Chronic fatigue can cause different symptoms in different people. I also have RA and it was in remission until a year ago. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in August 2010, but not until 15 months post tickbite. I had not went to the Dr for the tickbite, I went because I was having joint pain and it was very different than the R/A pain. It was pain across the top of my ankles and above my knees. It seems to be more 'around' my joints than IN my joints. I also was having some severe issues at work. I had a high-stress position. Suddenly I would have panic attacks and severe brain fog. I lost much of my short term memory. I remember driving to the the corporate office and thinking to myself on the way.. "Now WHY am I going to there?" Telephone conversations became extremely stressful. I would only comprehend half of what was said. I remember sitting in on meetings and walking out with something totally different than what my co-workers heard. I just was NOT focusing, but I didn't know I wasn't focusing. There were actually moments when I felt conspired against, like someone was gas-lighting me.

My mornings would be ok, but by afternoon, I could barely think, move, or talk. Going in to the Dr for the joint pain was the best thing that I could have done. I finally knew what was going on with me and I had to resign my position. I found out that stress is our enemy and only complicates our health issues.

After months of antibiotics and supplements, the lyme was gone but the CFS is for life. After a year, my RA came back with a vengeance. At first I had hoped that I could get well enough to work again, but once the RA came back, I know that my career is over.

CFS can affect people in different ways. Some can continue to work and lead very productive lives. I remember hearing Cher talk about living with it years ago. I thought I could be like her and just take good care of myself and whamo---be back into my life.

Others like me, push and crash. We have one good day of activity can send us into a deep crash. I've felt so good about myself for getting so much done in a day, then could do nothing but sleep for the next three days.

Oh, when I'm having a bad CFS episode, I 'lose' my words. My brain fills just about anything in for the missing word. It could be an opposite or it can be a word somewhat related. For example, "I need to throw some clothes in the oven" Or I need to get a jacket, it feels hot in in here. It's just rather bizarre when it happens.

It makes me angry sometimes because after my kids got into school, I started college. I worked my butt off to get my BS with honors and an MBA. To just turn around a few years later and lose my ability to think straight just depresses me if I dwell there.

I hope that I answered your question. Obviously, my communication skills are a little diminished lately.

My experience is that it isn't like normal tiredness at all...it feels much deeper. and there is muscle weakness. there is also the post exertional malaise. In UK you need to have had the fatigue for over 6 months to get a diagnosis of CFS. Fatigue can be a symptom of many other illnesses so I'd get some blood tests to rule other things out if I were you. Also rest. I think RA and CFS can go hand in hand. If you do have CFS it is possible to recover. You have to not push it though.

One of my earlist symptoms was the fatigue. The only way I can describe it is if you have ever had a real bad case of the flu, the severe weakness and fatigue that goes with the flu is present with me 24 hours a day seven days a week. I was diagnosed with CFS 14 years ago, however I was having the severe fatigue prior to a severe flare up. I don't know if you have been tested for Celiac disease, but after I was diagnosed with Celiac and went gluten free my CFS has improved. I still have bad days, but less frequent.

Stenv-- How well do you sleep? CFS is not the diagnosis for fatigue. There can be many sleep disorders that cause this. Best to get checked out by your doc and maybe he/she can order some tests to see what is ailing you.

Good luck in treating this whatever it is.

For me, it feels like someone hooked me up to a seal-a-meal and sucked all my energy out. Doesn't matter how long I spend on my cPap machine, how many B12 tablets I take or how inactive I am, four hours after I wake up, I'm exhausted.

This is a good question. I have syndromes that overlap eachother. I have been diagnosised fifteen years ago with fibromyalgia, Myofascial pain syndrome and chronic fatigue. Try figure out which one is causing what. Yes I have gotten retested and I still have all. I had a scary incident once in a while when I will sleep too long and with fibro that is the oppisite of what should be happening. Of course I don't feel refreshed. I have had slurred my words, and have the same issues with terrible memory issues. Well my aide company lets the aides talke out tramatic brain injury patients. I know I not one of them, but I feel like I have issues that warrant that I get to be able to go out too. I need more prompting cause I forget to do simple things. I do feel stupid and I wish that my agency would explain it on my plan so that my aide would understand. I think I deserve to go out. I don't think it will be allowed. I wish my worker hadn't said it cause I know they won't do this for me. I am going to make a cas for it because my severe memeory issues anyway.

I like to relate it to the feeling you have when you only get 3 hours of sleep from studying for finals for multiple days...that's the only way I can think of explaining it..?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=401--WCB5dc

Watch this and you'll have a better idea of what this illness is about.