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...
Hello All,
I'm new here. I hope you can shed some light on my situation.
I have not actually been diagnosed with CFS, but I have chronic fatigue. It started about 3 years ago and it is getting worst and worst.
Everyday after work in the late afternoons, I'd feel this fatigue in the head (not pain, but a sort of pressure or heaviness right above my eyes and my forehead) that makes me want to lie down and close my eyes. I may or may not fall asleep, but I need to close my eyes for about 1 hr before I can make dinner.
On weekends, I'd wake up around 10 am, and after making myself lunch, I'd feel this way again in the early afternoon.
About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome). This syndrome does cause fatigue, BUT I recently realized that is not the same fatigue that I have! I went into the Sjogren's Daily Strength discussion and realized my kind of fatigue is not what the others have (I think theirs is more MUSCLE/JOINT fatigue). If I do any moderate exercise, my body feels fine afterwards, but I would need to immediately lie down and rest/sleep for an hour. Even my Sjogren's doctor wonders if anything else is going on. (She had also thought I had been talking about muscle fatigue.)
In the last 5 years, I had been under a lot of stress also. I was taking care of an elderly ill parent with alzheimers at home. So I thought stress was what was causing my fatigue. Now that he's passed away for 2 years, the stress should be gone and my fatigue should dissipate, yet it's getting worst!
I just read the entry "Pressure in the head" here and saw some similarities. I have noticed my breathing is sometimes shallow and caught myself holding my breath sometimes.
As for hypoglycemia, I have tested negatively for it. But I have a extremely fast metabolism and seems hungry 2 hrs after I eat a full meal. (I already saw a dietitian and she said my diet is balanced.)
Does anyone have any ideas or advice?
I'm new here. I hope you can shed some light on my situation.
I have not actually been diagnosed with CFS, but I have chronic fatigue. It started about 3 years ago and it is getting worst and worst.
Everyday after work in the late afternoons, I'd feel this fatigue in the head (not pain, but a sort of pressure or heaviness right above my eyes and my forehead) that makes me want to lie down and close my eyes. I may or may not fall asleep, but I need to close my eyes for about 1 hr before I can make dinner.
On weekends, I'd wake up around 10 am, and after making myself lunch, I'd feel this way again in the early afternoon.
About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome). This syndrome does cause fatigue, BUT I recently realized that is not the same fatigue that I have! I went into the Sjogren's Daily Strength discussion and realized my kind of fatigue is not what the others have (I think theirs is more MUSCLE/JOINT fatigue). If I do any moderate exercise, my body feels fine afterwards, but I would need to immediately lie down and rest/sleep for an hour. Even my Sjogren's doctor wonders if anything else is going on. (She had also thought I had been talking about muscle fatigue.)
In the last 5 years, I had been under a lot of stress also. I was taking care of an elderly ill parent with alzheimers at home. So I thought stress was what was causing my fatigue. Now that he's passed away for 2 years, the stress should be gone and my fatigue should dissipate, yet it's getting worst!
I just read the entry "Pressure in the head" here and saw some similarities. I have noticed my breathing is sometimes shallow and caught myself holding my breath sometimes.
As for hypoglycemia, I have tested negatively for it. But I have a extremely fast metabolism and seems hungry 2 hrs after I eat a full meal. (I already saw a dietitian and she said my diet is balanced.)
Does anyone have any ideas or advice?
But another possibility might be that I was already sick and the stressors triggered a flareup.
I think these questions are beyond our ability to answer them. It will take more resources than we possess to investigate the etiology of ME/CFS.
I'm new here as well and can really relate to the stress of trying to figure out what's going on in your body!
As others have mentioned, migraines can occur without pain, which came as news to me when I learned it. I've been diagnosed with vestibular migraines, which are migraines that cause vertigo and dizziness.
The reason I wanted to respond to you though is because you mentioned that feeling of heaviness behind your eyes that makes you feel incredibly tired, and that's exactly how I feel as well. I almost never have actual migraine headaches, so I've been reluctant to accept the diagnosis of migraines, but two doctors, an ENT and a neurologist, both think that this is what's going on with me.
I also just found out that I have Epstein Barr, which definitely accounts for a lot of my fatigue! That's a simple blood test, so maybe a doctor could check you for that as well as other standard blood work for your thyroid and other things... it's good to just rule things out even if you don't find the answer right away.
Good luck to you! I know it can be a long and frustrating process to finding answers, but don't give up!