Hi from a new member

[Guest guest]

Hi all, by way of introducing myself, I will just answer the questions in the

welcome letter for now, but please feel free to contact me at any time or ask

anything you want to know.

Age range: I am 41

Male/female: Male

What are the symptoms? Generalized pain, fatuige, muscular tremors and

weakness, cramping and spasms, IBS, interrupted sleep patterns, increased

susceptibility to heat, cold, humidity, short term memory loss, shortened

attention span, mild dyslexia, migraines, mood swings, numbness and weakness in

hands and feet, and on and on and on...

Has you illness been diagnosed? I was diagnosed in March of 2000

How long did you suffer before you got help? I first started to experiance

symptoms in the late 80's. a couple of years after breaking my back in a fall.

They increased in severity over the years, untill I could no longer pursue my

chosen profesion, and I was forced to go from DR to DR looking for answers. I

should have known what was wrong with me, as both of my sisters have FM, one

with CFS as well. It was not untill I mentioned my frustration to my sister that

she refered me to het DR and I was diagnosed.

Is there a time that you can remember when it started? The first time I can

positively say was on a rafting trip down the Snake river, I suddenly ran out of

steam quite early in the day, and was hit by muscle cramps in my hands, arms,

neck, back and shoulders,as well as tingling in my hands. I know I had been

slowly losing my endurance before that, but that was the first time I knew there

was something more than just being " wimpy " ar that particular time.

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

found this to be a problem also? I also suffer from a lack of appititre, so

becoming overweight has not been my problem, quite the oposite, in fact.

Are you on disability? No, and hope to avoid that, if at all possible. I have

been on short term in the past, and found it affects my mood, and thus my health

more than the strain of doing minimumly physicaly demanding work.

If you are any pointers for others trying to get on disability? Just one, get a

lawyer who specializes in " orphan conditions " , and never give up, thats what

they hope you will do - just give up and go away.

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

etc.? tricyclic anti deppresants, for sleep and mood, mild excersice, and the

love and understanding support of my family and friends,

Do you have sleep problems? How do you deal with it? See above

Do you have family that understands your illness? Yes, see above

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

you? Cheese or foods with live cheese culture can agravate the migraines, and

excesive carbs agravate the IBS

What type of Doctor have you found that has helped you the most? currently I am

being treated by a Ruemy and an Internist who specialises in CF/CFS.

Again, greetings to all, and hope to meet and talk to many of you soon... Mike

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