Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a post about it.

[Ginevive]

Hey; does anyone else deal with this disease? I am suffering from it; today is a particularly bad day. People will say that it is fake; it is all in your head. Tell that to my legs that will not let me get out of bed! I did actually get diagnosed with it about 2 years ago, although the tests were nothing beyond a rule-out of thyroid/anemia/diabetes. I guess this is how one diagnoses CFS.

I called off work. This means losing my holiday pay.. I just can NOT make myself do it today.

Am I 100% sure that this is CFS? Maybe about 90%. I did have Mono as a kid, and there is a link to Epstein-Barr and CFS. I have no insurance through work until mid-August, when I plan on getting it and having a full-on medical assault on myself to see what on earth is going on.

My symptoms are incessant fatigue (even after a normal amount of sleep) that does not subside with naps, but gets worse, and if I do try and get up to move around/work, I get lightheaded and have to sit down, or risk possibly passing out.

2 years ago, my doc ruled out anemia and thyroid (although he said I was "marginal" on thyroid levels.) Right now I have a headache which is almost secondary to the plain fatigue.

I really hope that it is not MS. I do have much worse symptoms in hot weather, as it is very hot now, and I overexerted myself yesterday at work. Not to mention, my husband left for 1-2 weeks out of town, on business; this walloped me as well. I am trying so hard for him and for us, because we have killed off alot of our debt and he is such a hard worker.

This kills me, because when I am energetic, I am a workaholic who will push myself to the limit. Now, I have little energy and trouble following basic instructions and having the stamina to do much of anything. And as a teen, I was a minor genius, always at the top of my classes. Things seemed to change when I was 18 and developed Mononucleosis, a result of contracting the epstein-barr virus that is exposed to 90% of humans by the age of 30, but rarely leads to much in most people.

Life is not even going in a bad direction. My husband is opening a tattoo shop, and I am in an OK job that I do not hate. Unlike depression, I am not struck by any feelings of not caring, or of not wanting to do the things that I like doing; more, it is NO ENERGY to do anything. I am not even an unhealthy weight (although a bit out of shape muscle-wise; more weak than anything else.) It is even hard for me to pay enough attention and give the effort to type this online!

Argh!

[Elise.m]

I don't have it nor do I know anyone who has it, but I hope you feel better today! And I hope your insurance will be able to help you find out more about what's going on!

[Ginevive]

Thanks; I appreciate it. My plan is to get fully re-tested for thyroid levels. My sister was about my age now, when she had debilitating fatigue; went in to the doc, and had hypothyroidism. Now she takes Synthroid and is fine.

Other possibility: gallbladder? I have intermittent pain in th right area for that. Or ulcer.

[2kdime]

Hows your diet?

TAking any quality multi's or fish oils?

[Ginevive]

I started taking Centrum women's vitamins last month; I admit to being lax about it. I am going to take one now, that you brought it up. My diet.. could be better. Mainly centers around alot of carbs and convenience food that I get at work; I know, that is not good.. it could be contributing to this.

I think that my attraction to carbs, is fueled by little energy. Like "if I carb-load, I might get more energy.." which I guess does not work.

[2kdime]

Really gotta watch your food intake.

I am getting older and am noticing that when I eat fast food or eat convenience store food that the rest of the day and even a day or two after I will be real dragged down, it sucks.

You MIGHT try an even better multi along with a balanced diet with lots of water.

My wife has terrible arthritis and we have her on a couple products from this company including the fish oils and the arthritis pills as well. GREAT stuff, no inflammation, better mood, more flexibility, improved gastrointestinal yada yada......

http://www.xtend-life.com/product.aspx

Then these multivitamins.....

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/M013482.htm

I take the mens version of those, ADAM, and they rock. So you could even get your hubby on em and make it a habit of taking them together.

Im not a heath nut by any means, or looking for the next "super pill", but man I aint lying, this stuff works!

Best of luck to you

[twh]

is a sleep study in order ???

[wolfy-hound]

Yes. It's not in your head.
Fibro is often associated as well, and I have days that I just plain can't make it. I try to take a multivitamin, drink a lot of fluids(water, juice, esp cran-blends), and struggle along. GOod days are getting more rare, though.

Depression is often diagnosed as well, because you are feeling so run down that it becomes a cycle. Resting doesn't seem to help a lot of days, but sometimes you just can't seem to do anything else. Mood swings get bad sometimes as well. You can feel lazy or worthless, but just remember, this is an ILLNESS. You wouldn't think someone was worthless if they were laid up with a broken leg, would you? This isn't much different, your body is NOT performing how a healthy body should, and it has a physical effect.

