So many health issues! Always something!

[windfarmview]

I’ve never known myself visit the doctor so much. I’m 52.

Over the past few years it’s all I’ve done. Every bout of covid (3 separate bouts) would knock me for six and I’d need antibiotics for a chest infection. I’ve not been able to settle on HRT as it causes anxiety and headaches so I’ve been back and fore over that.
Then I had suspected appendicitis that turned out to be an ovarian cyst, then another really bad chest infection straight after that.
Ive had investigations that have turned out to be IBS, I’ve now developed a suspicious lump on my hand that is needing an MRI, within days of that starting my back went, so badly that I needed diazepam and codeine and now I have sciatic symptoms so I’m being referred for and MRI for that. They think a herniated disc.

I don’t sleep too badly on the whole, bed at 9.30-10pm and awake at 5.30am. Sometimes I have a few nights of insomnia though.

My manager must be heartily sick of me - I’ve not actually taken much time off work and have tried to work, even when unwell but it’s getting embarrassing having to ask for time for appointments or to work from home.

I take a daily vitamin D, I eat a varied diet with at least a couple of my 5 a day. I am overweight by a couple of stone (size 16) but I don’t feel I struggle with it. Work is stressful and I’ve had a couple of significant bereavements over the last few years but have pushed through. We’ve no worries, financially fine, kids grown and fine, happy marriage etc.

Not sure if this is life of a mid 50’s person or whether I’m unusual. Anyone else the same?

Sounds like me. Except I'm so embarrassed how often I have been to the GP in the last few years I've stopped going.

I've had my own thread about aching constantly and feeling like I'm 100!

I sort out physio stuff privately bypassing GP and everything else I ignore. So my excema is getting worse, I can't be bothered sorting out a new asthma inhaler (don't panic, it's a case of trialling rather than needing), and there's a host of things that other people might go to the GP for but I simply am worn out by the amount of medical people I've had to see in the last few years. Including 4 surgeries.

I'm bored, bored, bored.

So I stagger on and hope it all goes away. Fingers in ears.

Oh, I'm 48. Menopause has absolutely wrecked me.

Yep. This year two eye infections, toes got some unidentified inflammation, appendicitis and osteoarthritis on my foot.

in addition I have high blood pressure and cholesterol, under active thyroid, severe mental health condition

surprisingly I don’t have any bad perimenopause symptoms. I am 50.

Hello OP, I'm just 50 and although I don't have all of your issues (thankfully) I've visited one doctor or another more in the last 10 years than i have in the first 40 years of my life. Part of the visits have involved just getting no joy from one doctor, so I end up trying another eventually. I started peri young-ish (late 30's) and I've had almost daily headaches, some migraines, sinus pain form 2014 onwards for about 6 years. They put it down to high BP and i'm medicated now. But 100 percent it was hormone related. I've had digestive issues since peri started. I've had irregular periods, bouts of dizzyness, bouts of sore gums, aches, dry eyes, sleep issues. I've just never felt well since peri started. I'm now through the menopause and have been on HRT since 2021. Feeling a lot better. I've never had hot flushes though :-)

Wishing you well OP... Being a woman is sh*t sometimes !!!

HRT. Only answer for lack of oestrogen although obvs life changes help

Hello @windfarmview

I am 57, nearly 58 and over the last year, I have never been away from the GPs. Although, my GP eyeballed me when she told me that on my records, there hadn't been a urine sample, blood pressure check, weight check for nine years. Therefore, I was had in for everything. Resulting in an endometrial polyp following investigations over something entirely different.

Always healthy, menopause was fairly uneventful and no HRT. I have had pneumonia, three chest infections, a kidney stone and a recent hip x-ray due to suffering pain for the last three years which I have dealt with via hydrotherapy and exercises via YouTube.

I feel as though I have aged in the last year to my actual age so I understand where you're coming from in terms of what I consider to be age-related conditions that have happened all at once.

Luckily, and I am in a newish job, my employers are very supportive. I can work around my appointments. I am still working full-time and my biggest worry is having to drop days should things nosedive. If I can work full time until I am 60, that would be good. Then I can drop two days.

So, I don't think it is just you. I think it is probably more common than we think. My mother was the same. She never went to the doctors at all, then in her 50s, she was never away.

If work is stressful, can anything be alleviated there ? My role is stressful at times, but I can usually find support from my line manager who is very approachable and allows me to prioritise my tasks within my team.

Not to mention a herniated disc is immeasurable painful so thinking through pain is more likely to have a knock on effect on your daily activities. My brother had a herniated disc and he was in terrible pain for weeks with his wife at a loss as to how to help him. Chronic pain is debilitating and it is no surprise to read you're feeling as you are.

Solidarity.

Oh god, same here! I'm kind of relieved to know it's not just me.

These past 10 years have been hell. Peri started at 46 and I'm now knocking on 56 and feel like I'm constantly calling my surgery.

In the last 18 months, it's been sinus issues, so CT and MRI scans, tinnitus so CT scan for that too, fainting episodes so shit load of blood tests, heart monitors, blood pressure monitors which found nothing and GP tried referring me to heart consultant but they werent interested so no diagnosis and its just been left dangling, then it was skin flushing whenever i drank alcohol so series of blood tests for allergies and gp again tried to refer me to specialist but they said no (because im not diagnosed with serious enough allergies to warrant an epi-pen) so thats been left with gp saying 'just dont drink alcohol 🤷‍♀️), then it's second lot of bleeding so fiddling around with hrt dosage and referral for scan (twice in 12 months), antibiotics for tonsillitis, im trialling propranolol for anxiety (which is off the scale) And I'm just about done tbh. I just feel utter shite all the time!!!

Well ladies I’m glad in a way it’s not just me! It must all be due to the drop in hormones I suppose, everything is controlled by them. I feel I’ve lost the respect of my young male manager, I try not to lose too much work but I do have a lot of appointments at the moment. I used to be this sharp, quick thinking, fit and energetic person. Now I’m grey, fat and slow and am always having to ask for time for this hospital or doctor visit. I’m lucky my husband is wonderful but I can easily see how some men would immediately be casting their eye to a younger model, I feel it’s happening to me from a work perspective.