Low energy

**Wotan** · 21-11-2011 08:17 PM

Well it wouldn't hurt would it?

To do the doc a favour take along your diet sheet and try to remember if the symptoms started just after falling ill or anything. He'll probably want to do some more specific blood tests and you might get a bit of a physical (he'll probably be looking for things like an enlarged liver and stuff). What will be immediately on his mind is whether you are anaemic or not, whether you have cancer, what state your thyroid levels are in and whether you have a chronic low-level infection of some sort (possibly viral).

He will also get you to answer a few questions about your thoughts etc. This is to see if you score anywhere on the depression scale and if you are a suitable candidate for meds.

Let us know how you get on.

**scaryeire** · 21-11-2011 08:53 PM

Hi jus seen your thread now.

Just my two cents, I had eaten a lot all my life and always skinny as a rake! Never had to be at docs/hospital in my life, until I started getting very tired, very noisy stomach always had, hair started fallen out a bit, then had to go into hospital after pain started in my stomach and wouldn't stop.

Long story short, found out I was a Coeliac, but pain didn't go away on GF diet, and returned even worse, turned out couple of months later found out I had a collapsed part of my small intestine due to undiagnosed coeliac disease caused small bowel lymphoma.

Not tryin to scare you or anyone just to make you aware of what happened me, maybe something to look into that's all. Best of luck with whatever is happening you.

**Wotan** · 21-11-2011 09:45 PM

That IS scary! Sounds the same as Fiji - one minute chugging along and then three months later on the operating table with half his bowel missing. My dad went into hospital when he was eighty, he was a diabetic and everyone (well, me especially) thought he just had an infection. He was dead six days later from pancreatic cancer. Not that I want to worry anyone - but it really is better to be safer than sorry.

**scaryeire** · 21-11-2011 10:40 PM

Sorry to hear bout your dad Wotan, yeah pretty scary stuff! I think people should look out for low iron levels which can be a sign of internal bleeding/malabsorption of vitamins/nutrients. Just worth a check as so many people I know are been diagnosed coeliac just a simple blood test first to rule it out Ttg/Iga, I just let people know as if your shovelling foods into you that are actually damaging you it can get quite serious.

Was mad cause I was fine then for about a year or two I was quite low energy wise etc, very noisy stomach at night, and started getting dry skin all of which I never had, then got really bad pain was so severe as it had collapsed part of my small bowel so was swollen and nothing could get by without a lots of pain! Thankfully getting better just something else for people to keep an eye on

**Hector** · 10-02-2012 10:13 PM

Well I had a testosterone test done by my Dr last week, results came in today

Testosterone 11.8
FSH 4.7

From my reading on the Internet this would be regarded as pretty low, but maybe not low by NHS standards!

Any thoughts? Is the testosterone low enough to be making me feel crap 90% of the time?

**Hector** · 23-02-2012 09:04 PM

Had a chat with my Dr yesterday an she says these testosterone levels are normal so unlikely to be a cause of my symptoms - I said I disagreed but she says she has to go by the guidelines given to her - I wasn't too happy with that response. She did say she would ask the other Drs at the practice for their opinion, and if necessary refer me to an endocrinologist, but know the NHS that's probably another 6 months away at best!

**SpiderDan** · 24-02-2012 08:07 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by Hector

Had a chat with my Dr yesterday an she says these testosterone levels are normal so unlikely to be a cause of my symptoms - I said I disagreed but she says she has to go by the guidelines given to her - I wasn't too happy with that response. She did say she would ask the other Drs at the practice for their opinion, and if necessary refer me to an endocrinologist, but know the NHS that's probably another 6 months away at best!

"Normal" is a broad spectrum, did you actually get the free-T figures?

**Hector** · 24-02-2012 10:46 AM

Thanks for replying SpiderDan, no they didn't check for free testosterone! Would have been good to know too! Maybe I'll just have to go back and ask, but I just hate being a nag!

**SpiderDan** · 24-02-2012 11:05 AM

Get the full panel if you can - just looking at total T can be completely misleading.

But honestly it does sound low. 11.8 may be good enough for a guy to mill about in an office all day, slob around on the couch and maintain some element of health but for a young guy with athletic aspirations its probably not good enough.

Be as much of nag as you can - its your health!

Unfortunately if you're working within the confines of the NHS then they arent going to payout for treatment if you're reading as "normal" (assuming test is actually the cause of your low energy.) You might have to work with someone privately or look into a more holistic/alternative therapy.

**Hector** · 24-02-2012 01:00 PM

Thanks again SD! The trouble I'm having is that according to my Dr all other bloods are coming back as "normal", I specifically had to request a testosterone test, as my Dr just wanted to put it down as depression! Which to be fair I do feel depressed by not having any energy and a general feeling of "can't be bothered!"

The first blood tests, I guess for the more general things, the Dr said were great nothing even nearly low that she would consider for further investigation, now testosterone comes in low but says she can't do anything - that's what really hacks me off. I guess because any testosterone supplementation is quite a serious and big step - so I do appreciate that. From what I understand there isn't anything particularly great for increasing testosterone without shutting down your natural production.

Also I feel that my testosterone of 11.8 was probably a high reading for me, as recently I've been working out a lot - heavy compound movements, high fat/low carb diet and generally sleep well. Maybe I should go low fat/high fibre and lower the level so it falls within their low category so they may look into it further - but that just seems wrong - surely they should use the numbers as a guideline and then treat the symptoms?