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Original poster

Constantly tired with brain fog, please help! - uninterested GP *[Results now added]

75 replies

Notanothercherrybakewell · 10/08/2020 05:52

Hi all,

I've not been well for a long time and need some help in trying to work out what might be the cause.
It is next to impossible to get an appointment at my GP and when I do I am always so rushed and brushed off so am hoping if I can go in armed with 'I think it might be XYZ....' or 'can you please test ABC...' I might get somewhere or be taken seriously.

  • I always feel tired. Constantly. I could sleep for 10hrs and still feel dead on my feet.
  • 3-5 times a week I will get complete exhaustion out of nowhere. I will start to feel so tired that I need to sleep within 15-20mins of the feeling starting. This usually begins mid afternoon and I will need a 2-3hr sleep to get past it. I will wake up feeling like i've been hit by a bus for approx an hr until it passes and I feel fine again. most of the time this happens after i've had food (but could be coincidence due to time of day)
  • Brain fog. I can forget what I have been told literally during the conversation. I can't focus or keep a train of thought. I feel so overwhelmed when this happens as I used to be really on the ball and engaged.
-Hair shedding more than usual
  • occasional constipation
  • horrible mood swings (tend to be much worse after I have woken up or am needing to sleep)
-Low mood

I had blood tests 2 years ago and was told nothing was out of the ordinary. I was prescribed something for anxiety/depression as they felt the mood swings and low mood was causing this. I took them for a few weeks but felt horrific on them and was told to stop with no follow up.

I really need some help and a point in the right direction. My life is zipping by at lightning speed and I want to enjoy it! Blush

OP posts:
EskSmith · 10/08/2020 05:58

How old are you? Lots of this rings true for perimenopause...

Allnamesaregone · 10/08/2020 06:00

You need to get your thyroid checked along with b12. Bloods from 2 years ago are irrelevant now and should be repeated.Don’t be palmed off by being told everything is normal. Ask for a print out of results.

Jamnotjelly · 10/08/2020 06:03

Have you looked at chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis?

namechange900079 · 10/08/2020 06:05

That sounds like me with anemia, ask for your iron levels to be checked

FecktheBoss · 10/08/2020 06:05

I felt very similar to you and it turned out to be low folate levels. Might be worth checking those.

Are you eating healthy?

JoleneExotic · 10/08/2020 06:10

I have an autoimmune disease and those are what my first symptoms were. It could be as simple as iron deficiency right through to any number of AI conditions. Good luck OP.

Original poster
Notanothercherrybakewell · 10/08/2020 06:10

@EskSmith I am only 29 and have had this for the last 2 years however it was manageable and nowhere near as frequent. The last 4 months it has really ramped up to the 3-5 times a week.

@Allnamesaregone being fobbed off is my biggest problem and I am quite shy and passive so hoping this will build my confidence to sound like I know what i'm talking about. I was leaning towards it being my thyroid too.

@Jamnotjelly I have looked at CF but felt I didn't quite fit. I think a bit of hopeful thinking on my part that what I have is curable rather than knowing for certain if that makes sense.I haven't heard of myalgic encephalomyelitis so will read up now.

Thank you all for your quick responses!

OP posts:
Original poster
Notanothercherrybakewell · 10/08/2020 06:14

@FecktheBoss I do eat healthy enough - lots of veg, never take aways etc. however its a real catch 22 because when I feel so exhausted I don't go to the shops or cba to cook something so can end up with soup/beans on toast so I really need to plan out a better strategy for coping when I'm tired so it doesn't affect my eating.

@JoleneExotic Was it hard to get that diagnosis? This is my big concern that I will have to push and push to get to the bottom of it.

OP posts:
Pearofwisdom · 10/08/2020 06:33

This was EXACTLY me for the whole of 2019. I was just about to brave the GP when last ditch attempt I started taking a multivitamin (centrum women). 2 weeks later I suddenly noticed the brain fog had gone! I would say it makes all symptoms 80% better. However I really want to get to the bottom of it so have ordered a blood test from Thriva. I wanted Thyroid, folate, iron and b12 testing and it does all of them. I think I found a discount code online so cost £64. I can report back in a few days when I have results.

TTCarainbow · 10/08/2020 06:43

Could be hypothyroidism. Google optimal thyroid ranges and ensure your results are with in those, and not standard lab ranges.

