Chronic Fatigue and Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits
By g1itch
@g1itch (4)
United States
June 27, 2007 10:44am CST
I've been coping with CFS for 5 years now. It started when I was 13 and developed a case of "mono" that never went away. I went to mayo clinic and the doctors said I had the "epstein barr" virus, which is related to mono but lingers. (which was my original thought in how the chronic fatigue syndrome began, but I'm not so sure.)
I've been as happy as I can possible be for the way I feel, and the fact I'm not as equally able-bodied as the rest of my friends. I am still recovering from injuring myself from a play fight with a friend that happened over a month ago.. Whenever I complain to him, He asks how me being in any discomfort is even remotely possible, he doesn't get it.
I stray from the point. I am a cigarette smoker, smoking on average 10+ a day. I am also a habitual pot smoker (consuming 1-2 grams per day)
My question is this.. For those of you who also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, How many of you smoke? How do you feel it effects your health? (Do any of you Exclusively vaporize your herbal supplements?) Have any of you quit smoking cigarettes and noticed a drastic change?I know smoking is detrimental to your health, I want to know if my chronic fatigue syndrome can be linked directly to smoking. I know without a doubt that If I were to quit regardless I would feel much better. But would I feel 100% better?Does anyone have any suggestions are far as medicines for managing fatigue?
1 response
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
12 Dec 07
I developed CFS about 18 months ago but it was not diagnosed until August this year. No one knows what causes it and from what I have read there could well be many causes. I think it happens when your system just can't take any more and crashes. Some people get better quickly, some take years and some never full recover. I was 50 when I got it. I am a smoker but I smoke very little and I do not believe it had anything to do with my illness. I believe my illness was caused by prolonged stress. I worked heavy overtime in a stressful job for over ten years when I was in my 40's and probably should have been winding down not getting as stressed as I did. I could be wrong but no one really knows. Anyway I did not smoke at the time I became ill so I do not think it is a contributer to my illness. I do not think that giving up smoking will cure you of CFS but smoking is bad for your health in many ways.
My Doctor says there is nothing that will work to treat the disease or the exhaustion that it causes. He has me on pain killers for the pain and has recommended a graded exercise program which is supposed to help my body recover. I have no idea if it works or not. If I do too much exercise, eg. 10 minutes on my exercise bike, I crash the next day.
Maybe your Doctor is not CFS friendly. Not everyone believes in it. However, it is real and it is tough. I have chronic pain with mine plus I recently developed tendinitis in my left arm and now have a frozen shoulder as well. CFS symptoms can include many things and each person is different. Medical articles that I have read suggest that there is no one cause and currently no way to cure the illness.
If smoking caused CFS non smokers would not get it and more smokers would get it. Pot will not cause it either. I suffer from exhaustion 24/7 and if there is something that can cure that I would be interested in it. I have learned to live with it as best I can and do as much as I am able to, which is not a lot.
