20 weeks and feeling rubbish!

[rasull]

I'm 20 weeks and lots of rubbish symptoms but a clean bill of health. Any recommendations on supplements or anything to help make me feel better? Exhausted, permanent headache, palpitations and breathlessness but no reason for it (I'm glad that all my test results were fine but also, can't keep on with this and work)! 2nd pregnancy and am getting the most sleep I've had in a longggg time! (UK)

Did they check your iron levels? It sounds like you could be anaemic, especially with the symptoms you are having.

Yep, they've checked everything and apparently all "normal" 😞

How long has it been going on for? There's all sorts going round at the moment so you could have picked something up or maybe your body is just saying 'ok, I'm tired and fed up already' 🤣 are you taking the pregnacare vitamins?

I was going to say maybe check haemoglobin levels + ferritin levels. I had really bad palpitations and that was the reason for me.

I would also suggest having the midwife checking these figures because they seem to have different figures for anaemia than the GPs. For example, the hospital said I needed to be below 10ug ferritin to be treated, whereas the midwife said under 30ug.

With iron tablets the palpitations stopped for me.

Been going on for a few weeks. Took a week off work because of it and still felt no better. I have an ECG in Thursday, but not sure what that will really tell, if anything at all!

I can't get hold of my midwife they've changed the way you get in contact with them - the triage midwife at the hospital just bounced me back to the GP because of the palpitations. That's interesting to know that the midwives treat levels differently! I'm not due to see her again until 25 weeks 😬

I have tried Pregnacare but doesn't seem to do anything. I don't think the iron tablets you buy off the shelf are right/strong enough?? Could I be wrong?

Hi,

The triage midwives usually only treat emergencies, and so I am not surprised they passed you on. I would try and get a telephone number for your community midwives (if you have some), I usually leave a message for them to call me back and they help me over the phone.

Pregnacare has 17mg of elemental iron, and I am taking 65mg iron a day (if ferritin is low and haemoglobin is slightly low), but this can be increased to 130mg/195 elemental iron if haemoglobin is extremely low. Ferritin levels are only tested by request, for some reason (I only know about this because my mum is a retired nurse).

Good luck - nothing worse than feeling extremely tired like that.

My iron was within normal range but I am taking iron tablets just from Holland and Barrett and they’re definitely helping, so I’d recommend that. Otherwise plenty of water, and as healthy a diet as you can face; and get some sun when it’s out! I’ve felt better the days I’ve forced myself to do some exercise even having a stretch at home, sounds counter intuitive but it works for me

The community midwives don't give out a phone number anymore - you can only email them, and our was whoever triages their emails that said to ring the hospital triage midwife! It's not the most helpful!

Thank you so much for your suggestions! ❤️ I think I might get iron tablets on their own and see how we go! Don't see the midwife till 25 weeks as it's my 2nd pregnancy.

I had similar symptoms to you and the midwife recommended I go to A&E as they will run more tests sooner. Ended up with numerous blood tests, echo, ECG and VQ scan all within 48 hours. Everything came back fine apart from some slight anemia but they took is very seriously - maybe a trip to A&E might be more effective?

Double check you've had b12 checked mine was dangerously low in second pregnancy honestly I felt like death!