Reasons for crippling fatigue?

[cakedup]

I keep getting periods of extreme fatigue lasting a couple of weeks or so with weeks or even months in between.

Had bloods done. Vit d levels were a bit low and have been taking prescribed supplements.

What else could it be? I'm 46 and female.

It's horrible. Just everyday life become a struggle and I have to keep resting. Tried going to the gym but that made it so much worse.

Affects me only physically, mental well being is good.

Where your thyroid results normal? What about B12?

Sorry, were not where. Also is there anything dragging you down emotionally? You have my sympathies.

Thanks HauntedForestier Nothing dragging me down emotionally, everything going really well, love my job, DS 13 getting on fine etc.

B12 didn't flag up on my results. I do take B12 supplements anyway, as well as omega 3 as I'm vegan.

Thyroid levels - GP says it just needs 'watching' but fine for now. I don't really understand the breakdown:

Serum TSH level 2.31 mU/L 0.30 4.20mU/L
Serum free T4 level 10 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00pmol/L

Last time this feeling just lifted and I felt back to normal one day out of the blue. Normal tiredness yes but not this overwhelming feeling of fatigue that i have now,. Gutted when it came back!

My recent FT4 result was 15 ( range 10-24). I've had an over active thyroid in the past so the result was well higher than 24. For me, if I got 10 for FT4 I'd be watching to see if my thyroid was becoming underactive. Are you putting on weight at all?

Anaemia, Addison’s disease, asthma (which you can have without wheezing - ie silent asthma) have all given me dreadful fatigue. I would be checked for all of those - they won’t necessarily run the correct tests for these without pushing for them.

Could you check if your range for FT4 is 12-22? If so a 10 result is underactive. Quiz your GP on it. If your TSH is in normal range he/she might not treat just yet.

HauntedForestier I'm not putting on any weight, no. How would i check if my range for FT4 is 12-22? The results I printed were the only results I got for thyroid. I do remember the GP saying that TSH is within normal range so for this reason, treatment wasn't needed.

Fairylea -

I was anaemic for many years as well as having very heavy periods, and took prescribed iron tablets. But since having a hysterectomy a year ago (ovaries left in) GP told me to stop taking iron tablets and not showing up as anaemic on my bloods.

I've looked up Addison's disease. Did you have many of the symptoms? I don't have decreased appetite/weight loss, no diarrhea/vomiting, abdominal pain or body hair loss. I do get low blood pressure and i have had rare occurrences of what i think is hypoglycemia.

I certainly don't have visible symptoms of asthma. How are you test for silent asthma?

If your FT4 is under range, you are clinically Hypothyroid regardless of your TSH and need treatment now.

Peri menopause?

Serum free T4 level 10 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00pmol/L

It looked to me, from your results above, that the range was 12-22. In my area it's 10-24. It's been a while since I've had thyroid issues as I'm in remission but I had thought if the TSH was normal they wouldn't treat even if FT4 was low. NaToth may well be right though.

Low FT4 would make you feel sluggish. I probably have perimenopause at the moment and I feel all over the shop!

HauntedForestier yes that's what my GP said, normal TSH means they won't treat. I am aware there is another school of thought re thyroid issues though but I'm not sure what the next step would be if GP doesn't accept it.

IamDrWho yes that is very possible and I have considered it. I just wanted to eliminate other possible causes of my fatigue because it's easy enough to just put down almost every symptom to peri menopausal otherwise.

Anyone here suffered similar fatigue patterns to mine during peri menopause?

A ferritin check might be a good idea. Hoping you get it sorted soon.

Familyfrom1endstreet thanks - would that have been part of a full blood test do you know?

I was like this. Turned out it was low iron. Not so low it showed up on tests, but borderline.

Do you have heavy periods? I did.

I had the coil put in (Mirena) that reduced my periods to almost nothing ,and a year on am a different person. It was blood loss resulting in low iron that rendered me exhausted.

Good luck OP - I've been there and it's awful

Low iron or b12

It sounds like it could be anaemia judging from your history etc. (I posted earlier about Addison’s - yes I did have a lot of the symptoms for this but mainly fatigue and panic attacks - and silent asthma - which can be diagnosed via peak flow meter and use of a blue inhaler to see if things improve under care of a Gp / asthma nurse) but it sounds more likely to be anaemia.

If you do have very low iron you’ll need prescription strength iron tablets to get it in check again. Over the counter stuff like spatone etc isn’t strong enough except for the mildest of cases.

B12 tablets can mask a B12 deficiency in which injections are the only solution

Watching with interest as I have had very similar symptoms on and off for the past six months, I gave up meat in January, wondering if this is the cause. I went to give blood in July and was turned away with a haemoglobin count of 18. Is this very low?

Chronic Fatigue? I had this. Went through every bloody test going but nothing showed up. A book on it recommended by the doctor sorted me out (I was lucky that it did) but such indescribable fatigue. Think general thought now is that it is caused by a virus and I had been really unwell a month or so before and got over it, but then went under again, just with the constant sleepiness/fatigue part but none of the other symptoms I'd had when had the full on virus. Stumped the doctor for ages but as soon as I read the symptoms it was as if I had written them.

Menopause or gluten intolerance

Growingboys I used to have extremely heavy periods and was very anaemic so took prescribed iron tablets for many years. Then I had a hysterectomy about a year ago (ovaries left in) and GP said I would not need iron tablets anymore. Bloods did not flag it up. Fairylea if I was anaemic then surely it would have come up in my blood test?

Labradoodliedoodoo I told the GP exactly that and she looked at me as if I was mad! She was adamant it wouldn't mask a deficiency and that my B12 levels were fine.

Not sure about your count Norugratsatall but I don't think mine is related to diet. I've been vegetarian for 25 years and vegan for last 5 years. Had no problems until recently.

NoNewsisGood what other symptoms did you have for Chronic Fatigue?

Goposie funny enough I did wonder if it might be some kind of intolerance. However, surely the fatigue would be consistent rather than go on on for a few weeks then completely disappear.