Anyone here with CFS.....need help with questions

by Heather 10 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  Heather

  For the last ..um i'd say about 3-4 weeks...I have been soooooo tired all the time...like i haven't been sleeping. I feel like my head is in a fog all the time and can't think very clearly. Feel drugged actually. I have recently changed my diet to no meat, fish only and lots of raw veggies. it hasn't helped ...yet. I have a hard time falling asleep at night and when I do fall asleep I wake up several times. I was sitting here trying to figure out whats wrong with me and I just realized my mom has CFS and wondered if maybe this probablem i'm having is a form of CFS...I haven't made a doctors apointment just yet but I will be doing it soon after this weekend. At first i thought my lack of energy was just stress which I'm under alot of it at the moment....please share your opinion.....maybe i'm way off...

  Summer...of the sleepy and tired class
• 

  Sad emo

  (((Summer)))

  It really could be anything that's causing this, not just CFS. Wait till you see the doc and get some bloods done.

  There could be all kinds of reasons too why you're not sleeping well - you need to relax your mind as well as your body before going to bed.

  Amongst others:

  Worrying/wondering what's wrong with you - the more you think, the more you go round in circles! They say also, if you can't sleep, to get up and do something for half an hour - otherwise you just lie there thinking 'I can't sleep!' - so you're thinking yourself awake.

  Try not to do anything which requires a lot of concentration for about an hour before you go to bed eg computer work.

  Avoid caffeine.

  Is there any noise in your room which might be disturbing your sleep if you are a light sleeper? I have an automatic air freshener in my room which squirts every 30 mins - when I'm sleeping lightly, it wakes me up! Or do you snore/have sleep apnoea? That can disturb sleep too.

  ---------

  I'm going offline for the night now! I hope you get some good quality sleep soon
• 

  bigdreaux

  you said you wake up alot. do you have a spouse? if so, do they complain about you snoring? i had these excact same sympthoms and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. i had no idea how bad it was and how much it affects your life. when i was diagnosed, they put me on a c-pap for only 3 hours and i woke up feeling more rested than i can ever remember. a common misconception is obese people only get this. this is wrong, i am slightly overweight, and the doctor said even thin people can have it. you may want to look into this. i am currently awaiting my c-pap machine. apnea can afect everything. you'll feel tired, have trouble concentrating, and make poor decisions. like at work, i am a mechanic, and i would do stuff i know is wrong, the doctor said this is a sympthom. i had no idea. i thought i just had my head up my butt. i would advise you look into this. sleep apnea can kill you. you can have a stroke, heart attack, or fall asleep while driving. it's nothing to play around with.
• 

  free2think

  I have CFS, and my advice to you would be to see your doc, it could be anything really, i dont mean to worry you. To diagnose my CFS they had to discount everything else first. Hope that helps.

  (((((((((hugs)))))))))))
• 

  Heather

  Thanks for the response. Honestly the only caffine I drink is in the a.m. i love my coffee...but during the day I only drink water. I'm trying to avoid sugar before bed too.....I know one the the nights a chocolate cookie summoned me before bed.....sigh....I guess I'll talk to the doctor next week....I hope i don't have to do blood work...yuk....My husband says i don't snore much..although he snores really loudly....when I wake up I don't notice any noise...but I always get up and check my kids and then go right back to sleep. I dont' have any trouble then falling back to sleep. well....I have had trouble before sleeping and would eventually resort to a sleeping pill but i could only take part of one because i would be to tired to wake up the next day...but back then i didn't feel like this...tired and drained all the time.....i feel out of breath......thanks again for your suggestions and comments.

  Summer
• 

  bigdreaux

  heather, do you wake up gasping for air? or wake up with a dry mouth? also, do you have frequent unexplainable heartburn?
• 

  ex-nj-jw

  It could be lots of things! Try not to do any exercise 2-3 hours prior to bed, don't get in the bed until you feel sleepy, everyone else has said pretty much everything i can think of.

  Sleep disorders are hard to sort out, so start keeping a little diary of the things you do prior to bed, how you feel in the am, during the day, what your husband says about how you sleep. This might help your doc to sort things out.

  You can alway call your doctors nurse and ask some questions, they really are the best source because they know your previous medical history!

  Hope you feel better soon

  nj
• 

  DJK

  Rotate your mattress.

  I've noticed the same symptoms when my cholesterol is high. Always good to have it checked anyway.

  Just a couple ideas. Good luck.
• 

  Thegoodgirl

  As someone else said, they'll have to rule out lots of more common things first.

  Anemia (periods been heavy lately? blood in stool? bleeding ulcer?)

  Thyroid problem (diagnosed with blood testing, but other symptoms besides fatigue are wt gain, slow heart rate, change in texture of hair/skin/nails)

  Depression (lack of energy? loss of interest in things you're normally interested in?)

  If your labs show changes in white blood cells, this may be sx of mono or chronic fatigue syndrome. Of course not much treatment for CFS. Get plenty of rest. Eat healthy. Exercise regularly. Reduce stress.

  My sister had CFS. She was not only always tired, but also always sick. She finally had her tonsils removed, which helped. She also got married to a nicer guy than her first husband, and also went back to school so that her new career is less stressful and less physically challenging. She's a lot better now. She had a baby who is a real cutie, so I think all that helped. (Not that that is the cure!)
• 

  choosing life

  I have CFS and it usually starts with what seems like a viral infection that just never goes away. Poor sleep is also involved. That doesn't mean you have it, but it is important to see a doctor. It is often a diagnosis of exclusion, after many tests come back normal.

  If the doctor finds nothing wrong with you, be careful that they don't convince you that you are just depressed. That is what they usually do if all the tests are normal. Anti-depressants can just complicate things. If you continue to have the fatique and sleep problems, see a doctor that specializes in CFS. The earlier you receive treatment, the better chances you have for a recovery.

  Hope it is something simple that they can help you with. Good luck! Sincerely, Choosing Life