Really crushing fatigue

[Diedrewas]

I’m so lost with this and really just want others to talk to.

Ive been suffering on and off with the most awful fatigue for over a year now. I’ve had heart checks and blood tests and all normal. I’m not sure what else to do.

It’s made my world shrink down as some days it’s so bad that I can’t even follow a conversation. I’m like a different person because of it.

When I say fatigue I mean extreme flu like where just moving an item feels like a mountain climb.

Has anyone else had fatigue like this, what did it turn out to be? The only other symptom that seems to accompany it is sometimes feeling off balance/woozy? Not quite dizzy. Floaty?

My blood pressure is generally quite low but always has been on the lower end. I’m 41, no other issues.

Sorry I meant to come back and post my bloods but they are over a year old so not sure how relevant, it’s got thyroid on there but not iron or ferritin. I think on the test they were looking for thyroid issues or diabetes

I’m going back to the gp anyway for a new blood test and will post back. I’ve tried out ferrous fumerate today to see if that helps at all.

The problem with blood tests is that the ranges of normal are so broad, if they come back normal they are 'stamped' by the lab, the doctors don't even look at them. You phone for your results and the receptionist tells you 'all fine, normal' etc. The reality is you don't feel 100% amazing until the day your ferritin drops below 11 and then you feel dreadful- of course, it's a sliding decline isn't it? My ferritin dropped from 36 to 24 in 6 months, I was getting breathless walking upstairs and reading out loud, I felt utterly wrung out, palpitations, restless legs, insomnia, terrible anxiety - but my results were normal. It was only when a very astute HRT nurse was reviewing my patches and I commented on my heavy periods and my other symptoms that she looked at the history of my bloods results and advised I took ferrous sulphate. It takes a few months but I'm like a different person.