Mum's fatigue and weight-gain symptoms were red flags of something serious

After giving birth to her third child, Erica Derbyshire began experiencing severe physical and mental symptoms that greatly affected her health. She was constantly fatigued, anxious, and developed unhealthy food cravings which led to a three-stone weight gain after a lifetime of fitness and health.

Often, she would become so exhausted that she would fall asleep in her car after dropping off her children at school, only waking up just in time to pick them up at the end of the day.

She sought medical help from her GP, detailing her symptoms, but was taken aback when diagnosed with gluten intolerance. Despite adhering to the advice given to manage this condition, her symptoms only worsened.

Erica persisted in her search for answers, undergoing numerous tests over several months. Various medical professionals suggested possible causes ranging from post-natal depression to perimenopause.

Eventually, her GP admitted they had no further suggestions on what could be causing her symptoms and recommended seeking help from a private specialist, reports the Manchester Evening News.

She ended up paying for several private consultations which finally revealed the true cause of her symptoms - a disorder Erica had never heard of before.

She was diagnosed with PMDD Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - a condition that many women, including Erica, knew nothing about. Her symptoms were all classic red flags for the disorder, but none of the NHS GPs she had seen had ever diagnosed anyone with it before and hadn't considered it as an option.

A 42 year old mum has bravely spoken out about the debilitating illness which left her bed-bound and unable to look after her children for years. Erica, from Prestbury, is mum to Faith, 16, Charlie, 12, and four year old Freddie.

She said: "Four years ago I had my third child, the earlier two births were absolutely fine. But I became quite poorly after I had Freddie and I really didn't understand why."

Erica continued: "I was very tired, beyond tired and fatigued, I was gaining weight because of this. I craved carbs which I'd never done before. I was suffering from headaches and irritability, those were the main symptoms. I went to my GP and they told me I was gluten intolerant."

She added: "I was put on a gluten free diet for about six weeks before I went back as it was not working. I was getting very heavy periods, they were becoming unbearable as well as being fatigued."

Erica said: "I used to drive to school, drop the kids off, and then be too tired to drive home. I'd fall asleep in the car and then pick them up, in between all that I'd maybe just grab a sandwich to keep me awake."

She explained: "I felt frustrated, my memory was foggy, I was sweating, my vision was blurry. I was getting sinusitis every month around my period. I went back to the GP who suggested antibiotics and HRT."

Erica's sinusitis became so severe and frequent that she was advised to undergo surgery to cleanse and redrill her sinuses. It was only later that a specialist consultant informed her that sinus issues can be a primary symptom of PMDD.

Erica shared: "My consultant explained that with PMDD your body doesn't produce the right amount of oestrogen and so produces its own lubrication, and therefore sinusitis is a classic symptom of it. Now, I can't smell anything - after having an operation I don't think I even needed to have - due to lack of knowledge around the condition."

She believes there needs to be greater awareness about the symptoms of this disorder among women and GPs. Erica stated: "When I went back to my GP I was told I was the first and last person they've ever known to have this."

"And I thought, is that just because women aren't speaking out about it? Are people struggling to speak out that their PMS is that bad, because nobody even realises this condition is a thing? There must be so many women who battle on not realising they have got this condition. From a young age we are conditioned to think that extreme PMS is "normal" and we should learn to "cope" with it."

"I must have spent £30k to get where I am now, because I saw so many private consultants. It was only by chance I saw the consultant who knew about PMDD. there's a lot of misunderstanding around the illness, I don't feel people know enough about it."

"It's completely debilitating - it's pre-menstrual symptoms but with a vengeance. For me personally it was a typical four week cycle so the first week after your period you feel very fatigued, tired and emotional, second week start to feel irritable and tired, third week of your period you get the anger, the rage, craving carbs and sugars and then on the fourth week it's just too much to handle, you sink into a hole of depression from those symptoms and then you start again on the first week."

Erica had never suffered with the disorder before the birth of Freddie, and consultants believe it could have been the birth that triggered it. She underwent tests on her ovaries which were able to establish that she had the condition.

After diagnosis, her surgeon suggested a full hysterectomy and Erica says: "I feel like women are so scared of the idea of a hysterectomy, but for me I wish I'd done it years ago."

"After having it done I could not believe the change - four days later I was decorating the house, I felt so motivated for the future. It was overwhelming, it changed my outlook completely."

"Over those four years I'd left my career, lost friends, lost self-confidence and gained three stone - I just basically needed to rebuild my life."

Erica, formerly a fitness enthusiast who frequently participated in half marathons and weight training, saw significant weight gain due to her PMDD. Moving up from a size 8 dress to a size 14, she yearned for a return to her active lifestyle following her operation in July 2023.

In search of a solution, she decided to visit her local Alderley Edge Ultimate Performance Fitness centre.

She admitted: "Someone had suggested UP in the past but I'd dismissed it at first because it was expensive for me as I'd recently left work," The idea of carrying extra weight was unfamiliar and unpleasant for Erica, yet she confessed: "I was so unhappy having the weight on because I've never been big before, but I felt liberated with my new life."

Many personal trainers had crossed paths with Erica, but none resonated nor provided focused guidance on progression and technique. She reflected on her experience: "I had met with a large number of PT's but having done a lot of training previously, I didn't feel like any of them focused enough on technique or progression with training, a lot of them suggested crazy diets which I knew were unsustainable and unhealthy."

Deciding to give Ultimate Performance Fitness a chance, she spoke highly of her discovery: "So at that point I thought I'm going to visit UP and have a chat. I went to UP and within the first hour of meeting with my personal trainer Adam Newton I knew it was the right thing to do. Adam is extremely professional and the most knowledgeable PT I've met, all of the PTs at UP are experts with the training focused around technique."

She praised the vested interest they take in individuals and how it brings about life-changing results: "They are committed to your results and they provide an education which if adopted, will change your life forever. Adam for me is more of a life coach than just a PT."

"I still have to balance my medication, I have HRT after the hysterectomy, and there are times when I still struggle, or feel too tired to train. Adam is good at reading this situation and is there to coach me through when I find it challenging but equally, gives me space and backs the pressure off when I need him to."

She embarked on her fitness journey with Ultimate Performance in November, committing to a three-month body transformation programme that saw her hitting the gym thrice a week and aiming for over 10,000 steps daily. The programme also provided her with valuable insights into diet and fitness, ensuring a healthy and personalised regime.

The results of her training left her astounded as she slimmed down from a size 14 to a size 8, losing a total of 10.5kg in weight and gaining 4kg in body mass. Her body fat percentage also dropped to an impressive 15%.

Inspired by her transformation, her partner Dan, 44, decided to embark on his own fitness journey.

Although Erica's programme was set to conclude in April, she enjoyed it so much that she decided to continue training and is now retraining to become a personal trainer herself.

She shared: "I've spent my whole life in senior HR roles. But I'm now retraining to be a PT because I want to be able to give to other people what it's given to me."

"I want to share my experiences and educate people who might also be struggling or want a better quality of life."

Erica's weight loss journey.

Height: 5' 5".

Starting weight: November 2023 - 74kg, dress size 14/16.

Final weight: April 2024 - 63kg, dress size 8/10.

Typical diet before:.

Breakfast: Cereal or toast.

Lunch: Ham sandwich, crisps and chocolate, snacks.

Dinner: Home-made meal but a large portion with a lot of bread and carbs.

Typical diet after:.

Breakfast: Yoghurt, blueberries and chia seeds.

Mid-morning: Two eggs and half an avocado.

Lunch: Chicken and vegetables.

Dinner: Fish and vegetables.

Snacks: Protein yoghurt, apple and orange.

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