Can we talk about my symptoms honestly, while waiting for my GP appointment in 10 days?

[QuintlessShadows]

I cant take much more of this now, and would like to trash out some symptoms/complaints, and see if anybody has any ideas.

I have put on 10 kg in the last 3 years, through minor illness and inactivity. I have gone from size 16 to 18 (in trousers).

Respiratory infections and putting my back out 3 times have meant that I am only able to exercise in between feeling unwell, and never enough to dent my weight.

I have very little energy overall. Some days I barely manage to do the school run, and sit idle, aside from perhaps some laundry and emptying the dishwasher, feeling totally drained, until it is time to go on the school run. I struggle through dinner and washing up, sorting kit and child related chores, and cant wait until we all go to bed.

I am on antibiotics quite regularly for either sinusitis, tonsillitus, or chest infections. I was diagnosed with Asthma in April. Stopped using inhalers in July, and was managing well until Christmas. I am now using inhalers again.

I feel too unwell to do much. Going to the shops brings me out in a sweat. It knackers me.

Some days I have bursts of energy and I manage to get things done.

I eat healthily. Fish, veg, meat, salad, rice, pasta. I dont like crisps, I dont like biscuits, boiled sweets, etc. I sometimes eat cake, and sometimes chocolate. I snack on nuts.

Breakfast is usually 20g of cereals (Dorset or Rude health), natural yoghurt (sometimes fat free, but mostly regular), with a few chunks of pineapple and a few chunks of mango. Lunch is wholemeal bread with ham & Cheese, or mackerel in tomato, tuna, or the like. Dinner is stuff like roast chicken, rice and steamed veg. If I eat supper it is just a small slice of wholemeal bread with a slice of cheese, or some fruit or a handful of almonds. I dont drink juice, I dont drink soda pop, but I do have a pepsi max/diet coke habit. i take vitamin supplements now and then.

I feel my brain turn to mush, and I feel it is difficult to concentrate and remember.

I have an appoinment with my gp next week, but am seeing an akupuncturist tomorrow - friends recommendation - she believe it is all the antibiotics thats been causing havoc with my system.

Any ideas?

When you go to the gp they should do a number of blood tests. There's so many things it could be - anaemia (what I had when I was feeling similar to you - apparently it's common in women of child bearing age), glandular fever, b12 defiency, diabetes, coeliac disease (these are just some of the things I remember researching when I felt like you).

Alternatively, could it be related to stress/depression. Although I was diagnosed with anaemia I'm sure I was worse when I was feeling stressed. Just a overwhelming exhaustion on certain days amd inability to do anything.

Hi OP

Sorry you are feeling so unwell.

I second what Pp have said re blood tests.

I have ( and still do off and on) had similar symptoms to you. In can really empathise with the total debilitating exhaustion.

I am not a. Dr but would think Dr needs to do a full range if bloods, including full blood count, thyroid function ( ask if they will include antibodies), ferritin, B12, blood glucose, vitamin D. Also coeliac as others have suggested.

My exhaustion was caused by a number of factors, under active thyroid ( treated on paper but always at lowest range of normal which wasn't enough for me), I also had chronically low ferritin reserves ( less than five) and my hair wS starting to fall out, not drastically but noticeably.

Since I got my thyroid sorted out and also self treat the low ferritin( couldn't tolerate even the 'best' prescription iron so now take spatone two sachets per day and will continue doing so for long term). I also take a good quality B12.

If all your bloods come back normal maybe ask to be referred to a hospital physician for a full 'work up'.

Are you under a. Lot if stress? I believe stress can kill energy also!!

I dont think I have had any blood tests done since I was pregnant with ds2, and he is 9!

I will google everything you suggest. I am just so tired of feeling so drained. On the face of it, I am just lazy.

But I did not use to be this way! I used to be so full of energy and so efficient!

You should definitely try vitamin D supplements. Without them I am so exhausted.

We have fish for dinner 2-3 times per week, but I will try supplements.

probably thyroid
do you have any of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism?
top tip: get copies of your blood test results

I dont have many of the diabetes symptoms. No thirst for example.

Blimey, I have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, but only numbness of the fingers now and then.

From the later symptoms, my face has gone a bit puffy.

From your op I would say thyroid. With possibly some anaemia and a vitamin d deficiency

Betcha it's your thyroid! Any female relatives on thyroxine? Can be familial....

Yes to the blood tests. I've been feeling like this for ages, and iron deficiency anaemia is the only thing that I've currently been diagnosed with. It is extremely debilitating. I've gone from somebody full of beans, always up and doing something, to dragging myself around like a 90 year old. It's horrible.

I felt like that and it turned out to be an underactive thyroid. Do you feel cold?

My sister has overactive thyroid. My aunt has underactive thyroid. Plenty of diabetes and celiac in my other aunts family, but that could have been introduced by this aunts husband.

So, take your pick, really.

And I already seem to have my grans asthma and allergies.

Yup, I am much colder than all of us.

But not as cold as my sister, who also has fibromyalgia.

Make sure they test for vit d.

Not sure how it could be iron deficient aenemia, or vit b12 deficiency.

Plenty of red meat, beans, eggs, wholemeal bread, along with broccoli and other veg, dairy and cheese, in my diet. As well as fish.

Request thyroid is checked. Iron levels. Etc

I felt terrible and very lethargic in December and bought some feroglobin. Hope you feel better soon xxx

All sounds very familiar, OP.

I was convinced it was my thyroid. Turned out to be all sorted by iron and vitamin D.

I'm afraid acupuncture didn't work for me.

Please insist on the vitamin D test, and good luck.

I felt like that. I remember posting on here saying that I was 32 but felt about 90, I was exhausted, my joints ached, my muscles ached, I'd lost any enthusiasm for life. I put off going to the gp, until I found a swelling in my neck a month or so later.It turned out to be my thyroid, and bloods showed it was underactive. It's very common, and under diagnosed.

I want to get this checked quickly, but at the same time I want to wait for the senior doctor who I really like at the clinic to have an available appointment. I have also asked for a long appointment as I have so much to bring up. Hence the wait until the 22nd. I will google all these options, and write down appropriate questions, but I am hesitant to tell the doctor what blood tests I need, as that would seem like I am a know it all?

I have under active thyroid. Only when very under do my fingers tingle. When under my hair falls out and nails go very brittle I need to sleep and struggle to stay awake if relaxing.i do get puffy face but very rarely. If you get some bloods do check the ranges your self on thyroid U.K. etc.... I also find I feel terrible and get anxiety. I currently take thyroxine of 175 a day and touch wood it's ok. Should also mention that I have anemia too.. It's ongoing and no matter what I do it never gets better. Apparantly it's a long term effect of not having my thyroid treated.

Well you could start on vitamin d high dose supplements in the meantime and see if that helps? Then just mention family history of under active thyroid. They will almost certainly check anyway

I came up deficient in iron (despite loving my steaks) and vit D (despite a very gung ho attitude to sunshine) and whatever they give you for hypothyroidism (despite not being overweight) and I didn't have anything like your symptoms, so I think all three are extremely plausible explanations of your symptoms.

Also add my legs felt heavy like weighted with bricks.

Thing is if you've already got allergies and asthma you already have an immune system that likes to over react a bit - you are more likely to get other auto immune conditions like under active thyroid, Vitamin d can help the immune system (they are only just touching the surface in finding out how) and low vitamin d is associated with auto immune conditions (although be be correlation rather than causation), and low iron is often seen with low thyroid.