I suffer from depression and anxiety, and while I know that these are major factors in affecting general health and wellbeing I am beginning to feel so fed up with feeling unwell all of the time.
I'm so drained and exhausted all the time, I have constant pallor, dark circles under my eyes, terrible dry and flaky skin and my face is covered in red blotches, scabs and blemishes. My hair is so thin and frail it breaks when I brush it and it just always looks flat and dull. Sometimes when I am out walking around, I feel breathless, I drag my feet like my legs are weighed down, lightheaded or like there is a pressure in my skull, or that I'm carrying a block of lead inside my abdomen. I feel sniffley, I go from perspiring excessively to getting chills through my spine. And my muscles ache and 'tenderize' very easily, like my body is constantly in a dull state of pain. I often come home after a day out and have barely enough energy to drag myself upstairs and collapse on my bed and my body almost throbs from fatigue, I can feel every pulse pounding through me because my heart rate is so high. As a woman I also suffer from terribly heavy and painful periods that take a massive toll on my health, and leave me bedridden for at least 2-3 days every month and I still never feel like I completely recover afterwards.
I have tried absolutely everything over the years- specialized diets, exercising regularly, taking vitamins and supplements, holistic treatments and self help books- but I can never seem to feel completely healthy. I have maybe one week out of every couple of months when I feel 'good' but I can rarely enjoy it thinking about when it will end. I'm starting to wonder if there is something really wrong with me under the surface that I have been missing, but my symptoms are so broad and vague I have no idea where to start considering what it could even be.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thankyou to those who take the time to read this
Hi Holly , sorry no one has replied to your request for help , i just happened to see your posting , how old are you Holly ? Have you had chance to discuss your problems with your gp , or who have you been to see to get some help?
Are you going through the menopause ? Please get back to me
I'm 25 so definitely not going through the menopause. I have discussed several of my individual symptoms with different doctors in the past, such as my skin health and my painful periods, and have simply been given treatment/advice on them as and where it was needed. But I have never raised a concern about my overall feeling of ill-health with a GP, neither have I ever had any kind of tests done to determine any underlying conditions.
Hi Holly , have you had full range of blood tests ? I mean for everything , thyroid , hormones, diabetes , the works , so that these things can be ruled out of the equation ? Are you able to go and get this done at your gp ? from there you should be able to start an action plan to get better , a young woman like yourself shouldnt be having all these problems , there are lots of people that can help you get back on track , but start with the doctors first , then you can go from there , etc etc ,I think
Obviously I dont know your own particluar circumstances but make today the start of getting some answers and improving things .
I think you need to look at the endometriosis websites , have you heard of endometriosis , this could be something you may be suffering with , please look on line at the various organisations ! Theres lots of information available and support , let me know how you get on
I haven't had any formal blood tests done before, I used to give blood about a year ago and the nurses would sometimes pick up I was low on iron and therefore couldn't donate, but that's about the only thing. I have looked into different disorders relating to thyroid and hormones and they both sound like something I could look into as they generally seem to fit what I'm going through.
Otherwise I have also heard of endometriosis and did a fair bit of research on it in the past because I was looking for answers to my abnormal periods. The doctors before told me that it was all 'normal' and I could maybe consider getting a coil fitted which might alleviate some symptoms. But I believe there is no way to tell if it is endo without them going in surgically, so I doubt there is a chance they will do that unless they think I am seriously suffering.
Anyway I will definitely look into getting some tests done, if only to put myself at ease because I need answers really.
Hi Holly , thats good you are being positive , if you are iron deficient you will feel lousy all the time , try and get your bloods done for everything , i suggested and go and have a good talk to your doctor , and in the mean time get a good multivitamin with minerals and iron , the supermarkets usually sell their own brand at good prices , check your eating properly and getting the right nutrients , things may only need a small tweak to you on the road to better health
Hi Holly, i have just read your post. Sorry i cannot offer any cure,but i totally empathize with you. I have also suffered with depression/anxiety & feel shattered nearly every morning. Im fed up with the effort it takes to feel normal ish for the day. I also hate looking dark under eyes all the time. I just want to feel normal for a longer period of time,instead of the odd day here & there. I have a voice in my head saying "be grateful for that" but i just feel Fed up,with being physically fit,but feeling malaise most of the time. It is a constant worry to me & i have a tendency to withdraw,which leaves me feeling suicidal. I also feel once you are tagged with depression/anxiety it's not even worth going to GP,because your diagnosis is already made. I have had many blood tests & Im generally healthy. Well Holly,just wanted to say "know how you feel" & i so hope your day is a decent one. Kind regards Marlon
Do you feel that maybe you are gluten intolerant? I am not sure what the symptoms for this all are but I do feel for you. HOpeing that you find out what ails you soon.
Though this was posted about 10 months ago I would like to advice you that should try Yoga, and meditation along with some good diet.
The problem of depression and anxiety is due to hectic work life in modern days if you are into a job you should take a few days rest, if you are a student you should stay at home and away from books for 1-2 days. This will help you get back to your routine lifestyle.
