have a lot downey hair on face now
Reccurent cystitis - altho many of the time urine culture comes back neagtive and I also often do not get a fever, i do suspect it may actually be Vulvodynia because;
For the last 5 cylces I have had escallating symptons of this in the 10 days before my period - started justt with itchy vagina but no other symptoms of thrush, escalating to sore (?) can only describe it as throbbing vagina and the last the throbbing was so bad it was radiating into buttocks and v painful, also realised this is actaully when the faux cystitis symptoms are hitting
Bad night sweats around time of ovulation
Doctors have so far been dismissive to rude;
I have been tested for and as far as i know all fine;
Thyroid
Kidney and liver function
Vitamin B
Vitamin D
Iron
FSH
Had a ovary and womb scan
All fine, one doctor said its basially just life but could be fibromyalgia and whilst standing up said but we don't treat that now and then opened the door to signify the appointment was over.....I just walked out in tears.
At the last appoinment in Oct I mentioned the perimenopause and a different GP said yes could be but it is too early to start treating as longer you are on HRT the more risky it is. She did then say an anti depressent could help anxiety, sleep and sweats though. Offered no other thoughts and when I brought up the none restorative sleep and joint pain she kind of ignored it and started taking about the sweats - yes alone rank but least of worries tbf!
I am 40 have a 6 yo, and normally exercise regularly - flat 5k x2 times a week (am unable to do any hills/trails now due to joints, vinyasa flow yoga once a week odd bit of sea swimming, zumba class and a good hr on cross trainer at home x1 once a week (used to do hiit crossfit type stuff but again hurts my joints now), also do quite a bit of walking, am a healthy weight for height (size 8/10) which I feel happy with and have a good considered diet (lots of fish, egss and veggies and pulses not much meat or dairy - take iron supplement, low amount of UHPFs, organic veg box etc.
Periods a bit all over the place for past 18 months but for 3 yrs I have taken spirolactocone for adult acne so they said that could have caused altho odd given for a long time no issues and I am on a lower does now than I was orginally.
This past week my symptoms have got much worse;
The lethargy is awful I am constanly dizzy and whereas before daily activites were often a struggle some stuff is imposssible/not safe - no way can I drive, i sort of feel like i'm seeing stars and have to reallly concentrate to type this and its taken me ages, its like i blink to try clear it and nothing happens.
Also the the joint and muscle pain is intense I have totally dosed myself up on codeine this last few days to get on with chores as during the week i couldn't get out of bed I was just so sore everywhere and all my joints kept clicking/burning and I had a throbbing headache and just could stand looking at a screen. It has eased I would say by 50% but still worse than before, and i am, my husband says, limping and walking hunched over....I did consider a virus which might have made exsiting problems worse however I have had no other symptoms, no temp, or respitory issues, negative covid test. Thought maybe on way out howver on fri I woke up and swore my hands and feet were swollen, today this is without a doubt the case they look awful, cannot get my rings on or any shoes apart from a well stretched pair of wide fit trainers I wore at the end of pregancy.
I also think my hair has shedded again as where it had grown back over past yr it suddenly feels thin again (this was actually first noticeable thing about 3 wks ago).
I am going to go to the doctors obviously but I think I need to be prepared to jump through the hoops and take the antidepressents and see if they help I am just resistant as I've heard they can make you gain weight - I do not want to add to my issues with that!! And that they can make you a little bumbly/disconnected , this is one of my main issues and why I can't go back to work i am just able to to care for DC although struggling with current presentation but if that got worse not sure I manage long term.