To want to know why I feel so tired/ill all the time!!

[Bamboozle30001]

I'm 41, 5ft 7in 12 stone and I strength train for half an hour 4 days a week. I do under 20k steps due to being a cleaner 5 days a week. I eat very well and log my food on myfitnesspal.

Last week doctors thought my gallbladder was inflamed but, bloods, urine and a further physical exam all came back fine. Then why for the love of God am I am ALWAYS tired?Energy drinks or black coffee do nothing. I sleep for 8 hours.

I'd had a previous blood test a few weeks back as I suspected perimenopause but apart from high reading of b12...which I have no idea where that came from as I don't eat much in the way of the foods mentioned that are fortified, or take vitamin supplements either. I do have fibroids, but still I constantly feel tired and just generally unwell. Like the feeling that you're coming down with a cold, just run down all the bastard time.

Would it be worth getting a private doctor and see if there's any other tests or something because I am fed up of feeling like this.

What difference would hypermobility make? Are you thinking EDS? As my adult Daughter is hypermobile and has awful fatigue, we are waiting to see a connective tissue specialist as honestly the NHS seem ill equipped to do anything, rheumatology refuse to see her, the GP doesnt know enough to diagnose even with the GP toolkit so our only option to get any help and advice is private. But my joints are hypermobile too, just not to the degree hers is at all (she is a clear 9/9 on the beighton score whereas im 4 or 5).

Im sure lots of others have said but Ferritin of 19 will make you feel awful. Clinically they are way behind with how debilitating it can be.

I got my ferritin from 2.8 to around 30 by taking 200mg ferrous sulphate with dissolvable vitamin C tablets from boots (only the orange flavour, all the other flavours are gross). It took about 6 months.
If your GP won't give you them you can buy a month's worth from boots for a couple of pound, they're really cheap. You're a long way off high levels so you can definitely take them for a couple of months and just see if it helps. They might upset your stomach a bit but I feel so much better it's unreal. I'm still taking them to get it a bit higher.

Edit to add you do have to ask for the ferrous sulphate, they are behind the counter but I'm sure they will give them to you. I didn't have a problem.

Just my tuppence worth.

Low ferritin is awful, mine as been at 8 and I was fobbed off by the doctor, ended up pushing it and got an iron infusion which helped no end. So do follow that up.

Four litres of water is WAAAY too much, you are likely diluting lots of minerals out of your system. This came up for me in my last blood test, my Sodium levels were too low, so I am being retested this week for that. Low sodium causes you to feel unwell and tired.

The WLI, they unfortunately have the side effect of affecting your pancreas. Perhaps get your pancreas function checked, your Lipase and Amylase levels aswell as your CRP, your inflammation levels.

Its one pipeline punch energy drink.
I took the iron tablets and vitamin c at 12 when we got home. Had a nap, woke up at 2pm then had scrambled eggs and cheese for lunch as I wasn't really hungry. I'm able to do my morning cleans for Monday on Sundays so I went and did that. Just having dinner now and again I'm not rhat hungry and I've had 2 oatcakes and an apple with peanut butter. All my calories today total 1600, with total carbs 41% fat 38% and protein 21%

So that 1 energy drink looks like its 180 calories of sugar which honestly is completely empty calories and it also has 500% of your daily b12 from what I understand. So cutting this out will do nothing but good.

Could you anxiety meds be at play here do you think?
can you afford to go private if you’re having no joy with your gp?
whatever the cause, it’s affecting your quality of life so needs addressing x

Just a quick follow up, that feroglobin capsule is unlikely to have any effect I'm afraid, the dose is a maintenance dose and you need a topping up dose.
Try Amazon for iron bisglycinate plus vit C, its absorption rate is much higher than ferrous fumarate so you will get more benefit. Take it every other day.

The Feroglobin capsules will can see online have B12 added, but you B12 level is already too high, so take care that you don't overdose.

Regarding diet, I too have had success with ChatGPT. I started working out more and my cortisol levels started going through the roof and I was gaining inches around my middle. I used the advice from ChatGPT to totally what and when I was eating and I felt so much better and have lost the bloat and am losing weight.

Bugger. Have ordered on amazon. Can't help to have it anyway

Nooooooo

If i must then ok.

I get how hard it is when its something you love. I used to drink Pepsi max and sugar free monster and when I cut out all UPF it was a pain to give them up but I needed to give it a good try and so these had to go too.

You can always try it for a couple months and add it back if it makes no difference but that will definitely be making a difference to your B12 and honestly when you are trying to keep calories low, thats a big chunk on a drink so might work out best for you.

Yep, OP that explains your high B12 reading.
It also contains 160mg of caffeine, about the same as 4.5 cans of regular coke -which you'd never drink in one go. It's going to be giving a short burst of energy, then a massive crash.

I'd really try cutting it down, or out, if you can.

These are the tablets I got on amazon. Im hoping these are the right ones as there were loads that were all the same thing.

Any fibromyalgia in the family?

No idea im adopted and bm is a massive cunt.

Having a black coffee instead. I suppose it saves us £12 a week for a pack of 9 so that's good.

I paid for a consultation with a rheumatology specialist and was diagnosed within 20 minutes. That was after years of blood tests and being offered anti depressants and the rest. Might be worth considering.

Make sure you get stronger iron tablets when you get to a pharmacy. Those are probably good for maintenance

Fibromyalgia isn't real.

Are you getting enough protein? 21 percent isn't actually much... especially with weight training. Quit energy drinks, they make you more tired as you crash from the sugar.

Not even 9.00 am and already having to entertain trolls like LarryforPrimeMinister. There are so many posters who are determined to ruin MN for the rest of us. Please go away.

You have a very physical job and that in itself is exhausting. Lots of people just sit at a desk all day.

I’d definitely cut out the energy drinks and make sure you are actually eating enough to fuel your job and workouts.

I guess cutting down your hours isn’t possible but you do need to recognise that your job will be tiring. Especially as you go in to perimenopause.

Are these ok though?

It certainly is and they are finding the markers for it with the latest brain scanning they can do. People with it experience pain differently.

Having said that it's an easy copout for a doctor who can offer no other diagnosis for a patient desperate for a diagnosis.

I don't have fibromyalgia. But it definitely is real.

So the ones i got from.amazon arent good enough? Ugh this is madness, spending a small fortune here.