Mystery illness. Don't know what to do.

Hey @Jlol ,

Sounds so stressful to be pulled down by constant illness. And true that you can't just take months off work - as you said, who's going to pay the bills?

I can see you been to doctors so no avail.

Chonric fatigue is so real. I know someone who was so impacted by it that he ended up having to stop working.

I really hope you get some answers soon. It sounds so tough.

Do you have people who can support you?

Hey @Jlol

This sounds incredibly overwhelming, and it makes total sense that you're feeling stuck and exhausted 💚

It's also incredibly frustrating to be trapped in that loop where your body is clearly crying out for help, but the medical tests keep coming back as "normal." When health professionals default to "just take time off," it can feel incredibly dismissive of the practical realities of life itself. Bills certainly don't pause just because we're burnt out, and the stress of worrying about job security or finances only fuels the physical toll your body is taking.

While I can't offer medical advice, I can share a few perspectives and practical steps that others, including myself, who are navigating chronic fatigue, burnout, and mysterious health-related symptoms, have found useful.

If taking a few weeks off isn't financially viable right now, the focus might need to shift to radical "pacing" within your current setup. This means looking at where you can aggressively conserve energy outside of work hours, lowering the bar on daily chores, and minimising sensory input (like opting for quiet, low-lighting environments at home) to give your nervous system a chance to drop out of fight-or-flight mode.

Because your symptoms took a massive turn for the worse at the start of this month, it might be worth looking into environmental factors if anything changed recently. Is there a chance of hidden mould, a faulty ventilation system, or an allergen flare-up at your workplace or home? Sometimes, a compromised immune system from long-term stress becomes hyper-reactive to environmental triggers.

When standard blood tests come back clear, it can feel like a dead end. However, it often just means the basic markers are fine. If you have the energy to seek a third opinion down the track, it might be worth finding a GP who specialises in complex, chronic fatigue conditions or in integrative medicine. They are often better equipped to examine how chronic stress affects the immune system over time, rather than just treating isolated symptoms.

Instead of a total exit from work, is there any room to ask for temporary adjustments? This could look like working from home a couple of days a week to eliminate a commute, shifting hours slightly, or adjusting specific tasks that require heavy vocal use while your throat heals.

You are dealing with a heavy load right now, balancing severe physical illness with the pressure to keep everything afloat. Please be gentle with yourself. You are doing the best you can in a really difficult system 💚

Hi @Jlol,

sorry to hear you are having all these symptoms and no answer. Not all doctors are created equal. You need to find a GP that deals with mental health issues or has a keen interest in mental health. I was seeing a doctor before i was diagnosed with CPTSD and had a lot of physical symptoms that were missed or misdiagnosed it has taken 4-5 years to get a damn diagnosis. I also want to mention that not all doctors are trauma-informed. I'm not saying you have a trauma -related disorder but some doctors have no idea. I would call your local GPs in your area and ask if any of the doctors specialize or have an interest in mental health. You can get a mental health care plan from a supportive doctor to see a psychologist.I Hope you find someone that is supportive and not dismissive. Don't give up until someone takes you seriously.

Hey @Jlol,

In my personal experience, doctors can send you away with normal tests or without any tests, and you can still have something.

I knew something was wrong with my health for years before anything was actually discovered - and it was discovered by accident due to a co-existing illness at the time. But in my case, the normal bloods were not sufficient to detect anything major. And honestly, sometimes it takes time for anything to show in these tests, even if you're being impacted by symptoms.

Unfortunately, I don't have much advice to give as the doctors have all the power here, but perhaps if you can narrow down your symptoms to possible illnesses and then ask for reasonable advanced tests that could detect anything?

Your other option is the waiting game - doing regular bloods to track progression of symptoms.

In any case, if you had something, it would show up eventually.

A long time ago when I was a teenager but not recently

Interesting. I also have CPTSD.

How does the CPTSD give you physical symptoms?

Hey @Jlol i relate somewhat and have been anxious about health symptoms lately. It is hard to find a non dismissive gp, i wander if that contributes to why so many people cant get help. My gpis very trauma informed

I get tooth aches when anxious and then i get them checked and my teeth are fine and i feel silly as at the time i really believe im in pain.

My gp said it makes sense that the act of getting something checked out actually relieves it. Im sorry ppl dismiss u. Especially having cptsd, being not heard sucks. Sending solidarity always.