My energy levels have been low for months but I put it down to being busy at home and work ...
In hindsight though, I was also getting bouts of nausea, some dizzy spells, and especially tired just before my periods. (I have endometriosis and adenomyosis)
Then felt awful mid Oct with the heavy cold that's been going round, during half term my daughters and husband both tested positive with covid and I started to get lots of the same symptoms as them. Fatigue, needing to nap during the day, severe headache above my eyes, body aches etc... but no positive pcr test.
By last Friday I was experiencing extreme breathlessness and exhaustion, even from climbing the stairs or trying to hold a phone conversation.
Phoned GP last Monday who felt it sounded like covid and sent me to urgent care centre red hub, oxygen levels, bp and blood sugars fine. Got sent on to A&E for chest x-ray, ECG and blood tests.
10 hrs later, I was told all fine except iron levels low, so came home at midnight with Ferrous Sulphate 200mg to take 3 times weekly, advised to book another blood test for 6 weeks' time, and also Tranexamic Acid to take during first 4 days of my period.
Phoned the GP to discuss the blood test results and they hadn't been sent through with my discharge results, so phoned the hospital to request a copy but they said they could only send to GP.
Had phone appointment with GP yesterday and he diagnosed Iron Deficiency Anaemia, said my ferritin level is 3 and my haemoglobin is 104.
He was going to prescribe Ferrous Fumerate but when I said A&E had given me Sulphate he said stick with that. Asked if anything else I can do to help symptoms or aid iron absorption etc, but he said no, everything else looks fine on bloods, just ferritin and hb so just take the tablets and rest, should start to see improvement in 2-3 weeks.
He's signed me off work for this week and next, as at the moment the most exertion can manage at a time is a 5 minute walk to school or hang up the washing etc, before I'm completely wiped out and have to sleep it off for an hour or two. If anyone phones me I always sound out of breath like I've seen rushing, even if I'm laid on the sofa.
In the last few days I've started to get more noticeable heart palpitations especially in the evenings, and tonight some quite sharp chest pains. Think another call to the GP may be needed tomorrow... any thoughts anyone please?
Any of this ring true for you? Any advice gratefully received... should I be asking for a copy of the blood test results? Am drinking a glass of orange juice or soluble multivitamin drink after the iron tablets, and trying to make all my meals iron rich with vit c too, but should I also be taking B12? vit D? Magnesium? Zinc? Anything else?
Thank you if you've read the whole of this post, it's taken me about an hour to write, that's how slowly my brain is working at the moment xx