Hi, I know this is an old thread but I literally feel the exact same way. I feel like there is something really wrong with me but I have been diagnosed as being bipolar type II which means I feel horrible for a long while then I get a short burst of feeling better which makes me think you may have the same? Just a suggestion, I know how debilitating it can be ive been through several jobs and can't cope with the way I feel, might be worth talking to someone about, personally medicines didn't work for my moods but everyone's different.
Low Ferritin levels could be an issue since you are so young and no where near menopause. You could be anemic.
Thyroid is a big one as our adrenals. Sounds like you've got those symptoms.
I'm old 76 and deal with narley arthritis but finally got my thyroid "fixed" after a 10 yr struggle there. So Many don't get properly supported for their thyroid.
Vit D3 is vital as many are deficient unless in so much SUN that they get plenty of Vit D.
Grape Seed Extract a powerful antioxidant has been saving me for the last 19 yrs, my immune system is good and strong. J
You need to take an iron tablet everyday. 2hours before or after you eat. Pharmacist has them - ferrous sulphate. Without fail. Allow 3 months turn over but you should feel better quite quickly. If not sounds like a thyroid problem. but really really sounds like anaemia as I have it mildly.
Very good idea to get all your blood levels checked, for me Ferritin is the culprit, this is stored iron and from years of losing blood the stores were not replenished....all my other irons are good, so I'm not anemic..
There are many doses of iron from 18mg up to 50mg, I buy the 50mg tab which is ferrous furmarate but I buy all my supps on line....don't take it daily but probably a couple times per week to get the ferritin up higher....
Iron needs to be taken AWAY from calcium too...
Iron can constipate and that is not good, so for me daily magnesium in higher doses keeps me all around regular. Plus helps with joint and heart health too.
It takes work to keep healthy. And we need to do our work and use docs for labs etc....
I have felt exactly like this for years , i am 67 now and convince myself something must be wrong with me because i feel so exhausted and unwell all the time, maybe a couple of good days here and there. I have a lot of aches and pains and palpitations but that is all. I too am fed up with feeling like this
I'm a male in my forties, and know too well that something isn't quite right. I know of the fatigue, the changes mentally, etc. It really impacts one's life where you're doing just enough to stay alive.
I do hope you are feeling better now. I just came across your post and I could associate a lot of the symptoms you are mentioning,and I wondered if a B12 blood test might be a good idea. I have recently been diagnosed with B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia and you have been having a lot of the symptoms.
Like you I have had depressive illness for a long time. I have also had symptoms like hair breaking and falling out and bad periods. I am now on the menopause and it started when I was 34. Firstly you need to take Vitamin B6 every single day at least 10mg per day for at least 3 months before you will notice a difference, I done this and my bad period symptoms stopped although I had to take it regularly for a few months. You could add an insurance to this and take evening primrose oil 1000mg one per day for all your female symptons (aching breasts etc). They do work. For my hair falling out I tried everything, iron, multivitamins, specialist hair pills, until I got some amino acids complex which includes them all and not just one or two of the amino acids, and took a large tablet of those one each day which I do not like as the tablet is so large. I still take them and for them to work well they need to be taken for at least 9 months along with a multi B vitamins. This was proven by my consultant when I told him I was taking amino acids, he then said take with vitamin B complex. So good luck with that.
The other thing that helps is a daily walk of at least 10 minutes, I do not do this as my breathing is real bad but I should as it keeps us fit, I dont know if you are like me I have got out of fitness and need to get back into it. I find my breathing is better in the summer months so will be walking soon hope you will join me.
ps I also havea thyroid problem that went undiagnosed for a long while. To reticfy this you need to take kelp tablets daily for months. If you take regular medications from the doctor all they will do is say that you cant take kelp but whenever I have taken Kelp my thyroid medication need has lowered each time as I only take it for 30 days at a time.
I would suggest seeing your GP to see if thyroid is an issue and if iron is an issue anemia and thyroid do make you feel so tired all the time. But you could be like me and find that it is a number of issues and not just one. So do not give up trying to nail it.
i realise this is an old thread but you described my symptoms almost perfectly ive been like it for so many years from my 20's and just been left to cope ... depression depression depression drs have been little to no help, ive had horrific periods and now im of the age for menopause and thats getting the blame for all my ills however, after tests for thyroid and all sorts and every thing is 'perfect' i asked the dr to explain what the hell is wrong with me .. she came up with Fibromyagia i have to say i felt fobbed off never heard of it and as per usual she did little to help of recent years i got an all over body pain worse than anything i have had before and my tiredness went to an all time high wiping me out to the extent i thought i would have to pee myself as it was such and effort to move ... thankfully thats not happened yet ive researched fibro as i knew nothing of it and had never heard of it but it seems millions have it ??? ive since found a couple of people i know who have also been diagnosed which has surprised me even more. I still feel a bit fobbed off as it seems little to nothing can be done to control it apparently its an inflamation of the nerve endings causing the pain so they have kind of linked it with arthiritis . the only thing i have found to help me is a very clean healthy diet ... which when low and tired i just find so difficult ... maybe you could ask the dr or / and look into it for yourself - good luck i hope things improve for you x
This is probably such a late reply you wont even look....I to have similar to you and....have for a long time....iv just been tested for thyroid,its borderline underactive so have started medication...but...think il end up back on antidees....Im really struggling....please Let me know how you got on xxx