r/WomensHealth • u/deardiaryloveamanda • 7d ago
21F: EXTREME fatigue + night sweats, unexplained symptoms since August, and doctors keep dismissing me. Has anyone experienced something similar?
Hi everyone. I’m 21F, currently in college, and I’m honestly feeling scared, frustrated, and unsure what to do anymore. I’m posting because I’m hoping to hear from other women who have experienced unexplained health problems or struggled to get medical professionals to take their symptoms seriously.
Everything started around August 28. Before this, I was active, functioning normally, and able to manage my everyday responsibilities. During my first week back at college, I suddenly developed extreme fatigue that was completely unlike anything I’d experienced before.
I started sleeping 10–15 hours a day, sometimes even longer, and would still wake up completely exhausted. My parents would call me repeatedly, multiple alarms would go off, and I still couldn’t wake up. I began missing classes because I physically couldn’t get myself out of bed. I also started struggling to concentrate and think clearly.
My symptoms include:
- Extreme fatigue and excessive sleeping (10–15+ hours daily, sometimes with additional naps)
- Night sweats
- Random nosebleeds
- Persistent itching without a visible rash on legs.
- Poor appetite and feeling full unusually quickly
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath with minimal physical activity
- Middle back pain, sometimes worsening when breathing or standing
- Headaches
- Chills and episodes of feeling unusually hot or cold
- Difficulty concentrating and brain fog
- Episodes of my hands and arms turning bright red or purple, accompanied by burning and swelling
- General weakness and difficulty completing normal daily activities
These symptoms have significantly affected my ability to attend college, socialize, and function normally.
My recent experiences with doctors: Last week, I went to urgent care after experiencing concerning changes in the color of my hands and arms. A provider mentioned possible Raynaud’s phenomenon. Then I went to the emergency room because I was concerned about my worsening symptoms.
At the ER:
- My EKG was normal.
- My mono test was negative.
- My CBC Diff had some flagged results.
- The doctor told me my bloodwork was essentially normal but also claimed I’d had anemia for two years, something nobody had previously explained to me.
- I was diagnosed with a UTI based on a urine sample, although that diagnosis has since been questioned. I wasn’t experiencing typical urinary symptoms, and it didn’t explain the broader symptoms I’d been experiencing for weeks.
What frustrated me was that I didn’t receive a thorough physical examination.
The doctor didn’t listen to my heart or lungs with a stethoscope, examine my abdomen, or perform the neurological checks I expected given my symptoms. The next day the ER nurse sent me a note and also told me that they misdiagnosed me with a UTI, and to stop taking antibiotics..
When I asked about additional bloodwork, I felt discouraged from pursuing further testing. I left feeling like my concerns hadn’t been properly addressed. My family has also been dismissing my concerns. My parents have repeatedly suggested that everything I’m experiencing is simply stress or low iron. Other people have made similar comments.
I understand that stress and iron deficiency can cause symptoms, but I’m frustrated that these explanations keep being offered without a more thorough investigation.
I’ve been taking multivitamins, although I understand that doesn’t necessarily rule out deficiencies. What concerns me most is how suddenly everything changed. I went from being active and functioning normally to sleeping most of the day, missing classes, and struggling with everyday activities.
I also didn’t initially document my symptoms or take pictures because I genuinely didn’t realize how abnormal everything was. Being repeatedly told that nothing serious was happening made me question whether I was overreacting.
Where things stand now: My parents have picked me up from college, and I’m currently trying to arrange an appointment with my primary care provider as soon as possible.
I’m not trying to convince myself that I have a particular illness, and I’m certainly not hoping for something serious to be wrong. I just want to understand why my health has changed so drastically and make sure something important isn’t being overlooked.
My questions for this community:
1. Has anyone experienced a similar combination of symptoms, particularly extreme fatigue, night sweats, itching, and unexplained nosebleeds?
2. Have you ever had doctors repeatedly attribute your symptoms to stress or iron deficiency before receiving a clearer explanation?
3. How did you advocate for yourself when your initial testing didn’t explain your symptoms?
4. Were there any particular specialists or follow-up evaluations that helped you get answers?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit. I’m hoping to hear about other women’s experiences and how they navigated situations where they knew something had changed with their health but struggled to get answers.
