Help!

I’m looking for some guidance regarding my symptoms. Even minimal physical exertion—we're talking a simple ten-minute walk—leaves me completely exhausted. I feel this deep muscle weakness, general malaise, shortness of breath, and moments where I feel like I might actually pass out. To make matters worse, about a week ago, I noticed traces of blood in my stool on two separate occasions. This constant fatigue is seriously interfering with my daily life. On top of that, I've been feeling incredibly unmotivated and perpetually drained lately.
Since I have a history of anemia, that was my first thought, but I just got my blood work back today and everything came back normal, including my iron levels.
Because I don't currently have health insurance, I'll have to pay out of pocket for everything. I need to know which tests I should prioritize, as my budget won't allow me to run a dozen different panels all at once.
I was considering starting with a thyroid screening.
Is there a doctor here who can advise me on my next steps?

How old are you? How long has this been going on? Was the blood fresh? When you stop walking, do you start breathing normally and feeling okay again? How long does it take you to get back to baseline? My advice is to get your thyroid checked and have someone listen to your heart and lungs. If you have a heart murmur, it could explain everything you just mentioned. Are your legs swelling up?

I’m 25 years old, and this has been going on for about two to three months—maybe even longer. It started off subtle, but lately, it’s become a major issue.
I believe the blood in my stool was bright red, though honestly, I'm not entirely sure how to tell if it's fresh or not.
Also, whenever I stop walking, it takes me ten minutes or more just to get my strength back. This isn't my normal baseline, and I don't have any swelling in my legs.
For now, I have enough set aside to get my thyroid levels checked, but after that, I need to schedule some tests for my lungs and heart. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good specialist for that?
Thanks.

Just go see someone, like your primary care doctor. If you're worried about your heart, they'll run tests and tell you what the next steps are. Good luck, let me know what they say...

Thanks again! I'll be in touch!

Hmm. When I first started reading this, my mind went straight to the thyroid, too. But once you mentioned blood in your stool, I started thinking it might be some kind of internal bleeding—like a perforated stomach ulcer—and that whole feeling of weakness could just be anemia setting in because of the blood loss. My honest advice? You need to immediately get to a doctor. Internal bleeding isn't something you can just sit around and wait for to resolve itself.
I don't want to freak you out completely, though; there’s still a chance it’s just a thyroid issue combined with something minor like hemorrhoids. But whether it's one or the other, the only way to know for sure is to have a doctor run the tests.

Angela Wright said:Hmm. When I first started reading this, my mind went straight to the thyroid, too. But once you mentioned blood in your stool, I started thinking it might be some kind of internal bleeding—like a perforated stomach ulcer—and that whole feeling of weakness could just be anemia setting in because of the blood loss. My honest advice? You need to immediately get to a doctor. Internal bleeding isn't something you can just sit around and wait for to resolve itself.
I don't want to freak you out completely, though; there’s still a chance it’s just a thyroid issue combined with something minor like hemorrhoids. But whether it's one or the other, the only way to know for sure is to have a doctor run the tests.

A little bit of red blood isn't even a big deal, which is why people don't mention it. Since her blood work came back normal, those symptoms definitely aren't related to a few drops of blood...

mellowraven32 said:A little bit of red blood isn't even a big deal, which is why people don't mention it. Since her blood work came back normal, those symptoms definitely aren't related to a few drops of blood...

From what I can gather from his wording, he sounds pretty uncertain about the actual color and consistency anyway. Most doctors in the US will immediately order a blood panel regardless, and those results could provide much more clarity. Like I mentioned in my last post, it might turn out to be nothing at all, but personally, any mention of blood in a stool sample sets off alarm bells for me. It’s the kind of thing where you just book an appointment with your physician immediately.

Her blood work looks great

mellowraven32 said:Her blood work looks great

🙈
I’m looking at this now and honestly, I have no idea how I missed it myself.😕
Alright, I think it's officially time for a nap.😁

So, it looks like we still need to check her thyroid and maybe run some blood chemistry tests.😬