Loads of symptoms but bloods satisfactory?

[Ridiculouslytired]

Hi - just posting for some suggestions please.
I’ve had a blood test this week, they’ve done a full blood count, thyroid, kidney, liver and diabetes. I’ve spoken to the receptionist and apparently they’ve all come back satisfactory.

I have an appointment with a dr next week, and I’m really wanting some help in what to say or ask for as I’m so desperately tired all the time.

symptoms include: debilitating fatigue ( I only have energy to do the absolute essentials), weight gain, night sweats, forgetful/brain fog.

what can I say to be taken seriously and not fobbed off? Or any ideas what could be doing this or could be tested for? I snore dreadfully so was wondering about sleep apnea. I also thought it could be low thyroid as I had postpartum thyroiditis 11 years ago, but obviously that’s come back ok. Generally healthy diet. Oh, I’m 48 and still have regular periods.

I think you need to get the actual numbers

There's a difference between "satisfactory" and "optimal"

They often go for lower levels than other countries to hit "satisfactory". So that's the first thing I'd do anyway. Years ago, I had a sensible doctor give me a prescription for iron because my level has just only hit satisfactory. I was fine again within a week.

as you've already had thyroid issues, I'd particularly want to look at that.

Did they do any tests for vitamin levels?

sounds hormonal and you've just had a baby so your hormones will be wonky.

i feel like that and it’s menopause.

@TalulahJP OP hasn't just had a baby?

@Ridiculouslytired actually if you're having night sweats, it could be something to do with menopause - did they do any hormone tests?

OP says she had post partum thyroiditis 11 years ago . . . She doesn't say she's just had a baby . . .

All of those are symptoms of menopause, have you spoken to the Doctor about that? Some surgeries have a nurse who specialises in that area.

Sounds like Peri but would be helpful to see actual results

Agree you need numbers. I had my iron checked a year ago and it was "normal", within 6 months it was debilitating fatigue etc and my iron was abnormal. However it turns out that the first time my iron was something like 35, normal is considered 30-300, and I've read since that really 75-100 is the minimum you actually want - my iron was low but it just wasn't showing as such.

Do you have, or can you download, the NHS app? My test results were on there.

Yes, definitely no babies for 11 years!
the nurse just said that I was being tested for the things I mentioned above - not sure about hormones. I’m really worried that I will get into my face to face appointment and be told that there’s nothing further they can help with. But I’m so debilitated by this that my everyday life has shrunk to work and doing essential jobs and sleeping.

I have got the app but apparently my doctors don’t publish results on there (according to the receptionist). I’ll pop in next week and see if they can print a copy out for me.

I did wonder about that. Can they test for it at all?

Sounds like Peri. Sleep quality is impacted which leads to more fatigue.

Do you have a way to monitor your sleep quality, such as a watch? Prior to hrt I barely had any restorative sleep so never really recovered.

Hrt has helped.

Another consideration is autoimmune conditions. Is there any family history?

Ask for them to check your B12 levels. Look in the Pernicious Anaemia website for symptoms of low B12, which can be PA or malabsorption. They are many and varied, but relatively easily controlled with injections every 3 months after an initial loading dose.

I’ll have a look at that, thank you

Don’t know any family medical history going past one generation, unfortunately so I have no idea about autoimmune problems.

im a numpty. got my glasses on now apologies! i read “just posting” as “post partum” although the sentence wouldn’t make sense that my menopause brain for you lol. 😂

bloody menopause.

Echo this. My level was super low (I felt like I was dying). The initial bloods done by the GP surgery (and hospital! when I was admitted) didn’t include B12 and it took a while for me to be diagnosed

These are the classic symptoms of perimenopause. At your age HRT would be recommended. No need to test hormone levels, it’s inaccurate as they fluctuate and it’s not recommended post-45.

As others have said satisfactory isn’t always optimal. Mine came back as satisfactory despite me having dizzy spells, cold hands and feet or generally just being bloody freezing, fatigue, high heart rate when exercising, also takes a long time to drop, low VO2 levels - shoved my results in chat gpt and my ferritin flagged instantly as it was 25 - anything under 30 should be treated according to NICE guidance but nothing was suggested to me. B12 was also borderline. I don’t trust NHS guidelines anymore for good reason - women’s health anyone - so I always double check now. It’s sad we have to though.

You don’t need a test, just a trial.

id agree double checking b12. I’m hypothyroid and don’t seem to absorb b12 well despite good diet. I’ve found I do a lot better when my b12 is in the higher ranges and I take extra. Also folate - I feel horrific if that’s low-but-not-deficient and also seen the have to have more (I take all b vitamins)

Definitely check your results yourself then do some research on optimal levels. You shouldn’t have to but after having my ferritin level of 5 marked as borderline by my GP, which is much less than their range, I don’t trust the NHS to treat deficiencies properly.

This.

I had a wonderful GP when I hit peri, who looked at all my ferritin tests since giving birth 13yrs previously. She said I'd have seriously low Ferritin for the whole time..

No one had thought tell me. Not surprisingly I was on my knees!

I added the following:

Mirena coil fitted (helps sleep)
Oestrogen
Testosterone a few months later

Plus added magnesium glycinate, vitamin d/K2, ferrous sulphate every 48hrs with vitamin C tablet.
Added kefir to diet.

Got ferritin up to 118, and I've gone from 5 illnesses a year to one. Plus no more crying, no more hopelessness. Energy levels improved.

At 48, regardless of whether you are having regular periods or not, you are almost certainly in perimenopause and what will fix your many symptoms is HRT. You may also have other things, like an under or overactive thyroid, low iron (yes, do query the numbers, if your ferritin is above 10 you will told it's normal, but its very low indeed and will almost certainly be impacting your life).

Thanks everyone for your help. I’m going to pop in to the drs and see if they will print me my test results so I have them in advance of my appointment to do a little bit of research. I’ll definitely also ask about HRT/menopause as well. I’ll let you know!

I’d ask to be set up with online access to everything; you can check yourself. It may be helpful in the longer term

Also if you’ve just had Covid or flu, this is how I felt and it was some post viral thing