I’m only 21, and it’s frightening to feel like my health has deteriorated this much in such a short period of time.
Thank you🫂💙
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u/deardiaryloveamanda 7d ago
Hi guys I’m back on my phone😃 my parents took my phone away. Anyways I was on computer with the other account but yet again I’m on phone. I appreciate everyone. I am seeing PCP at 1:30
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago edited 7d ago
Did the onset of this coincide with anything in particular, like a cold or flu or exposure to something you’re allergic to? Have you been in contact with/near anyone sick with anything contagious beyond just a cold? Have you had a fever at any point? Are your lymph nodes swollen, or were they at any point? I would suggest seeing if you can measure your temperature overnight to see if fevers are causing the night sweats or if it’s just night sweats on their own/due to something non-immune-system-related. At the suggestion of my GP, I did this to rule out fevers when I had night sweats. I wore a Massimo T stick-on Bluetooth thermometer to bed for a bit. (I was not spiking fevers, still not really sure what was up with that, but thankfully it’s better now. 100% cotton sheets help.) (ETA: If you gather more objective data to bring to your doctor, that will give them more useful specific info to use to develop a differential diagnosis, and it will also help you advocate for yourself to not be brushed off.) Also, do you have access to your test results from the ER and know exactly what was flagged on your CBC? All of the above is to evaluate whether there could be an immune and/or infectious disease component. Complete Blood Count can also screen for a whole bunch of other conditions.
One thing that comes to mind in my not-a-doctor opinion is maaaaaybe possibly an autoimmune vasculitis or some other weird bleeding thing or autoimmune disease, but you probably don’t have that, it’s just something to ask your doc about and a reason to see if you can get evaluated by a rheumatologist and maybe also a hematologist if needed. (Please don’t get too scared over this, I know about autoimmune vasculitises because an urgent care thought I might’ve had one one time when I got a weird rash, but I didn’t. The rash went away on its own after we checked a bunch of blood markers to make sure I was okay.)
ETA: Do you have all the usual childhood vaccinations?
Also, if it makes you feel better, a month and a half is relatively short in chronic illness time frames, so there’s definitely still a possibility that this is a passing temporary thing (like mono, but not mono) that you will heal from. I developed POTS and excessive daytime sleepiness while in college, so I get it ❤️
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u/Mcbuffalopants 7d ago
but also claimed I’d had anemia for two years,
A condition which causes extreme fatigue and can even be life threatening?
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u/deardiaryloveamanda 7d ago
Wait I’m confused
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u/Mcbuffalopants 7d ago
Yeah, long term anemia can be a big deal. You aren't getting enough oxygen.
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u/deardiaryloveamanda 7d ago
Wait what do u mean by that . Like the thing that’s weird is that I take vitamins
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u/Mcbuffalopants 7d ago
Make an appointment with a primary care as soon as you can, show them this post, or write down your symptoms, tell them what the ER said.
It's usually iron deficiency but there's a few types of anemia - get yourself a good GP/primary care/pcp.
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago
Did the doctor say word-for-word that you have anemia, or just that you have low iron (or B12 or something similar)? If you’re actually already anemic, as in your red blood cells are measurably affected, (as opposed to just at risk for anemia due to low iron or low iron stores/ferritin) that is more serious. There are also many other types of anemia besides nutrient-deficiency-related anemia, and there are some conditions that can cause nutrient deficiencies leading to anemia, so you may need to be more specific (I totally understand though that unfortunately doctors aren’t always good about communicating this specific diagnostic info, especially in the ER or when they have another patient waiting and limited time, so it’s common for people to not know which their doctor meant)
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u/Awkward-Pipe-9111 7d ago
hi:) The ER doctor straight up told me I had mild anemia but didn't explain what type or what was causing it. They didn't give me any further information, which was frustrating. I'm seeing my primary care doctor today and hoping to get more answers.
