Is it normal to feel this crap?

[Lemons8519]

I'm just so tired and exhausted all the time this can't be normal can it?! I feel extremely lethargic all day long and just a feeling of generally being unwell. By evening i actually don't feel too bad and best i've felt all day.
I sometimes get muscle twitches and aching arms and legs, feeling out of breath when I go upstairs. More recently my left eye is twitching and pulsing several times a day.
I had blood tests recently, all fine apart from my iron levels being a bit low. I've been taking ferrous sulphate for last 2 months or so but has made no difference

Have you had your ferritin levels checked? I felt like that recently and my ferritin was 16 (normal range 12-291)

After three weeks on iron, the dizziness and horrible symptoms have stopped.

🙄I don't know why I missed your last para!!!

It does sound like an iron problem though!

Agree it sounds like low iron. My ferritin was down to 6 due to heavy periods. Started iron supplements and felt a difference within a couple of weeks. I had all your symptoms, the crushing fatigue is horrible.

Are you exercising? It’s sounds counterintuitive but I feel exhausted when I don’t exercise and it becomes a downward spiral.

if I manage to go for a walk / do a class I’ll be tired that evening from the workout, but it does wonders for my general energy levels.

Do you know if there is a difference between low iron and low ferritin or are they just different terms for the same thing?

I do know what you mean and would like to exercise more but can be difficult to fit in around work and a toddler.
I try to go for a brisk walk, pilates or swimming when I can but very few and far between

Ferritin is the protein that stores iron. They are different things. I'm not sure if you have low ferritin levels you automatically have low iron and vice versa, and if taking iron supplements helps. Ask doctor/pharmacist.

I'd recommend taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D and a B vitamin complex in the mornings - can't remember why I decided to start taking them but I've found my energy levels have improved massively, even though my bloods were fine. Both about £2.50 for 90 tablets in Boots.

Yes when my results came back, it said I had low iron stores. I felt awful. There is a steep hill on my dog walk and I couldn't get up it without stopping and trying to get my breath.

Yet 2months earlier I would run 5k without breaking a sweat. So very fit but like there wasn't any energy left in my body.

Did they check your thyroid levels? Tiredness and muscle cramps are symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Snap. Same here. However, I know I have a thyroid prob, parathyroid adenoma and low vit d.

Have you had your thyroid checked AND viewed the results yourself? ( I know that I feel shit when my results are within the upper part of the reference range).

Like seriously, GP's will be like 'oh your thyroid looks all good' Yadda Yadda, when yor TSH is like 4 or something and you feel like you're dying 🙄

They checked my thyroid when I had my blood tests done, that was when it came back with borderline low iron. But I've not actually seen the result myself