Exhaustion - GP not really interested - do you clever lot have any ideas/experience?

[Ewe]

I am exhausted, completely and utterly exhausted. I have just had blood test results, my iron, iron stores, full blood count and thyroid are all absolutely fine.

I also had a small internal bleed over the weekend, I am in process of being referred for an endoscopy to check that out.

GP has no clue what might be up. I have also had a few fainting incidents over the last couple of months and frequently have stomach pain and diarrohea.

I don't think it is an allergy or IBS as I have kept food diaries and they don't indicate that either of those things are likely.

I am thoroughly fed up of being so so knackered all of the time. I sometimes nap in my lunch break at work in the toilet I am so tired and always sleep on way to and from work and normally go to bed about 10 and get up at 7am so I think I am getting enough sleep.

Any thoughts? Or anything you think I should request a test for?

Bump? Or is everyone who has experienced this in bed?

sorry to hear you're feeling rubbish. from the title I was wandering in to suggest anaemia but your FBC rules that out so I'm stumped. Have you been checked out for anything viral? Sounds like you need a decent MOT and a rest... sorry not to be more helpful, cos you've helped me out plenty times.
Bump, and fingers x'd for you x x

Don't think they have tested for anything viral but given that they weren't particularly helpful or communicative I can't be sure! An MOT is just what I need, I fear they cost an absolute bomb to do privately and the NHS won't do it.

Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for me though gigglewitch think I am going to need it as GP seems to have written me off as completely fine!

bump again.

And please, get a different GP's opinion, you are entitled to - particularly as you have unexplained symptoms which haven't been investigated.

FWIW, We have a hopeless/arrogant GP in the practice we go to who has me down as a "mithering mother" I'm sure, but with three children with allergies, two of whom have asthma, I just make sure we see someone other than this particular pillock!! Last week a hospital consultant said "ignore him, just bring them straight to A&E" when I mentioned some symptoms...

Did you get your ferritin tested - that's the iron stores in your body ime that can be low whilst hb can be normal but you can still feel exhauseted bordering on anaemia.

I agree you have to pursue this further - I had this a few years ago and it did turn out to be thyroid. But it was a long exhausing process to find it out.

A few ideas. Are you very stressed? How high is your workload (home or work)?

And finally: your diet. If your diet includes sugar and processed foods, and little in the way of fresh then your body can get run down. To boost your energy levels, the best thing I've found is to make a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and put in some green algae powder (from a health food shop).

And eat only fresh stuff, loads of fruit and cut down on tea/coffee. Drink loads of water.

It may sound ominous if your diet is bad (I don't know if it is!) but it makes a HUGE difference to energy levels.

HTH. IF your diet is good, then I haven't been any help!!

I was also going to suggest thyroid problems, or post viral fatigue, which I had for 14 years after glandular fever. Have you had a cold/flu lately?

The range of symptoms for post viral fatigue is vast, and you may need a more sympathetic gp to investigate for you, but there are a lot more treatments for it now than when I had it (mid 80s on)

Are you eating well, taking a good milti vitamin, etc.

Btw, thyroid malfunctions can be hard to diagnose, we have a lot of underactive thyroid in our family. The function often shows up in the normal range, but symptoms improve with medication.

Thanks gigglewitch, found out today my private healthcare may cover some investigative tests, hurrah! Sorry to hear your GP is of little use, I think once they "brand" you it's tough to shift.

I had ferritin tested, absolutely fine apparently.

My diet is REALLY good at the moment as I have been on slimming world for a while so everything is low fat, loads of fresh fruit and veg and no white bread, sugar etc so for once in my life I don't think it is that but thank you though. It is indeed a good suggestion and will ensure I keep on it. What is green algae?

Thyroid was said to be fine but I might try and find out what the exact levels are as it could be low end of normal. I have loads of colds and flus, since I have been pregnant and since DD started nursery my immune system has been shot to bits, I am ill a lot and never seem to recover but DD has been at nursery 7 months now and she is no longer getting bugs but I am.

It's all so crap. Sometimes I (really weirdly, I know) wish I would get something more serious than a bug/cold so I could actually have a week just sleeping how screwed up is that? Forgot to mention before that my glands have been swollen for over four months too which causes my head and neck to be uber sensitive and achey. Was told that is normal though...

Oh and regarding stress, I am always fairly stressed, I work 4 days a week in a high pressure environment and like most working parents (parents I know anyway!) I always feel like I am running here there and everywhere and not doing anything quite to my full potential but I am assured that is pretty normal. My DD is only 13 months so all round pretty demanding still - do they ever grow out of that?

Went out this evening and am shattered so off to bed now. Really helped writing everything down though, love Mumsnet for therapy

great news, EWE I really hope you can get some more investigations. Keep nagging til you get it done. Isn't private insurance a wonderful thing

x-post, obv not great that you are stressed...

Ewe what sort of bleeding was it?
You could ask the dr to check your ESR and CRP which are [non specific]inflammatory markers,also tissue transaminase[i think] for coeliac.
Am thinking rule out inflammatory bowel disease like crohns disease which causes exhaustion.
Are you being investigated for the bleeding?