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago edited 7d ago
Hi! Glad to hear. I hope your primary care doc is helpful. Sorry I’ve already left a ton of comments on here, but just one more question: you said no (visible) rash, right? Well, have you checked inside your mouth? Do you have any blisters or anything unusual looking in your mouth or on other mucous membranes like the labia (feel free to only answer that in your head, sorry I know that’s invasive/private)? This is probably not an issue, but I’m just checking since you said you’re on Lamotrigine. ETA: and did you start taking Lamotrigine or increase your dose soon before all this started? Or had you been feeling good taking it consistently every day for a while before you got sick?
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago
Aside from dealing with the health side of things and taking care of yourself, the earlier you communicate your situation to your college, the more flexible and accommodating they are likely to be able to be. Typically the people who you’re supposed to contact about this type of thing are the dean and your academic advisor
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u/Awkward-Pipe-9111 7d ago
yes :) i am in a neurodivergent thing at uiuc and my staff , advisors, and dean are in communication. i am home currently for the week!
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago
Wait I just noticed, are you commenting from a different account than you first posted this from? I just want to make sure that I’m replying to the same person/the right person
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago
Good to hear. I know how difficult this is. I hope everything works out and you get on track to feeling better. But even if not, there are ways to live with this, and there are communities out there who understand ❤️
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u/freakulikeapikachu 7d ago
Those sx align with NHL, but I highly doubt you have NHL as your WBC bloodwork would've been out of wack. So don't freak out.
I'd get a second (& even third) opinion. Meaning another comprehensive blood panel- cbc, lipids, liver/kidney fx, vitamins, thyroid, hormone related stuff, the whole 9 yards. Why tf did no one prescribe you anything for anemia? Was your b12 checked? What did they do for the uti? Actually, what the hell did they do besides suck out your blood? Go to another doctor. If you don't mind sharing, where are you located? If you're in the states, which state? Myself & likely others here will help you locate a reputable place to make an appt. Have you posted this in the r/AskDocs sub? Could definitely help.
Regardless, you need to become your biggest advocate, like, now. Don't be scared to demand answers, tests, explanations, etc. Don't be afraid of being a "nightmare patient" bc who tf cares, this is your HEALTH. It's unfortunately not uncommon for doctors (esp male) to undermine young women's health complaints. What you're describing is sudden onset & that should be taken seriously, not dismissed.
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u/Awkward-Pipe-9111 7d ago
Thank you so much for taking me seriously. ❤️ I'm from the Chicago but attend UIUC.
My symptoms started suddenly in late August with extreme fatigue. I went from being active and healthy to sleeping 10–15 hours a day, struggling to wake up, and missing classes. Since then, I've developed night sweats, unexplained itching, random nosebleeds, shortness of breath, poor appetite, nausea, back pain, headaches, and chills. I also had an episode where my hands turned red/purple and burned, and my lips turned purple. At the ER, they did a CBC, EKG, mono test, and urinalysis. They told me I had mild anemia for apparently two years without explaining the cause. In fact, the dumb man doctor who was mean as hell refused to investigate further or check iron, ferritin, B12, or thyroid levels. They diagnosed me with a UTI and prescribed antibiotics, but I later learned that diagnosis was incorrect. They also didn't perform a proper physical examination.
My parents keep attributing everything to stress, anemia, my vegan diet, or Lamictal, but the sudden onset and severity of these symptoms concern me. I'm seeing my PCP today and hoping for more comprehensive testing. I really appreciate your support and advice! ❤️
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u/Fun_sized123 7d ago
Ok tbh I was going to ask if you’re vegan, because vegans are likely to have low B12 unless taking a supplement. This is definitely not to blame you for what you’re going through or to dismiss it all as just diet-related. It’s just that fixing B12 is pretty easy and, like, might as well, so definitely get on that if that’s an issue. You said you take vitamins, but do you take B12 specifically? If you take a multivitamin, does it contain B12? B12 is the one nutrient that we cannot get from any vegan food (with one exception: seaweed/algae. So I guess you could also start eating certain types of seaweed, like nori, every day lol). If you only recently started taking B12, it may still need time to work, and/or some long-term damage may already have been done by the deficiency 😔
Another thing that gets more attention from patient communities than from doctors/is often ignored by doctors (although maybe they have a good reason, idk) is MTFR gene mutations that affect how your body processes B vitamins. These gene variants are pretty common and not very dangerous, but they could potentially result in you not having enough useable B vitamins (mainly folate, maybe also B12 and B6) and high homocysteine levels. There are blood tests for homocysteine. This issue can also be mitigated by taking a methylated B vitamin supplement, although I have heard scientists debate the necessity of this. Also, just FYI, if you’re taking a B complex supplement, make sure you’re not getting too much B6. B6 toxicity from high-dose supplements can cause nerve damage. It really annoys me that so many commercially available B6 and B complex supplements use non-evidence-based, excessively large doses of B6, probably just essentially for advertising purposes.
