Intro

[Guest guest]

Age range: 28

Male/female: Female

What are the symptoms?

body aches, joint pain, dizziness, vertigo, disorientation,

exhaustion, trouble concentrating/thinking, tingling in hands and

arms, limbs " faling asleep " , IBS...not all the time, not all at

once...sometimes just an annoyance to severe.

Has you illness been diagnosed? yes, August 2001

How long did you suffer before you got help? I " believe " the problems

started in 1998, with dizziness and anxiety attacks...seemed to get

better, then in 2000, after working 50+ hurs at a VERY physical job,

I had a mini-breakdown, and took time off...the pains and aches and

exhaustion i thought were from overwork were still there after

resting for several days....after about 6 months of seeing various

doctors and lab test, missing work and being diagnosed with " stress

headaches " by an internist, was diagnosed, and handed over to a very

nice rheaumatologist.

Is there a time that you can remember when it started? (see above)

Some of us have found lack of exercise we are overweight. Have you

found this

to be a problem also? Not quite overweight, but have noticed an

extreme loss of toned muscle.

Are you on disability? no

If you are any pointers for others trying to get on disability?

What have you found that helps ease the pain, warm baths, medications

etc.? warm baths, some stretching and massage when I can get it.

REST, and flexeril

Do you have sleep problems? How do you deal with it? I used to not

have problems at all, besides not ebing able to sleep when I wanted

to! Now, i have problems going to sleep, if very tird, because of

Restless Legs Syndrome. sleeping aids, from herbs to meds, seem to

aggravate this. The only thing I have found that doesnt bother it is

Flexeril. I do seem to crave more sleep tho, on or off the meds.

Do you have family that understands your illness? Pretty much. They

dont understand the severity, but understand that I hurt, and cannot

do the things I used to, and dnt nag for me to keep going if I say I

cannot.

Some have found certain foods causes problems with CFS or Fibro, have

you? It seems that red meats or fatty meals make me groggy and painful

What type of Doctor have you found that has helped you the most? The

Physical Therapist I see twice a week