First of all, I apologize, my post is a bit long! I will try to be as clear as possible... I've always been a very tired girl, even when I was a kid, I always had extreme trouble to wake up in the morning.
I have had phases in my life where I'd get extremely tired, to the point where I had to stop going to school / stop working completely. I'd also lose hair, gain weight and get a very low sex drive. Those phases started around 14 years old. Almost every episode fits with me trying to use birth control pills or depo-provera, but this might be just a coincidence. However, I have never been able to take BCP for more than 2 months because I throw them up (systematically, and quite violently).
That being said, I seem to be now stuck in one of those 'lethargic' phases, except that it's now been close to 2 years and I'm getting new symptoms / the old symptoms are getting worst. Prior to this, I was overweight but not obese, at 80kgs. I am now 100kgs. I gained most of the weight within the last year.
1 - I am extremely tired. I have a hard time waking up, I am sleepy and lethargic during the day, and I barely have enough energy to go back home at night. Sleep apnea has been ruled out.
2 - I am losing hair, a bunch of it, all over the head and there are now spots on my legs that are hairless.
3 - Hairs are growing on my chin and recently, on my breasts.
4 - My menstrual cycle went from 30 days to 45-50, with extremely heavy flow. I have severe mood swings during the first day of my period. Most of my symptoms get worse during that time too.
5 - If I get sick (like a cold), I'll be sick for much longer than any of my collegues, and I will be lethargic for the next couple weeks after that.
6 - I have a few dark spots on my chin as if my skin was dirty, I also have one spot on my right knee. They've been there for quite some time, I don't think I'm getting new ones, but these ones aren't disappearing.
7 - I recently started having puss-filled cysts in my armpits / genital area, worst when I have my period.
8 - I tend to feel dizzy when I shower, I have to lay my back on the wall to avoid falling.
9 - Most doctors I go to systematically test me for
anemia because my face is so pale, I usually look like a ghost.
10 - I am driving everyone at work nuts because I tend to get cold easily and I need to be in a very hot environment to start feeling well again, so I turn the heat up while they're not looking...
11 - I do take a lot of caffeine in a day, probably more than average people but not excessive. I have severe withdrawal effects if I don't take anything caffeinated beverage for more than 24 hours (mostly
headache, bad fatigue and
nausea).
In addition to that, I noticed that I am also more prone to UTIs during that time. I've taken a lot of
antibiotics in the past for diverse infections, and I now can't take levaquin because it makes me semi-comatose/unresponsive and gives me severe shoulder
pain, go figure. Last time I took cipro for an infection, I disappeared from the face of the earth for a full week, I wouldn't even wake up to pick up the phone, not fun.
I had a few tests done here and there, but since I am not in my home country, it's a bit complicated to see doctors, and I am starting to be somewhat worried about the fact that I'm getting new symptoms and the old ones are getting worse every day.
I would greatly appreciate any input/advice as to what to look into next. Here are some of my test results :
Fasting
blood glucose (taken every day for a week) has been steady around 80-86
Non-fasting (1 week) varied between 110-119, with a mean of 112.
Echography shows functional cyst on right ovary, enlarged ovaries but
PCOS has been ruled out.
Sleep apnea has been ruled out.
Free Testosterone : 0,016pg/ml (0,8-10)
DELTA 4 ANDROSTENEDIONE 4,8 ng/ml (0,70 - 3,50)
FSH 3,7mUI/ml (4-12)
LH 7,08mUI/ml (2-8)
OESTRADIOL 44pg/ml (18-147)
SDHA 3,85ug/ml (0,35-4,25)
TESTOSTERONE 0,75ng/ml SEX BINDING GLOBULINE 22,4nmol/l
TSH 1,26 (0,25 - 5)
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