Ewe, I have just checked back and read your last post, and it screams post viral fatigue to me! The exhaustion, swollen glands, low immunity, even though you are eating well and sleeping as much as you can.

I'd really urge you to look into this. There are so many symptoms ... I had a lot of stomach/bowel problems, needed endoscopy and colonoscopy, if my GP had not been well informed about PVF, I could have easily been seen as a 'malingerer' IYKWIM.

That was over 10 years ago and I'm sure there is a lot more known about it now.

Try a mutli vitamin with zinc it helped me past post viral syndrome (now had it twice). It sucks but Drs don't always understand the full impact of medical issues just the medical effects. hope you feel better soon.

Just a random thought- have you been checked for a sleep disorder. you might not be getting the quality of sleep you need even though you are getting the quantity of sleep.

I have been floored by a really nasty cold with fever and then hideous diarrhea again this weekend

Someone at work mentioned PVF/CFS to me but I had a quick look into it and it seems almost impossible to diagnose. I will definitely look into it though.

I am going to the GP on Wednesday (to get referral for private consultant) and plan on requesting to see anyone but my usual doc, there is a doctor I have seen for DD a couple of times who is fairly young, nice and understanding so I am hoping to see her.

medicalprob I will ask for those tests as I wouldn't be at all surprised if I had some type of stomach problem. Had various issues with my stomach over the years so certainly worth investigating.

Not sure about sleep disorder, assume no as I don't wake up and DP hasn't mentioned anything?

If you were serious disturbing in sleep it is probable that dp would be disturbed (exception if dp VERY heavy sleeper). It is worth considering if everything else comes clear - you might not be waking up just surfacing a lot - or even very mobile in sleep (again DP likely to know about this).

Good luck with the tests. A second opinion sometimes help!

I am glad you have a consultant referral for an endoscopy and I would wait for that.

From your description of falling asleep travelling to and from work and at work, a sleep disorder called Sleep Apnoea is a real possibility. Your GP should ask you to rate how tired you feel using something called the Epworth test and on the basis of the answers refer you to a specialist Sleep clinic.

If they think it appropriate they'll arrange a sleep study where they have you in over night and measure your oxygen level during sleep.

Normally it is pretty much 100% all night but with Sleep Apnoea the throat closes and stops you breathing, causing your oxygen level to drop. Your brain then has to wake up momentarily to open your throat and start breathing again. And so it repeats. And repeats. And repeats... In severe cases you can wake like this 400 times a night. You're never conscious of it but you wake up feeling exhausted, no matter how long you've been in bed.

The treatment is not great but very effective. You have to sleep with a mask over your nose (and mouth if you can't breath easily through your nose) attached to a small device (called a CPAP - Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine) that blows air down your throat and keeps it open.

I've recently been diagnosed with it and am now sleeping properly for the first time in probably 15 years! The difference it's made is amazing and it happens within a few days of starting.

In any event, good luck.

Just a quick update, saw a different GP who was fab. Spent time with me, has ordered shit loads of blood tests (get results tomorrow) and seeing consultant on Thursday morning.

He also suggested a week off that I have yet to sort out yet but he wants to rule out it being lifestyle exhaustion too.

hello,

It seems to me, like you are suffering from Glandular Fever, GPS dont like to diagnose this so persist with me!!

Wish u all the best!!

Glandular fever can be checked by a simple blood test -my DD had it last month with similar symptoms to yours and the blood test came back within 3 days and confirmed it-she was feeling so exhausted due to glandular fever.Hope u find out soon.

The specialist recommended the following - having checked me out and found nothing wrong with any bit of me (apart from low blood pressure).

No preservatives or artificial sweeteners
Putting salt on my food (okay because of low blood pressure) and eating something salty if I felt very low.

Daily vitamin (oddly the one he names has art. sweeteners in it - I find this sort of thing with doctors a lot)

No fizzy drinks

Regular light exercise - he agreed that working with small children would naturally fulfil this!

He said if my blood pressure had been different he may have considered anti-depressants. Though he did not think I was depressed.

I am already on a gluten free diet as am coeliac - it is worth a try if you are tired all the time - but I think it may be more to do with what you replace the gluten with (a carrot stick or an apple or banana are as easy to grab as a sandwich or biscuit and I don't have to read the label).

Test for glandular fever was negative but have a couple of elevated results which I need to find out what they are etc.

I already take a daily multi vit and have very little in the way of preservatives or sweeteners in my diet anyway. Pretty healthy all in all, also have low blood pressure though which I think can make things feel worse sometimes. All very good advice!

Fingers crossed the consultant will be able to shed some light on things

Oh, deffo try the salty food thing then. I forgot to mention no alcohol. I wondered why I always got ill at Christmas even when it was lovely and sunny here in NZ. I think it's because I have a glass of wine a night a few times in a week. Since I stopped drinking completely I am fine. So no bread and no wine.