Loukifre · 10/08/2020 06:45

Have you tried going gluten free? Gluten doesn't just cause digestive issues. There's a lot of research about brain fog and gluten intolerance.

Be strict and try it for a week.

Original poster
Notanothercherrybakewell · 10/08/2020 06:54

@Pearofwisdom I have a few multivitamins / VitD ready to take but didn't want to start yet incase it threw off my blood test results. I'd really appreciate if you let me know how the results go and if you found the test useful as I feel if I can't get in with my GP this will be my next best option.

@TTCarainbow I have read this lots of places. When I get my blood results on the phone do I ask for the actual figures? or do I need to speak with the GP to get this info?

@Loukifre I don't eat much gluten but will defo give it a go if it helps. I don't think it is an intolerance though as I never get bloating or other obvious symptoms

OP posts:
Sforsh49 · 10/08/2020 06:59

Vitamin B12 deficiency. Your symptoms were me to a T. I've never felt so ill and it was a simple vitamin deficiency, but it's easy to fix with injections from the Dr.

Oblomov20 · 10/08/2020 07:01

I feel the same and keep being fobbed off.

losingthemind · 10/08/2020 07:13

I felt exactly the same before being diagnosed with Coeliac disease nearly two years ago. It's an autoimmune condition. Make sure you keep eating gluten until you have been tested though otherwise it may be a false negative.

SteelyPanther · 10/08/2020 07:15

How much and how often do you drink alcohol ?

Sunbird24 · 10/08/2020 07:24

OP these symptoms are unfortunately common to a number of conditions, for me it was a benign tumour on one of my parathyroid glands. If you are able to push for a full blood work-up, ensure they include PTH (parathyroid hormone), calcium and VitD.
Most important thing though is not to let the doctors fob you off. Your health is worth fighting for and nobody else can advocate for you.

ScarletMouse · 10/08/2020 07:24

Interested in this too.

EggysMom · 10/08/2020 07:43

I didn't know I had hypothyroidism, my GP found it after offering to run a battery of blood tests when I hadn't been able to shrug off a cold after three weeks. Maybe I was lucky with my GP's approach, but try being a little more assertive with your GP - these are the symptoms, please run a blood test so that I can find out what is causing them.

LivingMyBestLife2020 · 10/08/2020 07:47

Sounds like coeliac to me. To be tested you’d need to keep eating it whilst you get tested. Alternatively, cut out all gluten completely and see how you feel in 6 weeks. I’m coeliac and You'll he amazed how gluten can make you feel so rubbish

Fressia123 · 10/08/2020 07:51

I'm anemic and hypothyroid. It sounds a lot like when my meds are off. Anemia makes me feel much worse than my hypothyroidism.

BarkingHat · 10/08/2020 07:55

Ask for another blood test. Write down your symptoms, like you have here, take it to the doctors so they can read it and ask for a blood test. If they won’t Then ask to see another doctor.

user1471462115 · 10/08/2020 07:56

Blood tests needed. These have to be specially requested and are not part of the normal blood tes, so may not have been checked last time
B12, folate and ferritin
Vitamin D
Thyroid function tests
Coeliac antibodies

Don’t change anything til they are taken and then start a multivitamin at least.

And ask for a print out of your results, everyone is entitled to this.
This way you can see what they tested and how low your results are

TTCarainbow · 10/08/2020 08:43

Definitely ask for a print out or email of your results. Or order full panel of tests from 'Let's Get Checked'.

Original poster
Notanothercherrybakewell · 10/08/2020 12:11

I've had so many helpful and supportive replies so thank you all for taking the time to help!

Someone asked how often I drink, and I never do. I think maybe 6years ago was the last time.

I intend to keep doing things as I usually do until I have had some bloods so that I don't improve whatever the issue is and muddle up my results.

Called the GP this morning, the receptionist asked for a rough idea what the problem was and told me not to worry - 'everyone is feeling a bit off with the stress of lockdown at the moment' Hmm
I was asked to call back in a week if it hadn't shifted even though I explained its been years in the making. She reluctantly told me i'd be added to a call-back list to discuss the problem with the practice nurse who would then decide if I can have an appointment but at least thats a starting point.
I would have usually backed off and agreed to call a week later but I feel spurred on by the support I've received here Grin

OP posts: