So exhausted I can barely walk upstairs. Could it be anxiety?

[ought74]

I am not sure if I am suffering from anxiety or something else, but the last 5 weeks have been very difficult.

I've been worrying about heart palpitations, pains in my chest, stomach pains and have been to A&E and my GP who can not really find anything.

Though some blood tests a week ago showed I have anaemia. The worst at the moment is extreme exhaustion, just getting downstairs is a challenge, and then back up again another. I just want to rest on the sofa where I worry about my health.

Can this kind of extreme exhaustion and jelly legs be from anxiety? I have never felt so tired. I just don't feel I have the energy to move.

I also woke at 3am as I was dreaming I was running, and my heart rate went up, and then whenever I got close to sleep I woke to avoid it.

The anemia could be causing a lot of this, did they give you anything for it? It may take a while to bring your levels back up to normal but if it doesn't resolve after a week or two of iron, I'd go back to your GP again. Anxiety can cause chest pain, palpitations, tiredness, spike in heart rate too.

Before I read your post I was going to suggest getting your blood tested for iron.

What were your results?

Get your anaemia addressed. I had all these symptoms and they completely disappeared when my Ferritin level increased. I now take a maintenance dose to iron on an ongoing basis. I can tell when I need a blood test to check levels and revise iron amounts as symptoms start to come back.

I was also going to come on and ask about anaemia. I couldn't get to the top of the stairs, had heart palpitations, anxiety, and had to have a nap mid afternoon before the kids came home from school. The exhaustion! My iron levels were on the floor, got iron tablets and felt noticeabley better within a week - nowhere like normal, but just so much better than the rock bottom I had been at. I felt like Wonder Woman after about 6 weeks on the tablets - the decline is so slow you don't realise how bad you've been feeling until you are back to 'normal'

Those are all low ferritin issues.

I was the same a year ago (terrible peri meno flooding).

Spent three months diligently taking ferrous sulphate every other morning with a 1000mcg vitamin C tablet, two hours before food or coffee.

Got levels to 71, from 16.

Honestly, a month and you'll be a different person.

My Haemoglobin is not that low but dropped quickly.

It was 145 g/L on 26th Jan but dropped to 128 on 20th Feb.

My GP says it is not iron based though, and has refferred me for cancer check up of my symptoms. I didn't want to admit that....

But I wonder if it isn't just the anaemia. I hope....

I am male so definitely can't blame a heavy period.

@ought74 how are you doing? Feeling better?

Did GP check B12? I had symptoms you describe when my b12 was low.

Hi. I'm sorry to hear you've been feeling so exhausted.

Out of interest have you had a lot of stress at work etc. and/ or feeling that you've been too busy for too long?

If that resonates I might have some insights that'll help you. The doctors couldn't help me either but I got well.

Big hugs. Jane

Sustained anxiety can cause adrenal burnout, which could be a cause of your exhaustion. All your other symptoms can be caused by anxiety. It’s amazing how anxiety can make us physically ill in so many different ways. Health anxiety is particularly sh*t as it can exacerbate physical symptoms caused by something else. For example, constipation with stomach pain might be caused by something as simple as poor diet, but worrying about those symptoms can make both of them much worse!

However, it doesn’t mean there isn’t something else going on. Get all the tests you can, to rule things out. Remember, most symptoms come from things that are NOT life-threatening, and if they are, most such conditions can be treated. So try not to worry too much, if you can.