Stumped by exhaustion

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TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
For the last six months or so I've felt exhausted all the time - I can very easily sleep over 12 hours and get up feeling unrefreshed. I have had Crohn's Disease for ten years and it has been in remission since I had surgery a few years ago.

I've had all the usual tests (anaemia; thyroid; diabetes; liver function etc) and they're all normal. I might just settle with trying to work out how to deal with it myself, but it's got considerably worse over the last couple of weeks and now means on some days I'll hit four o'clock and feel genuinely unwell - completely out of it, as if I'm about to pass out, poor eyesight, tingly fingers and so on.

The GP is advising me to see my consultant as soon as I can, so I've sorted that out but it won't be at least for a few weeks. My thoughts are that it's some sort of deficiency, but I've no idea what.

Any suggestions?

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
Are you eating normally? Do any exercise?

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
Eating normally, exercise level hasn't changed in the time period. (I don't do much other than a lot of walking, but I'm happy to exclude that because it's the same as it has been for ages.)

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
Full blood work and urine tests? Did they check all hormone levels? Did you do single blood tests or x2 24 hr urine tests or both?

Slink

2,947 posts

173 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
I have chrones and will be needing surgery soon, and ive been told that after i have that, I will require b12 injections monthly, which im not going to to as i cannot stand needles, so will be going for a b12 nasal spray instead.

b12, if you dont have enough can make you feel tired an just have no energy at all.

might be something to look into, you can get a blood test for b12 lvls.
its absorbed in the last part of the small intestine, so if you had that taken out cause your surgery, might be the cause.

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
goldblum said:
Full blood work and urine tests? Did they check all hormone levels? Did you do single blood tests or x2 24 hr urine tests or both?
Selection of general standard 'tiredness' blood tests - from memory iron, folic acid, vitamin D, thyroid, diabetes, liver, celiac, full blood count. Single tests. No urine tests.

Slink said:
I have chrones and will be needing surgery soon, and ive been told that after i have that, I will require b12 injections monthly, which im not going to to as i cannot stand needles, so will be going for a b12 nasal spray instead.

b12, if you dont have enough can make you feel tired an just have no energy at all.

might be something to look into, you can get a blood test for b12 lvls.
its absorbed in the last part of the small intestine, so if you had that taken out cause your surgery, might be the cause.
Thought about B12 (my surgery was on the last bit of the small bowel and the first bit of the large bowel) and took an oral supplement for a while. I didn't think it made any difference but will give it another go. I'm assuming an injection would have a more dramatic effect though.

Slink

2,947 posts

173 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
Yeah the oral b12 will not do anything if you had the last part of your small bowel removed. as thats where it is absorbed in the gut.

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Thursday 29th November 2012
quotequote all
The urine tests (pee in a container over 24 hrs.Normally two are done, two weeks apart) Just a bit more in depth than the blood tests.

Has anyone mentioned Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to you?

JumboBeef

3,772 posts

178 months

Friday 30th November 2012
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If I eat bread at lunchtime I'm dead on my feet by 4. What do you have for lunch?

Mr_Fish

7 posts

183 months

Friday 30th November 2012
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Sounds like you Crohn's is playing up, I know I always feel tired when mine is bad...Not a lot you can do really other than listen to your body. If you are tired sleep it does make a difference as horrible as it seems, I go through points where I nap as soon as I get in from work sometimes just to give my body rest, it'll pick up once your consultant gets onto it...


TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
goldblum said:
The urine tests (pee in a container over 24 hrs.Normally two are done, two weeks apart) Just a bit more in depth than the blood tests.

Has anyone mentioned Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to you?
Nobody has but I've thought about it myself. I'm reluctant to accept a diagnosis of CFS at this point, however. I'll inquire about urine tests.

JumboBeef said:
If I eat bread at lunchtime I'm dead on my feet by 4. What do you have for lunch?
Bread, often. I'll experiment with less bread.

Mr_Fish said:
Sounds like you Crohn's is playing up, I know I always feel tired when mine is bad...Not a lot you can do really other than listen to your body. If you are tired sleep it does make a difference as horrible as it seems, I go through points where I nap as soon as I get in from work sometimes just to give my body rest, it'll pick up once your consultant gets onto it...
I should've said that I had an endoscopy last year and there was no sign of Crohn's and apart from these symptoms there's no evidence of the Crohn's.

fandango_c

1,921 posts

187 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
TVR Sagaris said:
goldblum said:
The urine tests (pee in a container over 24 hrs.Normally two are done, two weeks apart) Just a bit more in depth than the blood tests.

Has anyone mentioned Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to you?
Nobody has but I've thought about it myself. I'm reluctant to accept a diagnosis of CFS at this point, however. I'll inquire about urine tests.
I was going to suggest Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome.
Have you had any other symptoms?

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
fandango_c said:
I was going to suggest Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome.
Have you had any other symptoms?
Just what's written in the OP: exhausted pretty much all the time with periods of feeling more unwell; I'll fairly suddenly feel really out of it as if I'm about to pass out, blurry vision, tingly fingers, weak legs.

fandango_c

1,921 posts

187 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
TVR Sagaris said:
Just what's written in the OP: exhausted pretty much all the time with periods of feeling more unwell; I'll fairly suddenly feel really out of it as if I'm about to pass out, blurry vision, tingly fingers, weak legs.
By all the time, do you mean that you fel the same every day, or does your tiredness vary i.e. you feel tired for several days and then you have several days where you're noticeably less tired?

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
fandango_c said:
By all the time, do you mean that you fel the same every day, or does your tiredness vary i.e. you feel tired for several days and then you have several days where you're noticeably less tired?
All the time at the moment. It's got to this point gradually - I noticed I was feeling tired a lot over the summer but felt like it was only some days. Now it's every day.

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
Dizzy, nauseous at all? 'Brain fog'? Were you doing exercise before this started? When you have a spell does your heart rate rise?

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
goldblum said:
Dizzy, nauseous at all? 'Brain fog'? Were you doing exercise before this started? When you have a spell does your heart rate rise?
Not dizzy, not really nauseous. I'm not sure I would go as far as describing it as 'Brain fog' although I certainly don't feel right. Heart rate does rise, but that could be in response to feeling strange.

No change in my exercise level for over a year.

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
Blood pressure and heart OK?

TVR Sagaris

Original Poster:

839 posts

233 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
goldblum said:
Blood pressure and heart OK?
Blood pressure's always been fine. My heart hasn't been looked at for years - what're you thinking?

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Friday 30th November 2012
quotequote all
TVR Sagaris said:
goldblum said:
Blood pressure and heart OK?
Blood pressure's always been fine. My heart hasn't been looked at for years - what're you thinking?
Absolutely nothing, just running through a list of tests done on me. smile