Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) describes a sense of exhaustion and post-exertion malaise, even when you have gotten enough rest and sleep. The disease is characterized by six months of incapacitating fatigue experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. The cause is unknown, but it is a...
One of the few things that keeps my CFS at a level I can manage, is icebaths.
I was reluctant to post this, because I don't feel entirely comfortable reccomending something when CFS is such a complex illness, but I will anyway.
I get in a bath, put my music on, then pour in two bags of ice, yes it is damn cold, you shake and shiver a bit, but when you get past the initial chill it is ONE OF THE MOST relaxing things I have ever experienced, the total brainfog that comes with this illness disapears and I feel amazing. I tend to stay in anywhere from 12-20 minutes depending on how I feel.
When I get out, I feel so relaxed, at peace, and I sleep very well that night, waking up refreshed the next day.
I read that a lot of bugs in our bodies spread by heat, I remember I got in a very hot bath once for 20 minutes, I almost died! It was the absoloute worse CFS I have ever experienced for days afterwards, so then I thought I would try and "reverse it" and got in a bath full of ice. And what do you know, it worked.
I know a lot of CFS sufferers who are sensitive to the heat too, so maybe heat is the enemy when it comes to this illness for some people, I know it certainly is for me.
I was reluctant to post this, because I don't feel entirely comfortable reccomending something when CFS is such a complex illness, but I will anyway.
I get in a bath, put my music on, then pour in two bags of ice, yes it is damn cold, you shake and shiver a bit, but when you get past the initial chill it is ONE OF THE MOST relaxing things I have ever experienced, the total brainfog that comes with this illness disapears and I feel amazing. I tend to stay in anywhere from 12-20 minutes depending on how I feel.
When I get out, I feel so relaxed, at peace, and I sleep very well that night, waking up refreshed the next day.
I read that a lot of bugs in our bodies spread by heat, I remember I got in a very hot bath once for 20 minutes, I almost died! It was the absoloute worse CFS I have ever experienced for days afterwards, so then I thought I would try and "reverse it" and got in a bath full of ice. And what do you know, it worked.
I know a lot of CFS sufferers who are sensitive to the heat too, so maybe heat is the enemy when it comes to this illness for some people, I know it certainly is for me.
I find it unpleasant, but it does take away the foggy, burned-out feeling for a while. That was a surprise to me. I also found out that my propane consumption dropped drastically. It had been too high, I thought. The insulation on the tank may have gotten waterlogged.
Now I'm not sure what to do with cooler weather coming soon. I suppose I could do sponge baths if it's chilly.
I did a lot of reading about multiple sclerosis years ago when I suspected I might have it. Ice packs are a common procedure in dealing with that illness. They make special leggings for MS patients that hold coolant to keep the legs cool while walking.
My body temp is consistently low, so cooling the body still further seems counter-intuitive. But I guess there are a lot of things about our illness that don't make a lot of sense intuitively.
I used them as a trick I learned from athletics, but have been forced to stop as I keep coming down with the flu.