Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

When I had to quit working I applied for disability. What a terrible experience. They didn't believe that I had a valid diagnosis, that I should be able to work an eight-hour day because it wasn't physically active work. It was VERY emotionally draining work, however, and the environment of my work keep the fibro in high gear - concrete floors, extreme temperatures, high stress. [I worked in a prison.] They sent me to a specialist, which I expected. Then I found out the specialist was a psychiatrist. I told them that I was not applying for a mental disability, but that didn't matter. The psychiatrist said I wasn't depressed, which I knew, and that I should be able to do my job. I went through this process twice, and still didn't get disability. I am now on retirement because I became old enough to qualify for that. I had less than 20 years in the system, so have very little retirement income. But at least I have the health care insurance, which I really need. I, too, look forward to the good days. Glad you get some of those too.

Oh my goodness, I totally agree with the "all in your head" crap. I get it mostly from my family. I guess they expect me to be superwoman since I'm only 30 going on 31. Luckily I haven't used suppliments or medications. Doesn't mean I have tried them, just couldn't take the waking up and feeling like a zombie most of the day. I did like how they helped me sleep when the pain was at its worse. I do love those "good days". I can go a week and then like a ton of bricks.

Yep. Ton of bricks - a good image. Wish we had the cure. Sorry you are one of the sufferers, too.

Yes, food sensitivities can trigger pain. For me it is dairy and aspertame. It is easy to avoid the aspertame, but I do so love dairy foods that I eat them anyway. :-( Eating healthy is another way the diagnosis runs our lives. Sometimes I get so tired of dealing with my body. Seems like way too much of my time and energy and money go into caring for my body and still I suffer. That can get depressing. But most of the time I just keep trudging along, reminding myself that it could be worse and that other people deal with much more difficult things than I. And I can be grateful that I'm able to cope and have people who support me. Thanks for your good thoughts.

Thanks!

I have had cfs for the past 5 years now, with some chronic pain occurring recently as of the last 2-3 months. How many of those reading dealing with Chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia use a medicinal green herb to treat their afflictions? I have been for the past couple of years and noticed improovement

i have both..i think most people do its hard to tell the difference beteween them both fibros more pain and CFS is fatigue whatever it is its awful and i hate it

Thank you. I'm having a "down" day today - it is chilly, rainy and grey outside. And I'm really feeling tired of being tired. I know you know what I mean. I just get tired of dealing with it. Because I have a meeting to go to this evening, I haven't done anything today because I have to save my energy. I don't even remember a time I could spontaneously do something without considering if I had enough energy for it. I try not to complain too much because I don't have as bad as some do. I have some vitamins that really make a difference, and other supplements that also help. Without them I'd be back to being a lump in the bed all the time. But it sure gets tiresome. Thanks for responding.

Thanks for your good wishes. I congratulate you for hanging in there with your work. Do you have vitamins and supplements that help? I'd be flat on my back without mine. Hope you get that extra rest today.

Best advice for her is to rest when she's tired. The joys of being pregnant with your first, you can get all the rest you want. She needs to stop over doing it. I learned that your body will let you know, so don't ignore the warning signs. I was lucky that my fibro really didn't cause a lot of problems for me during my first pregnancy. She needs to take her prenatal vitamins, and drink plenty of milk. If she has morning sickness, she really needs to take it easy and try her to keep the vitamins down. Once the morning sickness is over she will eat and a lot of it. Make sure she eats healthy and drinks plenty of milk. With your daughter I would have her wait about asking her doctor about Chronic Fatigue until she gets more proteins in her body and see if that helps. Is she on her feet a lot? Is she on the go a lot? Those factors will pay a huge role in why she's tired all the time and feel fatigued. As stated above, with the body giving warning signs. Before I forget, Congrats to your daughter on the pregnancy, you as well for becoming a grandmother soon.

It would be hard to diagnose while she is pregnant. That takes a lot of energy, being pregnant. And then when the baby comes she will be tired from that. Protein is really important, especially when pregnant. She might want to talk to the doctor about Vitamin B12. I assume she had blood tests for cell count. If not, she needs to. She will need lots of tender loving care. And then you get to hold a beautiful baby grandchild. Blessings.

Thanks. I'll check out the site. I do some vitamins and supplements that help, no matter what the "experts" think. I really don't care if it is placebo effect or not. If it works for me, I use it!

