Aching bones, tired, bleeding, hot at night etc

[FeelingIll]

I'm mid 40s and for the past few months I'm being feeling unwell almost constantly - not horrendously unwell but enough to make doing anything more than staying in bed with limited activities a struggle.

My bones and muscles have been aching all the time all over, more bones than muscles if that's possible. I keep feeling hot and last night I woke up with the bottom half of my legs sweating and I never sweat. Constantly tired, can get dizzy especially during periods (which I'm still having but start off heavy bleeding then half water/urine - half blood). Lots of urinary issues to point have to work from home. Irregular bright red bleeding from both sources though tests done and a fibroid found and know I have haemorrhoids. Tiredness may just be lack of sleep. Going through hospital tests but they aren't showing much and it's 2 months between each one.

Husband says I need more exercise - I'm thin but don't exercise as I feel weak though it maybe a vicous circle. I do have anxiety but am happy. Any ideas what this could be / what I can do? Not getting very far with doctors / NHS but can go private though never done that so not sure how you do it. Thanks very much. I've started taking a multi vitamin with vitamin D and B vitamins in and seems to be improving things a little.

Poor you, it sounds dreadful.

What tests are you having at the hospital?

But yes, I rather agree with DH that eating well and taking some exercise is going to be good for you (not necessarily going to deal with all your symptoms, but just generally for well-being). Even something as undemanding as a gentle walk somewhere green.

Thanks very much. Had a variety of tests - smear clear, kidney ultrasound clear, fibroid found large and biopsy said not cancerous, urodynamics test, suspected mild prolapse main ones.

Went out today but completely shattered and feeling dizzy. It maybe exercise would help really don't know what's going on.

I felt exactly the same minus bleeding. Did loads of tests and eventually found out I had very low vit D. I thought I was dying! If you're deficient you need to take a really high dose, much greater than in a multivit. If you do a search you'll find a user who is very knowledgeable about it but I can't remember their name. I feel so much better after a month on 4-5000iu/day

Username bettertobehealthy

Thanks very much. I was beginning to suspect vitamin D deficiency as it came up when I looked up aching bones and mine started when I started working from home a lot so not going out much.

Have to see if I can get tested but am going to take a vitamin anyway but don't want to go too crazy on dosage incase I'm not that deficient. I did start around a week ago and have been taking several tablets a day and it has helped a bit though don't want to do several tablets for long but was getting desperate.

Have you considered menopause? Many of these symptoms sound like peri menopause. Have a read of all the symptoms.

Lack of energy, odd periods, sweating, aches and pains.

Anyone tested your estrogen levels? FSH level? Are your periods irregular?

ps How are your periods half urine half blood? Urine doesn't come from your womb. Not sure what you mean.

dizzy especially during periods (which I'm still having but start off heavy bleeding then half water/urine - half blood).

Are you anaemic? Has this been tested?

OP I used a Vit D spray due to excess tiredness, with aching bones amd lack of energy for exercise. It really worked. I don't use it every day now, just as soon as the symptoms appear. Worth a try.

Thanks very much.

I did wonder about the peri menopause - I'm 6 years from when Mum started her menopause and the doctor said it was unlikely to be that and periods are still regular if weird. No FSH tests or estrogen done, no anaemia test done, about 3 years ago folate? tested and was low. Doctor said to do nothing.

First half of period around 3 days heavy bleeding and feel dizzy, second half tampon comes out soaked half with a clear or yellow liquid and half blood. As I have lots of urine leakage normally I wouldn't be amazed if urine usually comes out of vagina - urodynamics was surprised how bad leakage was. I looked it up and a fistula can cause this though its normally following surgery and I haven't had surgery there. Biopsy for fibroid 3 years ago, after child birth placenta removed but that was 12 years ago. Thanks very much.

I'm getting more vitamin D definitely as that seems to help a bit.

You sound like there's a few things going on. Good luck and keep seeking answers.

The one thing that resonated with me was the aching bones and not wanting to exercise.
Recently I have shifted my diet to favour natural foods and anything that is supposed to be anti inflammatory/ good for arthritis as I have specific issues there too. I am supplementing with more vitamin D than the basic recommendations after realising I get no bone ache if I'm sunbathing regularly in the summer.

I have been miles better this autumn / winter and as I'm walking and doing more my pelvic floor is improving too. (That was next on my list to see the GP about.)

You def need your iron levels testing because dizziness etc can be a sign of anaemia as can tiredness.

You also need to seriously consider peri meno; you are the right age and you have lots of symptoms.

when you say you have irregular bleeding from 'both sources' do you mean your vagina and your rectum? Presumably the rear end is piles, but vaginal bleeding inbetween periods is probably an irregular period so you aren't in fact having regular periods at all! You're bleeding a lot and losing a lot of blood= anaemia and peri meno.

Low folate is linked to anaemia.

If you had a fistula you would be leaking urine all the time from your vagina and a gynae exam would have found this. I doubt if urine is really coming out of your vagina. End of period blood can be very light and a yellowish discharge.

Get yourself some Floridex- over the counter - contains iron and will help what sounds like low iron. You need to ask your Gp to refer you to a gynae who can help you. If you see them privately you can usually get an appt within a couple of weeks, pay for the one-off appt and see what they say. Your GP sounds useless.

