Could My Exhaustion Be Caused By Something Else?

[birdie22]

I have been gluten free for the past month. Thus far my bloodwork has been negative but I am trialing the gluten-free diet to see if if I have improvement in my bloating, heartburn, exhaustion, headaches, canker sores, etc.

Yesterday and today I've experienced almost crushing exhaustion. I wake up tired and it gets worse as the day goes on. I was experiencing this somewhat regularly prior to going gluten-free. Now, my household is not gluten-free so I know there may be cc issues and this could be a result of being glutened. However, as I looked back through my calendar of symptoms I noticed that last time I experienced this was exactly a month ago. Both times it was about 7 days prior to ovulation (or approx 5 days into my period). Could the exhaustion be caused by cyclical hormone fluctuations?

I have a follow up with my doc on Monday. The only test I haven't gotten a result on is the GDP but if it had come back positive I know my doc would've called. So, I'm going to assume everything tested negative and I know my metabolic panel, vitamins, etc all came back in the normal range. Trying to determine what my next step(s) are. I'm guessing for now it's stay gluten-free for another few months and see what happens.

[Kitagrl28]

How old are you? Hormones are nasty little things! :-) I'm just starting looking into gluten free (see my new post in this forum)...but I'm 36 (almost 37) and I know that my hormones are starting to get weirder. And from what I'm reading, some of the symptoms from a LOT of different conditions, and perimenopause and things like that can be really similar. I really think we women just plain start falling apart after the age of 35. haha.

Feel better soon.

[Roda]

Have you had your vitamin D, iron and ferritin checked? Deficiencies in those can cause fatique. I'm totally clueless about the hormones.

[birdie22]

How old are you? Hormones are nasty little things! :-) I'm just starting looking into gluten free (see my new post in this forum)...but I'm 36 (almost 37) and I know that my hormones are starting to get weirder. And from what I'm reading, some of the symptoms from a LOT of different conditions, and perimenopause and things like that can be really similar. I really think we women just plain start falling apart after the age of 35. haha.

Feel better soon.

I'll be 37 in 2 mos, so yes, I've considered that I'm in that downward slide!

Have you had your vitamin D, iron and ferritin checked? Deficiencies in those can cause fatique. I'm totally clueless about the hormones.

My ferritin is 40 (the reference low given was 10), my vit D was 52, and other iron levels were all normal. I'm going to ask my PCP if I should boost my ferritin given that it's on the low normal end.

[birdie22]

My PCP wouldn't even consider doing anything to boost my ferritin because she considers 40 a good level. She also won't test my hormone levels because I'm having a monthly cycle so she figures they are "normal enough". She did suggest I add magnesium to my supplements and thought that the exhaustion/foggy brain could be migraines since the spell I had this past week lifted after a dr pepper and a motrin.

[Kitagrl28]

Wow we are the same age...I'm 37 at the end of January. My doctors won't really test my hormones, they say they can't tell anything from it anyway. I started taking magnesium, 500 mg/day, and its helping.

[birdie22]

Wow we are the same age...I'm 37 at the end of January. My doctors won't really test my hormones, they say they can't tell anything from it anyway. I started taking magnesium, 500 mg/day, and its helping.

Glad to hear the magnesium is helping. My doc suggested 200-400mg but the one I found w/ calcium (and what woman couldn't use more calcium) and betaine HCL is 500mg. I'm going with it and can always cut back.