Why am I so tired?

[ellsisland]

I have been off work for 2 weeks now as I have been suffering with extreme tiredness to the point I can't focus.

I have been tested for all of the below and all has come back okay. The doctors did not suggest any further tests and have left it as that really..

I mentioned to my partner today I have a metal taste in my mouth and he has suggested perhaps it is an iron deficiency which is not something I had thought of previously. I have looked at other side effects and I have also been experiencing some of these including dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and this evening my mum commented on how pale I look.

I was just wondering if any one knew if any of these tests below would be for iron or if I should go back for another blood test?

So sick of feeling like now so any help is appreciated

How old are you OP? Sounds like perimenopause.

@whatisforteamum Christ I hope not! I'm only 25 and currently TTC and ovulating?

Fair enough.The symptoms you describe is how I feel and I am peri.

Hi just read this thread and noticed you're TTC and on thyroxine; please read all of the info here and double check your Gp knows to follow the nice guidelines one this.

These were written by nhs endocrinologists and gps for the BTF.

Tsh must be under 2.5 (better near 1 tbh) and you must be monitored in early pregnancy as thyroxine requirements can go up by and extra 25-50 before around 14 weeks.

www.btf-thyroid.org/projects/pregnancy

FWIW many women do get metallic tastes in early pregnancy and terrible tiredness so perhaps a test to check?

Hi, request an iron panel study blood test from GP. Low iron can cause tiredness but high iron can also do this. I had never heard of this till I was diagnosed with a very common genetic condition called haemochromatosis earlier this year. Best to get iron panel done before taking iron tabs. Best of luck, sure you prob just a bit run down, tis the season for feeling yucky!

My first thought was...you're pregnant! Extreme tiredness is what made me test...I'd been for an 'easy' run and it was so hard I had to stop and cry. Likewise with my second, we were having a family bike ride and I couldn't for the life of me keep up, I was exhausted. Knew straight away I was pregnant without even testing!

@NeurotrashWarrior thank you, that is really helpful! I tried to speak to my doctor about this and she really didn't seem very concerned 

@Lilythepink3 thank you for your reply. I'm definitely going to go back to the doctors. I have felt a bit better today but I'm sure after work tomorrow I'll feel awful again

@PlugUgly1980 it's been about 5 weeks of this now, I've had a period but was really light now I'm not sure if it could be (maybe wishful thinking).. But I've had a blood test in between so it should of showed up on that surely

I felt very similar to this. It went on for a couple of years and got worse and worse, with me being continually fobbed off by a stupid locum. Until I moved house, and therefore GP's.
I was worried I had chronic fatigue syndrome but it turned out I had sleep apnoea! Started CPAP therapy in July and since then my energy levels have gradually come back up to pretty much normal.
Might be worth ruling out?

@medicstudentmum thank you for your reply. Glad you have found a doctor that is taking you seriously! How do they test you for sleep apnoea? Did you have any other side effects?

Unfortunately not many Gps or midwives are aware of this as usually you don't see a specialist till around 12-14 weeks at the hospital. I had a nightmare trying to get the gps to listen to me and had to print out the nice guidelines and ask them to speak to the obstetrician at the hospital.

It is important both for maternal and foetal health; the risk of miscarriage goes up with higher tsh levels.

What was your actual thyroid result?

Are you positive you're not pregnant??

@NeurotrashWarrior thank you for your reply! I am going to call and get my result and will post it on here. I am nervous about being pregnant and have under active thyroid 

@autumnleaves99 I'm not sure now as so many people have said the same.. I don't seem to have ovulated yet this month so unless I did get pregnant last month and what I thought was AF was actually implantation bleeding Ithink I'll have to do a test to be sure

Just an update I've been feeling a lot better the past two days after feeling awful for about 5 weeks..

We'll make sure you do a test and come back and update us! First trimester pregnancy tiredness was like nothing I've ever experienced before, I'd come home from work and be asleep on the sofa within 10 minutes! And a light period could have been implantation bleeding. Don't want to get your hopes up, but keeping my fingers crossed for you!

*Well, not we'll....

@autumnleaves99 If I'm not pregnant and I'm this tired I dread to think how tired I'll be when I do get pregnant good luck to my DP..

A bit of a wide one but I had a batch of thyroxine once that was faulty. I've also been v hypo recently 🤔

Horrendously that happened just as I became pregnant; there have been more stringent checks done since though so I doubt it. Not impossible though.

You will be ok as long as you have support to be monitored more often than usual from the Gp and any dose changes made accordingly. It's all on that website; there's a page for professionals iirc too.

My tsh was 13 by 12 weeks with my first son, despite 3 thyroxine raises, due to the faulty batch of thyroxine. When I switched brands it then went too high. He is absolutely fine. Very low birthweight which might have been linked or might not, but packed it on quite quickly and now a very active, bright healthy school boy.

@NeurotrashWarrior oh wow that's scary! Glad all ended well for you! I'm just worried as my doctors can be a bit useless I know they are stretched etc but they have mixed up samples etc in the past which scares me! I'm not sure if now is the best time to be changing GPs however!

I've done a test and BFN so that rules that out!

Glad you are feeling better, but still get your ferritin levels tested. What are your nails like? Mine go concave and spoon shaped when I'm iron deficient, and break really easily.

@MadameForest yes I'm definitely going to speak to the doctor about this! My nails are covered in acrylic so I have no idea they're probably awful underneath however this is likely caused by the acrylic

Definitely get your thyroid results, "within range" does not mean symptom free.

Have a look at stop the thyroid madness, very useful website x