What could these weird symptoms be?

[StargazyDrifter]

Since February this year, I’ve had four episodes lasting 2-3 days each of feeling feverish and achy, weak, sleepy, sensitive to everything, just wanting to curl up. As if I’m about to come down with a bad cold. I just plod through it and then it passes, never actually coming out as a full blown cold/illness and with no actual fever. Then I get awful cold sores the day I start feeling better. Once those clear, I’m ok again.

A couple of colds last winter, thanks to soft play, but no Covid that I know of. I do have PCOS but these episodes don’t seem linked to my cycle in any way. They also don’t link with exposure to others and DH/DD don’t get these. Cold sores are a long-standing thing I get when ill or stressed, but they’ve never been preceded by this other stuff.

I feel like the GP might laugh at me and say that I’m just tired. I’d quite like to understand what this is might be though. Any thoughts, lovely MNers?

Hayfever /allergies. Your immune system is acting up. May be you have changed too much stuff you have used regularly over the years like detergent/soaps/ favourite brand of tomato tins, bread, flour etc etc. Normally if you change 1-2 items then you get a mild allergic reaction and you hardly notice. May be because of lockdown or panic buying you bought a lot of new stuff as replacement.

I don't mean that you were panic buying but because of panic buying a lot of stuff was unavailable so you might have bought replacement items.

@Literallyfedup thank you, that’s a really helpful steer! I hadn’t thought of this, and we’ve definitely been eating a lot more random stuff lately. I will try a food diary before GP, much as the thought makes me groan inside.

I’ve had the few days of feeling under the weather, then it clears then it’s back, but without the cold sores. I usually put it down to a ‘virus’ which I guess it’s what the GP would say, but have you had your bloods done recently? You could be low in iron or generally run down.

I think it would be worth seeing your GP and getting bloods done (including a full blood count) as there are a number of things with fairly non-specific symptoms that it would be worth ruling in/out sooner rather than later.

Do you have any other symptoms - fatigue, achiness, hot flushes, breathlessness, easier bleeding (gums, nosebleeds, bruising)?

Thanks, both! Useful to have an idea of what to ask GP, too, ie iron, blood count.

Yes, fatigue (but could just be toddler!) and just lately bleeding gums, which I hadn’t thought to link.

Perhaps it might be some sort of vitamin deficiency. What's your diet like?

I would go to the doctors and get blood tests done - do you know how high a temperature you are having. It maybe worth taking when you get it if not already to check its not very high.

Though sometimes I've found my immune system has just gone haywire and an illness can go and come back but then sometimes needs meds to shift it. I'ld go and see if the doctor can offer anything to help / can test.

The doctor is probably best placed to advise on blood tests but mine normally run a few standard ones which include full blood count.

In my experience low levels of vitamins and nutrients can make you more susceptible to weird things like the random infections, extreme tiredness, aching etc. It sounds very similar to a low level of vitamin d, but low vitamin b or iron can be common culprits too. Very much worth contacting your GP as they might request bloods.

I used to feel exactly like this OP. Turns out I was anaemic.
Look inside your mouth at your gums, are they pale? And gently pull your eyedown, it should be nice and pink but if pale that's another sign.
Def get a blood test.

Your GP will take tiredness seriously btw. It’s literally the only reason they need to request certain bloods!