Crashing fatigue blowing up my life

[KittyFanesParasol]

About 18 months ago I started getting tired very quickly. I was diagnosed with iron deficiency without anaemia and iron tablets pulled my ferritin over 30. Felt a bit better but not much.

Since then I've been back to my GP 3 times and each time told my ferritin, haemoglobin and thyroid are fine (have checked thyroid levels myself from other sources and they are bang on average).

I was told to do more exercise but physically cannot manage this. I've had to go part-time so I can sleep in the afternoon before ds gets home from school.

I cannot continue working part time. I'm at a complete loss. DS told me that I'm "always asleep " and I felt the shittest mother ever. When I'm asleep I'm instantly deeply asleep.

Any advice welcome. I'm taking vit D, E, B, magnesium and iron supplements.

Are you vegetarian

Use Spatone natural iron water for the iron ferritin levels and getting them higher.

My ferritin levels increased from 17 to 70 using two sachets a day. They are better absorbed and contain literally just water high in iron. Much better tolerated.

OP for iron, do not take it more than once every 48hrs with a high strength vitamin C tablet. No food or drink 2hrs each side.

You will absorb SO much more
I went from 16 to 118 in six months.

And 30 is shit for ferritin.

Dont know your age but could perimenopause be a factor?? A trial of HRT may help

I felt exhausted all the time with ferritin at 31, so technically within range. I am supplementing with, I think, 32mg of iron daily (in an absorbable form) and a few months in am feeling a good bit better. I would keep on the iron for now.

@AnnaMagnani If your daughter's ferritin is 24, that should still be below the lower reference level as they have recently raised it from 15. I would definitely believe it could still be her ferritin levels.

Sorry, @AnnaMagnani that should have been someone else!

Does it get worse after activities? If so it could be pem which is part of CFS. The GP can do a range of tests

Thanks so much everyone for your responses.

No, I'm not vegetarian. Yes, it does get worse after activity. I unexpectedly had to collect DS from school at lunch and when I got home I slept like the dead.

@Orangesandlemons77 I wasn't aware that there were any tests for CFS? I must admit this is the diagnosis that scares me the most.

No virus that I recall, did have Covid back in 2020 but was pretty much asymptomatic, I only picked it up because I lost my sense of taste.

so what was your B12 result?

I’ve just been diagnosed with ME/CFS about 4 weeks ago.

In honesty I was thoroughly pissed off, I’d have liked the absolute exhaustion to be a deficiency of some sort so I could medicate/aim to resolve it.

There aren’t any direct tests - it’s a diagnosis of exclusion, but in truth the symptoms in my case were absolutely bang on. Eerily so.

Maybe check them out and see if any of it rings bells for you too.

They do blood tests to rule out other things

Please go back and see your Dr again. I had this and ignored it for ages as I thought it was just ‘modern living.’ Turned out it was cancer. Didnt show up in my bloods at all but was picked up on a CT scan.
I’n not trying to scaremonger, Its very unlikely its the same thing for you, it could be any number of things…but if its that debilitating then its not just low iron and you need to find out what it is. Don’t let them fob you off.

How old are you?

When I first slid into peri menpause I found too many carbs with my dinner would cause an insulin spike and then I'd have to nap when the crash came.

HRT has sorted that though. I kinda miss the nanna naps sometimes, as irritating they were at the time.

Low iron levels are a common symptom of Coeliac disease.
1:100 people have Coeliac disease but most are undiagnosed (only 1/3 of Coeliacs are diagnosed and on average it takes 13 years to get a diagnosis).

www.coeliac.org.uk/app/uploads/iron-and-iron-deficiency-may-2024.pdf

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/about-coeliac-disease/symptoms/

Can I ask which type of cancer you had please?

The first question is how are you sleeping overnight. Napping during the day is often unhelpful for overall sleep quality - it reduces your drive to sleep at bedtime. Sleeping too much also makes people feel more fatigued. Have a very regular time to go to bed and get up (the same time to get up every day is important) and cut out day time naps. Build in daily exercise even if just a walk. Sunshine helps regulate the sleep cycle.

Sorry, only just seen this. I have Non Hodgekins Lymphoma.