I feel so unwell all the time

[Fern2]

I am 34 years old. Work full time. Never had children. And for the past 5-10 years I spend most of the time feeling unwell. Probably about 60-70% of the time, in bouts of up to 5 days at a time.

I have no quality of life anymore and doctors don't listen to me. Sometimes i've read about things and think 'Wow, that could be it!' but then I go to the doctor, have the tests, and apparently all is 'normal'. Some blood tests are so variable that on one occasion, something is off, but the next time, its fine although there's been no treatment.

When I say I feel ill, its a feeling of not being 'with it'. Of having a fuzzy head, tiredness, dizziness. Achy muscles. Exhaustion but i've slept fine. Like when I speak sometimes I know I can't be making much sense at its worst. Nobody has ever said they notice, but I wonder if I come across a bit strange in the way I am, because of how I feel. It seems to be worse at work, when i'm up and walking about the most. I don't have pain as such but I don't have any energy and really have to push myself.

I do suffer from depression but I have reasons for it which is out of my control so a situation depression. I take anti depressants for this and have done for 15 years.

Tested for but don't have:
Thyroid Problems
Vitamin deficiency
Anemia or iron problems
Blood pressure problems
Basic female hormone problems (have a period every month)
Inner ear or balance problems

At this point i'm starting to say I want a brain scan to check there's nothing wrong with it.

Its just confusing that it isn't all the time that I feel so ill but it is more than would be normal. I don't work with any chemicals or anything which would make me have a dizzy feeling.

You can get your thyroid tested with lloyds online dr / superdrug

Has your feretin improved ?
Have u done a Qfit test to rule out bowel polyps ?

Important to look 4 the cause of low iron / feretin

Mines 45 now - low and im extra tired

@Fern2

Following

I am the exact same . Was anaemic from very low b9 but even taking the supplements I still feel awful . As if someone said to me you have you have widespread cancer I wouldn’t be surprised at all . It’s awful I have no life . I dread every day and the only thing I look forward to is going to bed / sleep .

I had/ have the same. Same age as you. One child, felt the same before and after.

After years of tests for everything from Lyme disease to vitamin deficiencies and I even had sinus surgery that I never needed (long story!). Finally went to see a neurologist privately for £200 and he diagnosed migraine. I now take amitriptyline (50mg) and most symptoms have gone. Still get some tiredness but say 50/60% better. I have a better quality for life now but not perfect. Still catch colds and virus’ easily.

I haven’t read any other comments but would be interested to see if anyone else answers the same or similar.

Just started to read all the other posts…

I grind my teeth badly too (I wear a guard at night), grinding teeth causes migraines. I’ve never had a typical migraine/headache so never even thought it was the issue.

I think you should try getting out and exercising, even a short walk every day in the fresh air. Build it up. Eat well. It can do no harm, and might really help with your mood as well as physical health.

This. My dad had all sorts of random health issues for years and years. He was also on Xanax for years and years . He could never put 2 and 2 together.

Every medication comes with side effects. Even if that is slightly out of range blood results, OP. Which may make you then feel anxious that something is physically wrong.

Interestingly to the poster mentioning migraines, I have suffered with migraines since I was young which made me bed bound. Not as frequent anymore but I do find that taking aspirin does sometimes make me feel a little better and more 'awake'. Just a thought.

My last TSH reading was 3.01.

I have moved a few times since all this began so the Carbon Monoxide suggestion can't be it

What antidepressant are you on OP?

Sounds very much like I was before I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia & ME/CFS. The brain fog & fatigue is a killer, I can cope with the pain because I can take painkillers, but no drug is going to kick-start my brain.

I’d go with fibromyalgia, are you in constant achy pain?

My fatigue & brain fog feel like I'm permanently hungover, I don't get up until maybe 11.00am & by 3.00pm I can't keep my eyes open, I have a nap before tea & one after. Have you had any trauma? Mine all started when I had a traumatic birth having my ds & nearly died. The pain is in all the pressure points on my body, neck, end of shoulders, elbows, hips, spine, knees & feet, even if ds brushes past me it hurts, if I touch them myself they feel as if I have a massive bruise. When I wake up in a morning, I feel like all my joints have been screwed up too tight. Even something like a simple cold causes a flare up of my symptoms, I also have ibs like symptoms, it affects so many things, I have even got to be careful what clothes I wear, I can't wear a bra because of the pain it causes, even my hair hurts like it has been in a very tight ponytail. You need to ask to be referred to a rheumatologist to get a proper diagnosis, I thought I had rheumatoid arthritis before I was diagnosed.

My last TSH reading was 3.01.

While this is within normal range in the UK, it might be the case that it’s too high for you, as an individual 34 year old woman.

Given your symptoms, I’d ask for a full thyroid panel including antibodies to be done. If your GP refuses, could you afford to pay? Private providers can do it, either using a local hospital to do it (preferred), or by sending you a DIY kit. Last time I looked online it was about £100 all in including the blood test and report.

There’s a lot online about thyroid ranges in the UK and a lot about the debate around them and the very basic testing we are offered.

Also, have you ever had any tests for inflammation / inflammatory conditions?

Try some B12 jabs * not tablets

I'm not a doctor - but you sound like me! It took me 7 years to receive the correct diagnosis of Lupus and PSA. British doctors don't seem to test for these as early as they could but I'd be asking for CRP, ESR. ANA, CBC and a full metabolic panel. I would also ask for the full set of antibody tests (anti-RNP etc.)

Doctors in the UK told me I was everything from depressed to a hypochondriac......it took one blood test in the USA to start showing what was really wrong.

Please persevere and maybe even go private for the tests if you need to. There are now some great treatments which help and can improve the quality of your life.

Have you considered that the anti depressants may be making you feel this way

How's your diet op? Any special approach, Vegan? Low carb?

OP. A lot of your symptoms are my symptoms. I’ve been diagnosed with PBC. You need a blood test to check your liver function, especially AMA (Antimitochondrial Antibody). Good luck.

Are any of your joints hypermobile, OP? (Double jointed is the old fashioned and incorrect term)
Look into EDS.

This. I was exhausted with fatigue with a TSH of 3.15. I bought a finger prick blood test kit from Medichecks which tests not only TSH but FT4, FT3, and TPO and TG antibodies. Whilst my FT4 and FT3 were 'in range', my antibodies were through the roof. That meant my GP prescribed Levothyroxine.

Medichecks offer a range of tests, I see they also have 20% off their test kits till the end of this month. Be sure to get one that has the full range of labs as the one I did had (£65 here but you'd get 20% off):

https://www.medichecks.com/pages/search-results?type=product&q=thyroid&productListPgNo=1

You might as well be describing me before I got a vestibular migraine diagnosis. Check out the Facebook forum vestibular migraine professional for more info. Ask to be referred to a neurologist who specialises in migraine. Not all neurologists do, you want someone who knows their stuff. If it is migraine, you could be sorted with a daily preventative.

Hi all,

Due to feeling so unwell all the time still I recently pushed for a blood test. And although I don't think enough was tested for (No autoimmunity for example) there was one reading which stood out to me.

I am told all results were 'Normal' but upon asking for a print out, I see the following:

Ferritin: 23 ug/L (Range between 22 - 204 ug/L)

Now I have been prescribed Iron tablets in the past, although they didn't seem to make me feel much better and caused the usual stomach problems so I stopped taking them.

Is my Ferritin result a possible problem? Doctor has marked it as Normal and it is in range, but only just.

I've had a few days recently where i've had all the achy muscles and sleeping in the day time again.

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?