Would you see GP about feeling tired all the time in this situation?

[ToadsThePeanutButterSnob]

So I have felt like utter crap for a while now. Constant tiredness, no motivation and feeling sluggish. But I also haven't been taking care of myself either and have been living off junk food and heavily processed food with very little fruit and veg and drinking nowhere near as much water as I should be. I have still been taking my multivitamin religiously though.

I'm not sure if it's worth bothering my GP about this especially when I kind of know what the answer already is and what they will likely say. Then again if my junk food diet has made me defeceint in something then surely it is best to know?

I just don't want to waste their time...

*deficient

I would stop eating junk food and start taking care of myself. Only if the feeling persisted after that would I bother the GP. You can’t abuse your body and get away with it by popping a multivitamin.

Start small and try an apple and a few nuts a day. Or a tinned vegetable soup. Or some sweetcorn on the side of your ready meal.

Yes it would be wasting their time 🤷‍♀️

Make changes to your lifestyle first

Depends - do you have any other symptoms or unexplained weight loss?

@PlanDeRaccordement

I would stop eating junk food and start taking care of myself. Only if the feeling persisted after that would I bother the GP. You can’t abuse your body and get away with it by popping a multivitamin.

Okay. I will start now .

Also probably a stupid question but how long should it take after cutting out the junk food to feel the difference?

I don't eat well and I do get periods of tiredness, but it's not all the time, which it would be if the theory that everyone who doesn't get their 5 a day would be tired all the time. There are millions of people who eat like you/us and not everyone is tired so I don't think it's an adequate explanation for how you're feeling.

Do you feel able to eat well, take vitamins, get some exercise/fresh air & look after your mental health for 6 weeks?

If you think you can, then do that first.

If not then see your GP.

I think its worth chatting to your doctor. Tiredness and feeling sluggish may well be to do with diet, but its worth getting full blood count to be sure. I often have anemia and that should be treated or ar least monitored while you make dietary changes or medication if that's what is required.The NHS is there to be used if you are concerned about your health.

@ivfbeenbusy

Yes it would be wasting their time 🤷‍♀️

Make changes to your lifestyle first

No weight loss but over the past 3/4 days I have had a headache. I haven't had one constantly but it always seems to come on at some point during the day and it eases off with paracetamol. Obviously don't want to be taking paracetamol every day though.

If you aren't drinking enough then the headaches could be a sign on dehydration. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day for a couple of weeks and see if you are still getting them.

Yes your diet could be contributing to your issues but it could be something else. I went to the doctors at the start of 2020 as I was so tired all the time and was struggling to get through simple tasks each day. I had two sets of bloods taken a few weeks apart and I had dangerously low vitamin D and folate acid plus there were issues with my liver function which were all contributing to my fatigue. I was put on some medication and helped to make changes to my diet and I feel great now. Never feel like you're wasting GP time if you have a genuine reason to be there.

Have you had your boiler checked recently? Carbon monoxide poisoning can also lead to these symptoms.

I would at least try drinking a lot of water for a few days. It could just be dehydration which can cause tiredness and headaches. You will know within a few days if it's this so fairly easy.

If not then go to GP. Be prepared that they may be reluctant to test vitamin levels. But if nothing shows up in first round of bloods then you need b12, folate, ferritin and vit d tested. You might have to push for these. Depends on your doctor.

Note that ferritin below 50 in women can cause symptoms like anaemia.

A multivitamin does not contain enough of anything to correct a deficiency. And a lot of the vitamins counteract each other so may not be absorbed eg calcium prevents iron from being absorbed (as does tea and coffee incidentally) so if you are low in iron or ferritin don't drink them for at least a couple of hours after your main iron rich meal.

@RavingAnnie

I would at least try drinking a lot of water for a few days. It could just be dehydration which can cause tiredness and headaches. You will know within a few days if it's this so fairly easy.

If not then go to GP. Be prepared that they may be reluctant to test vitamin levels. But if nothing shows up in first round of bloods then you need b12, folate, ferritin and vit d tested. You might have to push for these. Depends on your doctor.

Note that ferritin below 50 in women can cause symptoms like anaemia.

A multivitamin does not contain enough of anything to correct a deficiency. And a lot of the vitamins counteract each other so may not be absorbed eg calcium prevents iron from being absorbed (as does tea and coffee incidentally) so if you are low in iron or ferritin don't drink them for at least a couple of hours after your main iron rich meal.

I knew about the tea and coffee thing but didn't know about calcium. I thought it was just dairy that hindered iron absorption which I don't eat (am vegan). I have to admit that none of my meals have been particularly iron rich lately because ya know...junk food but just assumed it wasn't that much of a big deal when it came to iron defeceincy because I was taking the multivitamin.

This can be a vicious circle - you eat sugar and junk because you are tired. You don't buy healthy food and cook from scratch - because you are tired. When I had severe insomnia in pre-menopause, it felt almost impossible not to eat muffins, chocolate bars and cakes to get through the day 😳. You could take a holistic approach. More water, better sleep, more (informed) supplements, whole foods and try to cut down ultra-processed foods at the same time. Gentle exercise outdoors. If it doesn't make things better I'm 4-6 weeks, see your GP. If you have the money and don't want to go to your surgery, you can test blood for deficiencies online at labs such as Thriva.

I agree that it is a vicious circle. It's true that the more you eat junk food and takeaways you more you crave them and likewise the more you eat whole foods thr more you crave them.

I just need to train my body to crave the good foods again.

If you are vegan its worth getting your b12 levels checked. It causes similar symptoms to anaemia such as the tiredness and lack of motivation that you mentioned.

• a b12 deficiency causes similar symptoms, not being vegan!

Why don’t you book a doctors appointment for eight weeks time, and then give yourself that time to change your diet etc. If in eight weeks you feel better, then cancel your appointment. If after eating healthier you continue to feel bad, then keep your appointment.

@Standrewsschool

Why don’t you book a doctors appointment for eight weeks time, and then give yourself that time to change your diet etc. If in eight weeks you feel better, then cancel your appointment. If after eating healthier you continue to feel bad, then keep your appointment.

That wouldn't have been possible in my surgery.

I had similar symptoms earlier this year and went to doctor expecting it to be menopause related. Turned out my vitamin D was extremely low. I'm never the most energetic type but I'm definitely better after a booster course and a daily supplement.

@Standrewsschool

Why don’t you book a doctors appointment for eight weeks time, and then give yourself that time to change your diet etc. If in eight weeks you feel better, then cancel your appointment. If after eating healthier you continue to feel bad, then keep your appointment.

Can't book that far in advance. At the moment it is same day telephone appointments only and you better ring at 8 on the dot or you're not getting seen 😂

How are you feeling MH wise? Could you be depressed?