Constant tiredness

[honeyandmarmitesandwiches]

Hello, I wonder if anyone can advise me. I've suffered with fatigue for years, I just do not have the energy or stamina that others have. It's common for me to feel as if my mind is in a fog, i nap a lot and am in bed early most nights.
I manage work but barely do anything else, I feel as if I'm not really parenting my son, any household jobs get neglected, hobbies or seeing friends is too much for me and becomes a burden - mostly I'm just withdrawn from life, sleep eat work and repeat (while feeling exhausted and slow to the point of stupid). It's the kind of tiredness where I just want to lie down on the floor.
I also get bad ibs symptoms.
I've had blood tests which all come back normal.

Looked at chronic fatigue syndrome but I don't have the pain which I understand is a usually a symptom?

Please help, this has been going on for years and I'm getting nowhere.

Have you had blood tests for coeliac, vitamin B12 and vitamin D? My tiredness has been improved by going gluten free and taking vitamin B12 and D (although my B12 was within the normal range). I do have CFS/fibromyalgia and it hasn't done anything for the pain but being less tired is a help.

"Looked at chronic fatigue syndrome but I don't have the pain which I understand is a usually a symptom?"

It is often a symptom, but not everyone with ME/CFS gets pain.

I've asked about coeliac but haven't been tested, the gp just said "true food allergies are pretty rare".
My vitamin D has been low but I now take a prescribed supplement, I think my B12 is fine though.
Not sure what else I can do, I mention it every few months at the gp, first I was told it was depression related but I just don't believe that's true, I'm not depressed atm. Had the standard blood tests, nothing came back. Told I have IBS and that's it really.
It's so frustrating because I know how huge an effect this is having on my life but because I'm 'coping' I think it's assumed that what I'm experiencing must be within the range of normal. I know it's not and so do my family but I'm stuck in this zone of being given weak advice that makes little to no difference and feel it's not taken seriously.
Even if nothing could be done I just wish there was a reason or a condition or something I could point to.

Have you had your iron levels checked? Anaemia can make you very tired, causes circulation problems which in turn can cause bowel problems, dry skin, brain fog. Also, I know you're really tired but some form Of gentle yoga and deep breathing may help as well.

Underactive thyroid?

Low platelet count? ITP can cause fatigue.

there is a difference between normal and optimal blood levels. My ferritin was normal at 20 but actually far below optimal and caused crushing fatigue for me.

Could you see a different GP? Mine told me for months that I just needed to 'time manage better' and I'd be fine and it was all in my head. It was an under active thyroid.

Keep going back and stress the negative impact on your life.

can you also get a print out of the test results?

Definitely see a different GP, coeliac is an autoimmune disease not an allergy and according to NICE guidelines IBS should not be given as a diagnosis until coeliac disease has been tested for!

I was the same. I have a non coeliac gluten intolerance that leads to IBS symptoms, and low vitamin d.

If I avoid gluten, and take a vitamin d supplement I am fine (but, weirdly, it has to be a supermarket, normal dose, with calcium, for best results. )

Sounds like me a few years ago. It turned out to be under active thyroid, but the NHS wouldn't diagnose me, they kept telling me everything was "normal". I had to go and find a private doctor to diagnose and treat me 😡 In the early stages of having to do my own research I found the thyroid UK website very helpful. Of course it might not be the same for you as me though

I've been suffering very similar symptoms & have had various rounds of blood tests over the last 4 months. I was beginning think there was something sinister going on, when BINGO, yesterday I got the results of more blood tests. I am severely deficient in both Vit D and Folic Acid.

Having looked at the symptoms they fit perfectly; funnily enough, lack of Folic Acid can cause diarrhoea & IBS like symptoms, so I'd double check you have been tested for this as I'm not sure it's routine.

I feel utterly rubbish at the moment so I really empathise but I live in hope that now I have the meds, I'll start perking up in 4-6 weeks time. I hope you get to the root of it too soon.