There is no test for CFS because it is a syndrome and not a disease. And antidepressants can help reduce fatigue. But you need a good medical work-up as well. Perhaps a sleep study to determine if you get the right kind of sleep at night would help. When I was diagnosed with apnea using the CPAP at night made a significant difference. Also look at your diet. There may be foods you are sensitive to. Try eliminating dairy for a week to see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't then try eliminating wheat for a week, etc. An excellent multi-vitamin is also helpful. I take Double X vitamins by Nutrilite [Quixtar] and I notice a significant difference when I take them from when I don't. There are other supplements that help me. But the need differs from person to person. I've found my combination of supplements that work by trial and error. Depression is a common first diagnosis because the symptoms are so similar. But I had a psychiatrist tell me that I wasn't clinically depressed but fatigued chronically. I was prescribed low doses of antidepressants that helped with the fatigue and sleep and even helped me control the fibromyalgia pain. So give them a try. But don't give up on finding other things that work. And being discouraged about how you feel is not necessarily the same thing as feeling depressed. Check out the chronic fatigue websites for more information. http://www.cfids.org http://www.cfidsinsights.com

Been there and done that. And it isn't in my mind. Have psychiatrists to verify that. Actually fibro is chemical. It is inflamation of the facia tissue and it can be chronic or not. CFS is a disruption of the energy cycle that occurs in the cells. There are a dozen or more enzymes in that cycle and is one or more is missing the energy cycle is disrupted. The challenge is finding the enzyme that is missing. Pretty much has to be done by trial and error at this stage of medicine. SSRI's do help many people. Most psychiatrists have no knowlege of CFS, but they can rule out Clinical Depression and send you to an endocrinologist or an internist who has experience with CFS and fibro.

Thank you, especially for the hug. Which reminds me of one of my church friends who always hugs everyone. When he come to me I remind him "Gently, please!" Even hugs can hurt if they are too strong. Living like this is depressing sometimes but it isn't the same as clinical depression. I've had that and know the difference. When I'm suffering from fatigue, I have no PHYSICAL energy. When I'm suffering from depression, I have no EMOTIONAL energy. I don't look forward to anything, nothing feels pleasant, and I can't drag up motivation for anything at all - even reading for pleasure. As long as I'm aware that "it could be worse", I know I'm not seriously depressed!

Thank you. Yes it is hard whenever someone has more than one diagnosis to deal with. And yes, it is something like flu or a cold without the stuffy nose or nausea. Before I was diagnosed with CFS or fibro I had TMJ, even had surgery to repair one side of my jaw. Now on top of the CFS and fibro I have high blood pressure, hypothyroid, hypertensive heart disease, and obesity. [A mess, aren't I?] But I'm still better off than many people and I am grateful for that. Thank you for your prayers. They help.

Thank you! I, too, believe in the power of prayer. It has gotten me through some mighty tough times. Look forward to seeing you pop in again soon! :-)

Thanks. I'll check it out.

I'm going to the clinic April 16th. I will let you know what I thought. They are MDs, but work with nutrients and herbs. Jamacan Dogwood is a great pain killer and helps you to sleep, but everyones dosage is different. You will have to test how much you need.

Absolutely! And it is so hard to treat it when you have to guess what all is involved with it in your particular case. There is no "one-size-fits-all" treatment. Things that helped me include having a sleep apnea diagnosis and prescription for a CPAP, a couple of enzyme supplements that work for me, and some very good vitamins. I still have very limited stamina and I can still crash REALLY hard. But I do function at an acceptable level much of the time now. Of course, being retired means I don't have to function at a high level very often. Most people don't understand the difference between being tired and being fatigued, so they don't understand how we could be "tired all the time" when we do less than and sleep as much as they do. I had an explanation that helps for most people: We each have an energy well. Like a water well when we use a certain amount of energy we then need to rest a bit so it fills back up. But people with CFS have a well that is never quite full enough, so when we use energy our well gets empty and never really gets fully restored. We have longterm energy drought!

That is a good description. I am lucky in having a supportive partner and family but I know there are many people who do not believe in the illness. I am having a bad week at the moment. I have not had any refreshing sleep for days and I am struggling. I feel really old even though I am only 51. I am also suffering from bad tendinitis in my left shoulder and that has added to my difficulty in achieving anything this week. I feel as though my well is dry.

Am glad you don't have to deal with the fatigue, too. Thanks.