Over done it today

[Fluff155]

Oh boy. Just one day working in a bike shop. Tried sitting on a stool for some of it. So tired. Any advice on meds at all. Or supplements to help. New on here. Chronic fatigue diagnosed one week ago. I am 53 years. Have PTSI too. J

[doglover1973]

Hi Fluff . I'm sorry to say there are no meds or supplements to solve the problem . What you need to do is pace yourself. If a whole day is too much for you, try half a day. The aim is to work out what you can do without making your symptoms worse. This is called finding your baseline. The more you overdo it, the slower recovery will be. Your GP can refer you to CFS/ME services to help you adapt.

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Fluff,

Sorry to hear that you have been having so many issues.

I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seven years ago – and I continue to have some issues in managing it today.

There are things that you can do. Sadly very few of them will be known (or offered) by your regular GP/Doctor. So, no I’ve not found a magic pill or a cure - yet!

Trial and error is a big teacher in my experience. Delving into the functional medicine realm may give you some interesting info and ideas - because the people there often have a different take on current thinking and research. For example, understanding how the immune system is impacted by the gut microbiome - and how eating differently can play a part in alleviating CFS/ME symptoms. In this aspect, it’s possible that they are many years ahead of traditional medicine (who are now starting to catch on too). Functional medicine info is mostly available from America.

One exception to this is Dr Sarah Myhill’s books and website information. I’ve found her info to be so very helpful. She’s an ex-NHS GP (now residing in Wales) who specialises privately in CFS/ME.

Supplements are a minefield, although I do recommend supporting with a magnesium supplement such as Magnesium Ascorbate. This is because Magnesium is required by every organ and muscle in the body - and many people have below optimal levels. Magnesium Ascorbate is kind to the stomach and is relatively difficult to accidentally overdose on (btw, I know that this is primarily a source of chelated vitamin C, however taken regularly in the right dose it can also provide a significant source of magnesium. And hey, Vitamin C is an antioxidant - so it’s useful to have it on board as well!).

It might be time to look at making some bigger, longer term changes to your life. Your body today said that working a whole day was just too much. However would a regular half day be achievable instead? Balancing the need to earn money against the need to feel well is unfortunately very commonplace and, in reality, the ability to do this well will vary for each individual.

Finally, consider if you have any undiagnosed sensory processing issues, because these can make your energy levels significantly worse. It’s taken me a long time to figure this one out. The specifics are too detailed to mention here, however YouTube will have more information on it if you need it.

Good luck and try to look after yourself. x

[peege in reply to Regalbirdy]

I also rate Dr Sarah Myhill and her book very highly. I have it in paperback and on the kindle app.

[peege]

Hi, i can well understand that Fluff. I get by with pacing myself although I take a couple of supplements which I'm sure help.......if you click on my name youll reach my profile and see my old posts on what and why I take them.

I hope the bike shop job is part time! Resting between exertions is so vital . At the moment I'm doing 10 minutes of tidying my small garden then at least half an hour resting. Good luck. Peege

[Teresa_K_S]

Hiya,

I'll state the obvious that half days may be more manageable if thats possible for you.

The supplements my daughter uses are magnesium and melatonin to help her keep a regular sleep pattern

Try to make sure you get some natural day light in the morning. Even if that just means having the curtains open for a while or sitting in the garden for 10/15 mins it releases cortisol in the body in the morning. This get all out of synch when you have ME.

When resting try to sit as much as possible. Saving lying down for when you need to. This will help prevent developing POTS or will help manage the condition if you already have it .

Lastly have you checked with your gp to see if your symptoms might be in part due to the perimenopause, im having a terrible time with that adding to my problems.

[strongmouse]

Dr. Myhill has a website and she gives some good advice for managing ME. There is no cure, but good. healthy diet, and pacing, i.e. managing energy levels helps to avoid 'boom and bust' which is easy to do in early days of this illness. She explains pacing along with a lot of other things. Best not to try them all at once as it gets confusing.

Hope you manage to find things to help. Vould you try a few hours or half a day to start off with and see how that works. You need to be prepared to rest when your body tells you to. Otherwise it is like running a battery completely flat and then needing longer to rechare. With ME / CFS we have less energy every day.

All the best and most of all be gentle with yourself.