The thing that makes me get through some days is thinking about how no matter how bad it is right now, there'll be an upswing. I'm not talking about the spiritual "things will get better!" but the typical physical cycle that your body will go through. When I'm having a really lousy time with it, I remind myself that I can wait it out and in a few days it'll get better and I'll have some good days.

Hang in there, and when you're having a bad day, don't hesitate to say so. PM me if you want, or email, whatever. Sometimes I just need someone to vent to about how badly I'm feeling, and once I get it out of my system, I do feel a little better about it. Big hugs!

[WingedWolfPsion]

Yes, I have chronic fatigue syndrome. My symptoms began when I was in my mid-teens, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my early 30s.

Diagnosis is by process of elimination--sleep study, full bloodwork to check for thyroid problems, for Lyme disease, anemia, etc etc. Psych evaluation for depression...the whole 9 yards.

CFS isn't just fatigue. It's more like feeling constantly that you're coming down with the flu. Exercise or exertion--including mental exertion--results in what's known as 'post-exertional malaise', which means you get exhausted and sick (including muscle and joint aches, headache, digestive problems, low-grade fever, swollen glands), and it can take anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks to recover from it (depending on your condition, and what it was you did to 'earn' it).

The fun part is, post-exertion malaise can set in immediately after exertion, or it can wait a couple of days to hit. Symptoms are transient and unpredictable--you may feel like hell in the morning, but be ok in the afternoon...or vice versa. You may be nearly bedridden for days, or you may be able to go out and do things, and be 'almost normal'. But you never wake up feeling refreshed and rested, and you never truly feel completely well.

Some days, I get to take my kids to the zoo and walk around for 3 hours...other days, walking up the stairs has me gasping like a stranded fish for 15 minutes.

This makes holding down a full time job on a regular schedule virtually impossible for anyone who has more than very mild CFS. I had to give up that idea. I tried to get disability, but after a year, was denied--so I appealed. In the meantime, I figured out how to start up a home based business I could actually handle. TWO YEARS later, they got me a court date on that appeal. ... >.> You can imagine my reaction.

I'm building a reptile business now, and I have help from my husband and friend when the workload gets too heavy. Fortunately, ball pythons are pretty darned easy to take care of, and since I can make my own hours, it is working out well.

[Ginevive]

Yes. It's not in your head.
Fibro is often associated as well, and I have days that I just plain can't make it. I try to take a multivitamin, drink a lot of fluids(water, juice, esp cran-blends), and struggle along. GOod days are getting more rare, though.

Depression is often diagnosed as well, because you are feeling so run down that it becomes a cycle. Resting doesn't seem to help a lot of days, but sometimes you just can't seem to do anything else. Mood swings get bad sometimes as well. You can feel lazy or worthless, but just remember, this is an ILLNESS. You wouldn't think someone was worthless if they were laid up with a broken leg, would you? This isn't much different, your body is NOT performing how a healthy body should, and it has a physical effect.

The thing that makes me get through some days is thinking about how no matter how bad it is right now, there'll be an upswing. I'm not talking about the spiritual "things will get better!" but the typical physical cycle that your body will go through. When I'm having a really lousy time with it, I remind myself that I can wait it out and in a few days it'll get better and I'll have some good days.

Hang in there, and when you're having a bad day, don't hesitate to say so. PM me if you want, or email, whatever. Sometimes I just need someone to vent to about how badly I'm feeling, and once I get it out of my system, I do feel a little better about it. Big hugs!

I love your post. It is definitely a flesh-and-bone illness. I talked a little with my husband today about it; he was admittedly, of the mindset that it was something easy to deal with/just like normal tiredness. But he is coming around; he understands now that it is not just me being lazy, and that laziness is really my opposite.

I hear you about things getting better. Like yesterday; I had a lot of energy, (well, for me, that means functioning somewhat like a "regular person on a bad day." despite the heat. I think that, reading online a little more, I have pinpointed a possible cause of today's malaise: overexertion yesterday.

I will def. PM you about this. It is refreshing to find others who are dealing with this; I do not feel so alone. I do have a good friend that has her own issues (anxiety) which enable her to relate to me as well. If you need support on a given day, feel free to contact me as well; I will PM you my email.