Am I ill or just old?

[Caligula]

I'm 39. (No, really!)

Every day, I wake up quite achey and stiff at around 7PM. Energy is OK, I get the kids ready and packed off to school and playgroup, and then come home and put the washing out, tidy up as much as possible and start work at around 9.30, 9.45, by which time I'm exhausted and really need the sit down.

At 3PM I'm OK again and get DS from school, then tidy up the house (again), make dinner and get the kids to bed. By then, I feel absolutely exhausted, unable to do any more tidying up (even though the house is a mess becuase of the kids) and really feel the need to sit down again. By 9.30PM I'm having difficulty keeping my eyes open.

Is this normal? Am I a physical wreck or a normal almost 40 year old?

I think you are a normal single parent of two kids, to be honest, although the stiffness and achiness sound worth checking out.

C, I had aches for ages, and put off seeing my GP for about 6 months. It was nothing, apparently - just stress. Go and see him/her.

C, same age, too.

My friend was diagnosed stress for years, and eventually she got a doctor who took her seriously and she has extremely bad arthritis which all her GP's had completely ignored and had gone completely unalleviated. Stress seems to be such a convenient catch-all.

check your diet out too much caffeine/sugar/ wheat can make you quite tired my energy levels are very much related to my diet -- I remember when I did the carol detox I had so much energy I was as irritating as she was... but up at 7 bouncing round house..

also, do you do much exercise... that can help?

I do ache as well... am 40 and most of my friends feel quite similar... but if you are worried get a blood test from gp

I am 39 and feel like that most days think its old age creeping up If i eat well and get loads of early nights drink water etc I feel better but not good at taking my own advice

Waiting for a course of pysiotherapy to put it right. We are old, but, for me at least, and I'm sure for you, it's nothing sinister

I don't think you should ache! I'm much older than you and now I don't have SPD I don't ache! Do not go gently into that good night!

Caligula

What's SPD?

MI, I bloomin' well ache since one of our dogs was put down, and have to walk the other everwhere. Blimey, I've certainly noticed my age this week.

LOL at being as irritating as Carol Vorderman! Surely that's not possible?

I ache aswell and i am 27

I think i am too fat and have been drinking too much, thats my problem so i am trying to cut down

I feel much the same as you, but with fainting and dizziness as well. I'm only 23 so I think it's just exhaustion, normal for a single mum! I went to my gp and they're doing some blood tests but seemed pretty sure I just needed to rest, um when am I supposed to do that?

Fio, you're just being a show off

SPD is horrid pregnancy related condition which makes you ache.

Exhaustion, now, that I think is utterly predictable.

tiredness is par for the course, stiff and achey is not...

So what d'you think stiff n achey might be? Stress, arthritis, hypochondria or old age?

I honestly don't know. But if someone as ancient as me doesn't ache I think aching is not par for the course.

I'm old too (41) and knackered, but I don't ache. I'd go to the GP if I were you. Which bits ache?

Otto, you still moving round my neck of the woods so we can be Old People Together?

Only had achy bones when I've had flu. And if you lot are old then I'm completely past it - it was my b/day yesterday and as my dear father said when he phoned me to wish me a happy day "You're starting the countdown to the big one now"

Thanks, Dad. And he means the big one

Pah! I know you are tongue in cheek, but 39 is no age!

although it is 2 years older than me