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Does anybody suffer with CFS and if so, how does it affect you?

I don't want to self-diagnose but I have had my suspicions for a few years now that I am suffering with CFS. I have been struggling with a number of health issues for a while now and it is making me truly miserable. My doctors are useless. I don't feel like I am listened to or taken seriously. I am constantly exhausted - not matter how much sleep I get, what I eat and drink, whether I exercise or don't. I often wake up tired and after being awake for about 8/9 hours I am unable to function and I have to sleep. I have chronic migraines and my muscles and joints hurt and I bruise so easily. If i do some light exercise, the next day I will be in a lot of pain. I am only 23, I have looked at so many possibilities and tried to do my own research because my doctors are not helping me and this is all making me depressed. I want to get a deeper understanding of how CFS affects people that have it and how do doctors reach this diagnosis?

Hi Bella,

I have ME/CFS and also Fibromyalgia .Google Action for ME and they have a great website with all the possible symptoms of CFS.They have a free helpline and a great deal of free online information on everything from symptoms,how to get a diagnosis,benefits and generally living with ME.There are lts of good forums and facebook groups but at present the 1st thing is to get a diagnosis.If it is ME the important thing is rest rest rest and dont push through fatigue or pain.However it could also be many other things ,so really important that a GP gives you a full health check,blood tests and any others required to make a diagnosis.Hope you get some help.

Hi again,
I didnt read /take in what you asked sorry -its one of my many CFs symptoms !
Your symptoms sound very like mine ,but could be a number of other conditions -thyroid,autoimmune,inflammatory ,As the cause of ME is still unknown ,although it is classed as a neurological disease - diagnosis is via your description of symptoms which must have been for 6plus months and by exclusion of other illneses that can cause similar symptoms.
A doctor should take your symptoms seriously especially if you are only 23 and its been going on for so long.If not ,please change GP.
A GP should do a full blood analysis and proceed from there.If it is ME bloods ususally come back totally normal ,so the next step may be referral to a neurologist or if you are lucky ME specialist.
Here in NE Scotland,there are no ME specialists and all the treatments I have had have been from complimentary health practitioners.
Hope this helps and please know there is lots of support and information available if it does turn out you have ME though I do hope not ,as its not only a life changing disease but its still not understood.

Diagnosing ME/CFS in the clinical setting remains a challenge. Patients often struggle with their illness for years before receiving a diagnosis, and an estimated 84 to 91 percent of patients affected by ME/CFS are not yet diagnosed.

Yes, I did suffer from this problem. You may go through bad phases, or relapses, followed by better ones (remission). Knowing to expect this pattern will help you understand how to manage your energy. You need to visit a doctor for the finest treatment.

I have Fibromyalgia and due to this and the lack of sleep, I suffer crashing fatigue at times... I'm just going thru a bad patch with this and at the moment my fatigue is awful... after speaking to my GP in reference to this and a skin issue He has changed my antidepressants and when I mentioned fatigue he looked at my last blood tests ( January) and said my Vitamin D was low... so I'm now taking a big dose of those a day... my suggestion speak to your GP and get some blood tests - if you're GP isn't helpful change to another, ask reception whos best on different ailments or change surgeries... look on their website this may also help with what which GP specializes in. I hope you get sorted.

This post is very informative and gains my knowledge.

I was experiencing pretty much the same. Still I didn't haste to self diagnose. Like my therapist says, besides work and home I'm not going anywhere else. And this routine - sleep, wake up, eat, work, eat, work, go home, do some chores, go to sleep - could make my body and mind experience fatigue and listless. Try adding something exciting to your routine and you might find yourself feeling better, even happier. I started doing yoga, meeting new people, going out even; and if my two friends were too busy taking care of their kids, I just when myself. Now I'm not ashamed of going out to eat something tasty in a nice restaurant. Speaking of food, pay attention to what you eat. Unhealthy foods could also drain your energy since they ware just empty calories and you might find yourself eating too much, getting quite fat but not actually feeling full. Also, I didn't take any medicine (just camomile tea with shilajit) since that fatigue of mine wasn't quite a medical issue. I'm not sure whether it had something to do with my mental state, but it might have.
Anyways, my advice would be first of all to look at what you eat, take up a hobby, and do something exciting.

If doctor does not help you then try another doctor. Do not give up.

Years ago I believe I could've been suffering from Chronis Fatique Syndrome, but was never diagnosed by the doctor.

I believe I had the above mentioned condition because I didn't want to get out of bed, I did not want to join in activities with my friends, I did not work as hard at school as I could have. Looking back, I should've said to the doctor I felt tired and lethargic all the time. I just only wanted to stay in bed and sleep the day away. This, in turn, wrecked my life. I cannot go into the full story but being sleepy all the time ruins your life. But nowadays I am getting up mostly every morning. I am exercising and going out & about. I do activities I couldn't do years before: all because I don't feel sleepy in the daytime anymore.

My advice for anyone suffering this: see your doctor sooner rather than later. Your life will be wrecked if you don't seek medical advice and get the medical attention to live a better future.