
What Causes Weakness, Fatigue And Excessive Sleepiness While Suffering From Hemorrhoids And Arthritis?



My blood pressure is normal, sugar is normal, hemoglobin 11 or 12, ferritin - below normal. I take iron for bleeding hemorrhoids, sometimes Tylenol for muscle pains, back pains, etc.. I am not taking any other medicines.
My question is: what kind of chronic condition can possibly lead to this seasonally intensifying symptoms? Can this be because of aging? Though for the age of 73 isn't it a little early to feel this way?
Thank you.
Colonoscopy should be done.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thank you for the query.
Stomach inflammation or peptic ulcers usually get more visible in spring. And you take iron supplements which can cause this condition. Once the inflammation becomes more intense, may cause chronic bleeding and weakness.
In my opinion, you should find out the source of bleeding. Hemorrhoids can be such source, but without a colonoscopy, we can not say if it's the only source.
And even if there is nothing in colonoscopy, hemorrhoids should be removed to stop the bleeding.
Gastroscopy is also strongly advisable.
In addition to that, it's also important to have creatinine and thyroid hormones checked.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask further.
Regards.


thank you.
You do not bleed from hemorrhoids.
Detailed Answer:
Well, your thoughts are not completely right. Bleeding can be present all the time. You just don't see it. That is why we have a test called FOBT (fecal occult blood test) which detects OCCULT blood. My suggestion was that you may bleed from something else, not from hemorrhoids. Colon cancer can easily cause low iron level. Same as stomach inflammation (not an ulcer) or stomach cancer. Both do not give symptoms or symptoms can be missed.
Have you ever had colonoscopy done? If not, that IBS diagnosis is completely wrong. You can not diagnose IBS without colonoscopy.
Joint pains, weakness, flu like symptoms can appear due to a cancer or inflammatory bowels disease or any other autoimmune disease. The symptoms may fluctuate depending of the air humidity and temperature.
So once again, colonoscopy and gastroscopy should be done.


Regarding those invasive testing procedures - they do not cure, do they? Sometimes they even do harm... And if I decided to do it, I would probably not have the need to look for web site doctors advise. Very experienced doctors might not need all possible tests done to rightly raise the diagnosis.
Thanks.
Please see the answer below.
Detailed Answer:
Well, I do not want to argue here. It is not a point of this service. And everything is up to you. It is your health.
Colonoscopy can cure actually. If you have a polyp (or even cancer in the polyp) it can be removed with colonoscopy. And having a polyp in the large intestine, which wont be removed gives around 90% chance to have a cancer.
Constipation is simply a risk factor of colon cancer. So is the age. Very experienced doctors think they may diagnose everything without current standards. But remember that it is your health, not theirs. Colonoscopy is not very sophisticated test. It can be done in sedation. The risk of complication is around 0,5%. But again it is your choice.


it gets better all of a sudden, I have almost enough sleep, then I feel okay.
I understand aging is mostly at fault of insomnia, but mine is too little too much and happens almost every night... It's exhausting.
SSRIs medicines can help.
Detailed Answer:
Insomnia, very often appears as a symptom of some mental distress rather then any organic condition. For example depression/anxiety is a common factor of insomnia. Sleeping becomes kind of superficial, so your brain do not get to deep sleep, and intermittent as well. It might be the only symptom of some deeply hidden problems (not noticeable for other and not noticeable for you).
Great improvement and sleep regulation can be observed after small dosage of SSRIs medicines used to treat depression, anxiety. So how about trying it?
Quit coffee, caffeinated drinks, add Magnessium supplements to the diet can help as well. Please consider it.


Magnesium might be a good idea, but wasn't this supplement used for something else - e.g. constipation? What about selenium? It could be a coincidence but lately I ate lots of sunflower seeds and my sleep kind of improved..
Thanks.
Please see the answer below.
Detailed Answer:
Magnesium citrate is used in case of constipation. But Magnesium malate for example is used to restore Magnesium deficiency. Lack of this ion lead to nervous system irritation and improper functioning.
SSRIs are for example Sertaline (known as Zoloft). It must be taken for at least 3 weeks to see the benefit. Sweating, low libido can appear at the beginning of it usage and disappear after 2-3 weeks. Its kind of safe medicine. Just needs to be discussed with a specialist first. SSRIs are present for 40 years I guess (Prozac was the most known).
Sunflower seeds contain vitamins (A,D,E,K) so it is very possible that it has caused some improvement.

Answered by

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