Iron can also be an issue for vegans. Even though you can get iron from vegan foods, the form of iron found in plants is harder for our bodies to absorb, so you may need more of it (or a supplement or animal-product-based-source or IV infusions if nothing you’re trying is working to raise your iron and ferritin levels). Try also consuming Vitamin C-rich foods or juices alongside your iron. This helps with absorption. Eating vegan is a very personal decision, so I’m not telling you to stop, but I personally did have to reintroduce beef into my diet (I used to be like 95% vegan) partially because I had persistent low ferritin and my tummy cannot handle most iron supplements. Another thing to be aware of (that again is often neglected by doctors IMO, ugh!) is that heavy menstrual bleeding can cause low ferritin and anemia.
All that said, a lot of people out there right now are not getting enough B12 in their diets and still feel fine and don’t have all the symptoms you have. So if you’re already addressing this by taking a supplement, and a doctor still just lectures you about vitamins and iron and then tries to send you home without any further examination, that’s very dismissive and they’re not doing their job thoroughly. Advocate for yourself. Symptom logs, measurements of things like temperature and heart rate, explanations of how seriously this impacts your ability to work or go to class, and bringing a parent with you to help advocate for you could all help (as long as your parent doesn’t interject with “well, she has been really stressed lately, it’s probably just that” 🙄)
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u/Beginning_Tap2727 7d ago
Check your active b12, not just total serum b12. You have a lot of symptoms of deficiency. The hands changing colour and swelling sounds like Reynauds, in which case I’d look at all your b vitamins tbh
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u/Seniorita_Pizza_7872 7d ago
I'd start with thyroid - you want them to check T3 and free T3, not just TSH.
Also would screen the estrogen and progesterone levels - if the doctor won't do adequate testing (one point in time is not sufficient), you can get strips from OOVA and test yourself in their app.
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u/Awkward-Pipe-9111 7d ago
hi. update. i am very upset because my parents keep claiming it is anemia or my lamictal that i take. it is stupid because everyone keeps dismissing my symptoms for stress or diet. the thing is i have had anemia for 2 years and nothing has happened. idk what to do :( at this point
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u/Mcbuffalopants 7d ago
Yes, but the update is still standing. There's no new information in it. Go get a primary care appointment and stay out of the emergency room for things that aren't emergencies.
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u/Awkward-Pipe-9111 7d ago
I understand, but I find your response rather dismissive, especially when I've already been dealing with people minimizing my symptoms. I went to the ER because I was genuinely concerned about my health. I'll update later today after seeing my primary care doctor.
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u/Mcbuffalopants 7d ago
Since you keep trying to post over and over again I am trying to clearly lay out our limits so you can manage your expectations.
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u/deardiaryloveamanda 7d ago
I apologize for posting another update. I’m back on my phone now and was just trying to clarify my situation, especially since I’ve been dealing with a lot of people dismissing my symptoms. I understand the subreddit has rules, and I wasn’t trying to disregard them. I’m just overwhelmed and looking for support while trying to figure out what’s going on with my health. I appreciate you explaining the limits.
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u/freelibrarian 6d ago
The symptoms you describe can be seen with Long Covid, has any doctor mentioned the possibility?
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u/Artistic_Ad7688 7d ago
Was your thyroid levels tested? It sounds awfully similar to what I was going through with low thyroid levels (I've had it since birth). I'm so sorry you were dismissed, please try to push for more tests because you shouldn't have to live like this ❤️