I'm new here... Do I possibly have CFS?

[MemorySticked]

Hi everyone, I hope that I'm okay to post this here, I'm just not sure where else I could ask for advice!

I'm just not sure what to do, I've recently (in the last 4 months) been diagnosed with Menieres disease and also IBS (last month), however I believe that I may have CFS as I have a bad short-term memory, have pain in my back and shoulders and get headaches quite often. I also often wake up feeling like I've not slept at all, feeling just as tired, if not more tired than I was before. I do also feel like i go between hot and cold often and sweat a lot.

As far as i'm aware these are all symptoms of CFS along with dizziness. I'm not sure if I can have CFS and Menieres and IBS. I feel like I'm being a little paranoid... I guess?

I just wondered what other people think about this, as I feel that recently I've been to my Dr. quite a lot for the other problems I have and I don't want them to feel im being a hypochondriac (sp?).

Thank you for your help.

[Calliepet]

Can you look back to an illness or accident that you think "yes, this is where it all started"? Do you get flu like symptoms frequently (at least once a month)? If you read or cook a meal do you feel much worse afterwards? If yes to any of these it could be ME/CFS. Are you under stress at the moment? If you are lucky it might be something temporary like that. As the treatment for ME/CFS is self management it wouldn't hurt to understand pacing. I looked on the net to see if there was a site that explained it well. There is so much misinformation out there I had to search a lot before I found one I would recommend. I came across this one that suggests you start keeping an activity diary. mesupport.co.uk/index.php?p... I think this would be an excellent place to start.

[MemorySticked in reply to Calliepet]

Thank you for your reply!

It's been really ever since I had a period of a few months where I was really stressed at work and that's what triggered the diagnosis of Menieres as I was feeling really dizzy/vertigo and tired most of the time. I don't know if that could trigger it?

I'm not sure if I'm just looking too much into something, and it is just Menieres/APD and IBS, which when together mimic the symptoms of ME/CFS?

Ahh thank you very much for the link, I'll have a read and bear it in mind.

[Calliepet in reply to MemorySticked]

I also have Menieres but it is really mild. The one thing I wish I had been told at the start of my illness "stop trying to do everything you used to do" I think if you can stop now for 3 months, let everything go housework, social life, everything non-essential and just rest and relax, be kind to yourself and see what happens.

[MemorySticked in reply to Calliepet]

Sorry I've not replied sooner, it's been a bit hectic for me lately! Yeah I totally agree, no-one told me how much everything would change and I think that I've over exerted myself and I just can't get over it. I've got another doctors appointment tomorrow I'm going armed with a list of everything that is wrong/symptoms even if I feel they're not significant, as I usually don't want to be viewed as a hypochondriac, I just feel like now I need to tell them everything so they can hopefully help!

Thank you for your help and advice though, its much appreciated!

[tbh1969]

Since my stroke 16 years ago, I've been suffering from terrible fatigue. Just under 2 years ago I had a bout of palpitations with no apparent heart problems.

Since then, my fatigue & general health has deteriorated to a degree where I am truly feeling at odds with myself, with much worse/more frequent headaches, dizziness, nausea, aches & pains. Today, I finally went to the doctors and sat in her consulting room until I got some suggestions of what to do (blood tests & - I think - a referral to the local M.E. group)

I wrote down all that I needed to relate to the doctor before the appointment & made sure I read out all that I wrote to the doctor. I've put up with these problems for so long & I hate making a fuss (and find that trying to say something important makes me a bit tongue-tied & when I'm fatigued it doesn't always come out in the way I intend it to).

I suggest you do something similar & if possible, bring a sympathetic colleague/relative/partner in with you for support. Don't leave your appointment without some sort of action to be taken, once you are out of the surgery.

Good luck!

[MemorySticked in reply to tbh1969]

Thank you for the helpful advice, I'm not good at putting things into words, especially when it's important! I've been to the Drs a few times and left feeling like I wasn't really heard, so it's a good idea to write everything down before I go, I never thought of that!

[tbh1969 in reply to MemorySticked]

Hey MemorySticked, glad to be of service! I was pretty much the same as yourself: several visits without being 'heard'. I brought in my husband as support yesterday. It felt very awkward but sat possibly well beyond my allotted appointment time to get a generally satisfactory outcome (for now!)

Good luck!