You really need to get your hormone levels checked as well as having your blood checked. You might be aneamic. Get back to the doc and ask for those to be checked. I also asked for vitamins levels to be checked and had low vit D

Thanks so much for the replies - its really useful.

That's good that vitamin D helped you so much WindyWindy - I think its helping though had bone ache all day today and slept for a couple of hours but do feel slightly better. I do suspect the vit D though as in summer I didn't have bone ache and then I got let wfh most of the week from October and that's when it worsened.

I should get my hormones and anaemia checked too though am going try some iron tablets anyway.

I wouldn't be amazed at all if its peri meno. The GPs are OK but trouble is you see a different one each time, they only deal with one symptom each time and I'm like an old car where everything has started failing at once. Yes it is rectal and vaginal bleeding. The vaginal bleeding has improved though periods have become weird and last half is half clear or yellow fluid for half of it. Interesting about a fistula, haven't been seen by gynae since I got this, just urology but they did a spectulum exam. I do leak every hour or so urine and it does tend to flood out like its not from the normal way but it varies, sometimes its constant, sometimes its not.

so what are they doing about your leakage?

Have you been referred to a) a women's physio to help build up your pelvic floor and b) a gynae to see if you need an operation to repair your bladder?

Why have these referrals not been made?

There is NO WAY in this day and age you should be putting up with this amount of leakage and not be referred for help.

Have you been advised to do kegals 30 x a day?

A fistula is usually caused by a very long labour when the baby's head is lodged in the birth canal for ages and causes the vaginal tissues to be damaged to such an extent that the wall between the vagina and the bladder erodes away so all urine comes via the vagina.

It's common in 3rd world countries where women are in labour for ages and not able to have CS or help. It is also an easy thing to repair.

Have you ever tried using a tampon when it's not your period to see if anything is absorbed? Or the leakage stops? That's the way to find out.

You need to go back to your GP and insist on seeing a gynae. You need help with your hormones and help with your prolapse so you stop leaking.

Floridex is better than iron tablets. Tablets will make your poo black and you may become constipated which will worsen your prolapse.

Hi, I have had similar symptoms,the sweating has been a nightmare and I thought I was peri menopausal but have been having palpitations too.My heart rate was consistently above 160😳I was sent to a&me from work with my cardiac symptoms.Fortunatley my Ecg was normal and they found my thyroid was very hyperactive ,have you had thyroid tests❓❓

My money is on low iron and endometriosis

Thanks very much.

I just tried a tampax, brilliant suggestion, no period and soaked with yellow liquid in 10 minutes. Strange smell too like burnt tyres.

I was referred to hospital urology early Sept, saw doctor end Dec, did physio referral - still waiting, rejected twice and now lost, urodynamics test showed closing urethra, severe incontinence but bladder emptying fine, ultrasound of kidneys and bladder fine. Nurse who did urodynamics test thought there was a very mild prolapse but only when I coughed severely, other doctors have said there isn't. Given meds but didn't help and made me ill so stopped. Started doing kegels start December, not sure if its doing anything but early days. Next hospital appointment end January. No gynaecology appointments since signed off 3 years ago.

Sorry to hear about your problems Freda, last thyroid test around 3 years ago and was normal. Last blood pressure taken few months ago normal.

If you had a fistula, the uro thing would have picked it up. They would have seen urine coming out of your vagina. This sounds like an infection. It could also be caused by low hormones because if the vagina gets dry and atrophied it can bleed. You must see a gynae. Or ask your GP to do a swab and examine you.

Thyroid can change quickly,mine was okay in June but now is making my life a misery

If you have incontinence without any sign of real prolapse, is it urge incontinence? Is that what the drugs were for- overactive bladder? You could be referred to an incontinence clinic where they can teach you bladder training sometimes with drugs at the same time. It can take 3-6 months for pelvic floor exercises to work, and you must do 3 x 10 sets every day.

This must be horrible for you. I hope you get some answers but you do need to be assertive and ask for more help.

Thanks very much.The urology doctor saw me leaking but didn't say anything. He put it down as mixed incontinence though its not caused by sneezing, coughing etc but equally I don't always have an urge, it just leaks most of the time. I've kind of got used to it but its very awkward when I have to leave home but work have let me wfh a lot and have been very kind.

Drugs were for overactive bladder, don't think they helped much but could only tolerate them for 10 days so maybe not long enough. I will try calling the GP, suspect I need antibiotics. If I don't get anywhere I will investigate my private health insurance, I could at least get blood tests done if I pay half of it and at this stage I'm not too bothered about the money.

I think we're getting somewhere with this now :)
Which drug did you have? Was it Vesicare? That's supposed to be quite well tolerated. You often need to give it a while to settle because the side effects can get less. There are also other similar drugs you can try. Don't give up - ask to try others.

I'd say you need a combination of a drug, pelvic floor work, maybe vaginal estrogen or HRT for everything else and definitely a swab

If you have a mild prolapse and fibroids it may push your tampon down and so if you wee without taking it out it soaks into the tampon - happens to me.

Many of these symptoms I had with perimenopause. I was menopausal by 44 OP

Most, if not all, my friends were too, certainly by 47 everyone has been. Investigate hormone levels and HRT. One friend had appalling UTI's for 4 years. It was the menopause. She's still having some now at 53, but won't contemplate HRT. She went through the menopause at 40. All those years, a decade, of misery which could have been avoided.

I truly hope you start to feel better soon