I feel there's something sinister wrong

[Maizeyflowers]

I've spoken to my gp 7 times in a year since becoming weak and discovering I was anemic with no reserves.

I've had nothing but trouble through lockdown with my body. I have no idea how to seperate it and I'll be due to have more bloods to check my vitamin d in a fortnight.

The iron issue was on the lower end of normal 6 weeks ago and no further action required was the receptionists words. I was offered a referral for my periods but none of the hospital's near me are doing anything due to the obvious.

I found out my vitamin d was low at 25 9 weeks ago. I've been taking a high dose since.

But I've felt not myself since February and I'm worried it's something more. I'm worried the drs never move past the basic tests. I'm worried they are missing something. Putting it down to anxiety. Because now I have that too I feel they just presume it's in my head. But my symptoms are still there and changing throughout the month and the day.

Nausea
Weakness
Afternoon slump
Exhaustion in the afternoon
Insomnia
Ovulation symptoms lasting 3 days. Spotting. Achy ovaries. Loads of cm. Exhausted with it. Sometimes feel mildly run down with it.
Headaches after every period that leave me feeling sick and weak.
I often feel no matter what I eat I can't get my energy right. I can't go out without snacks because I have this awful must eat now I feel terrible feeling.

I'm not that overweight. I'm about a stonebor a little less. My stomach is fairly flat. I try and eat three good meals a day but I do like chocolate! But most people have something they do that's not perfect.

Before lockdown monday-friday I did two hours walking a day at least (5 miles) due to school runs and visiting people.

I've also got tailbone pain.
My neck muscles get tight and sore and it seems worse around my period. Walking makes me sometimes get headaches due to these irritated muscles.

I started having anxiety and panic attacks and I've noted the panics are at the same point each months. Some weeks I'm a positive person who feels happy. Other weeks I'm so down and feel so worried about September and being out and about again. I've been out for walks and taken my kids to parks. I have seen a friend a couple of times for walks. But that's it. I've not been energetic enough for anything else.

I've got a blood sugar monitor arriving tomorrow. I've paid £70 for a thrive hormone test ready for next month. I've borrowed a bp monitor and that's ok. I. Trying so hard to work out how to get better again.

It's making me feel trapped. What do I do if I can't get my child to and from school? Its such a scary thought.

How old are you? Could be peri menopause.

Loads of exercise, decent supplements, no alcohol/caffeine and a low sugar diet all helped me, but it took HRT to sort things out.

OP, you are anaemic. It causes many of the symptoms you talk about. It's also linked to B12 and vitamin D absorption.

I hope you can get some support for your health anxiety. Don't take your blood pressure if you're having an episode as it won't be accurate.

I hope you feel better soon. Take a breath.

I'm not apparently anemic now though. That's supposedly normal range now.

I'm 30. Would I be too young for that?

My b12 was ok six weeks ago...

Normal under NHS ranges for iron can still be too low to feel great. Try spatone daily and see if it helps.
30 is young for peri, but not impossibly so - you could ask mum/aunties etc when they went through menopause.

Hi Op i'm watching your thread with avid interest! I am 10yrs older than you (41). What you have described is exactly what i have been going through since January every single symptom you have listed i have too. I havent however been as proactive as you and been to the doctors ive been putting it off as the list just seems so massive and also i keep telling myself alot of it is in my head. But after after seeing this thread i realise that all of these symptons are not normal and i better make an appointment. I really thought i was going crazy!

Have you considered autoimmune or thyroid disorders? There are loads out there and many tend to appear in your 20s-30s. Bowel related ones can affect your ability to absorb iron and nutrients. Other types cause fatigue, pain and general unwellness.

I had a similar experience in my 20s where I felt progressively worse and deep down that something wasn't right. I had unbearable headaches & fatigue around my menstrual cycle but was fobbed off by doctors or put on different types of birth control. I also had moderate-severe anxiety disorder so I even believed myself that it may have been psychosomatic.

After 7 years I finally diagnosed with lupus and put on medication. Oddly all the problems related to my period disappeared even though there isn't a concrete link between autoimmune illness and hormonal symptoms. The anxiety also improved, not least because I knew what was wrong instead of being told it must be in my head.

A close friend was also very ill in her late 20s and eventually diagnosed with celiac disease and hashimotos. Unfortunately many disorders have overlapping symptoms so it may be a matter of researching all you can and then pushing for the right tests.

Have you had full bloods done?

I had almost exact same symptoms

Drs fobbed me off for 7 years. I eventually started craving salt. The dr told me I was having a mental breakdown!!!

I read up on craving salt and Addison's disease came up. I went back to my dr who told me I couldn't have that as it's so rare! I said well someone has to have it.

I privately got a cortisol blood test. Which came back low. My dr still refused to test me. I had another test which came back lower. I saw another gp who took me seriously and sent me to the hospital. Who berated and laughed at me. It's even in my notes!!! They wrote had delusional ideas about being sick. Thinks she has Addison's disease. Keep reminding her how she'd be dying and she isn't. So she hasn't got it

The dr said he used to work in endocrine and I'd walk in there dying and how he compared it to a plane landing?!?????

Fortunately we were able to go private. The Endo dr also said I would barely be standing. But because it was private. He offered to do the test

The test was meant to be 14 days later. But somethings happened. So wasn't done till 6 months. I got sicker and sicker

Finally had the test and the dry old me he's write me a letter in 2 months time. Which means he didn't believe me even then.

He called me less than 24 hrs later and told me to immediately go to see him

I was diagnosed there and then

Steroids changed my life. Before diagnosis I remember laying on the floor. Trying to hoover. I was so sick

Sadly however. I did have to recently change my endocrine dr. Who tried to take me off all steroids without doing new testing. Fortunately my GP wouldn't listen and agreed to take me off the steroids without further testing. When we did further testing. My cortisol was zero. Had my gp if listened to the new endocrine for. I would of died. So this disease is horrid.

I've been in crisis 10 times. In those 10 tines. 9 tines out of it. I've been refused the emergency medication. All times have had a gasp from my endocrine dr. All times had I of not injected myself. I would be dead.

So you die with Addison's. (Without treatment) End of. You'd go into adrenal crisis. So that's what would of happened had I not of pushed.

I'm one of around only a few hundred who had sheehans syndrome. Which damanged my pituitary. So I have secondary adrenal insufficiency

The good things though

I'm alive to see my children grow up
I can live an almost normal life.
I've met some wonderful people from all over the world.
I now work with some of the worlds top endocrine drs.
I met my beautiful best friend.

So although it's hard. Had it of not happened. I wouldn't be alive. So I thank my lucky stars daily

Thanks for the replies. Drs have only checked the obvious, thyroid, vitamin b, d and iron and thyroid.

I honestly don't know how to push for more tests. What do I say? I just don't feel healthy for a women of my age.

I will look up the conditions listed. I just wish drs got on with things instead of crawling through everything. It takes weeks for simple things.

I'm not sure what to even request as they don't seem to be seeing patients anymore.

@Chill08

Hello. Sorry to hear you are feeling bad too. I hoped taking iron would solve my problems. Then I hoped vitamin d would help. But I dont get through a single week without exhaustion, cramps, nausea or just low moods. It's worse since lockdown but I don't feel I'm getting better despite trying to walk more and drinking more water. I have nights where I'm awake for ages. Also I wake up as soon as I fall asleep.

@Happyheartlovelife what number did your first cortisol test at? Mine’s dropped from 400 to 271 in 6m but told nothing to worry about, yet I feel so ill