and more about ME/CFS
Feb. 5th, 2003 03:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
baratronM.E. is an illness. M.E. stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - which is a bit of a mouthful, but basically means muscle ("myalgic") and head ("encephalitic") symptoms. M.E. is also known as Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS), because it often follows on from a viral infection. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS).
As its name suggests, M.E. mainly affects the muscles and the head. Muscle symptoms include severe fatigue upon exercise, muscle pain and spasms, influenza-like malaise, clumsiness, poor memory, concentration and balance, non-refreshing sleep, sore throats, enlarged glands, and joint pains. Head symptoms include headaches, dizziness, "swimmy" feelings, and perhaps the most difficult to handle, loss of concentration and short-term memory.
These are not the only symptoms experienced in M.E. Sufferers will often feel "ill all over", and experience many flu-like symptoms; nausea, shivering, fever, and generally over-react to heat and cold. Some unfortunate sufferers may be in unremitting pain.
Digestive problems are common; constipation or diarrhoea, gas bloating and bowel pain. Alcohol intolerance may also occur.
Depression and emotional problems are often a part of M.E, but it is important to realise that these are a symptom of the illness, and not its cause. Some sufferers are very emotionally volatile and unpredictable - they may get angry or depressed for no apparent reason, or even cry at the slightest upset. This may be due to the illness affecting the nervous system. - Edited from mehelpinfo.users.btopenworld.com.
Great. A perfect description of me, associated with an illness which many doctors still don't believe exists, and which has no cure. Now I have to wait for an appointment to see my doctor, because although I could get an emergency appointment tomorrow to see someone, they won't have time in a 10-minute appointment to read my entire file. As my many ailments have been going on for months or years, it's important for them to see the history. And hey, if it is ME, waiting a couple of weeks to see someone isn't going to make any difference.
As its name suggests, M.E. mainly affects the muscles and the head. Muscle symptoms include severe fatigue upon exercise, muscle pain and spasms, influenza-like malaise, clumsiness, poor memory, concentration and balance, non-refreshing sleep, sore throats, enlarged glands, and joint pains. Head symptoms include headaches, dizziness, "swimmy" feelings, and perhaps the most difficult to handle, loss of concentration and short-term memory.
These are not the only symptoms experienced in M.E. Sufferers will often feel "ill all over", and experience many flu-like symptoms; nausea, shivering, fever, and generally over-react to heat and cold. Some unfortunate sufferers may be in unremitting pain.
Digestive problems are common; constipation or diarrhoea, gas bloating and bowel pain. Alcohol intolerance may also occur.
Depression and emotional problems are often a part of M.E, but it is important to realise that these are a symptom of the illness, and not its cause. Some sufferers are very emotionally volatile and unpredictable - they may get angry or depressed for no apparent reason, or even cry at the slightest upset. This may be due to the illness affecting the nervous system. - Edited from mehelpinfo.users.btopenworld.com.
Great. A perfect description of me, associated with an illness which many doctors still don't believe exists, and which has no cure. Now I have to wait for an appointment to see my doctor, because although I could get an emergency appointment tomorrow to see someone, they won't have time in a 10-minute appointment to read my entire file. As my many ailments have been going on for months or years, it's important for them to see the history. And hey, if it is ME, waiting a couple of weeks to see someone isn't going to make any difference.
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no subject
Date: 2003-02-05 04:56 am (UTC)The reason I mention that is that ME is such a little-understood disease and the symptoms can vary so wildly from person to person (E's mother also has ME, and a completely different set of symptoms; whilst E herself can be laid low for days, even weeks at a time, and not be able to move from the sofa, E's mother doesn't ever seem to suffer "that bad") that it's not very much use to have a set of symptoms at all. Most of the ones listed above seem to have been brought on by various treatments that E has been prescribed over the years.The latest thing she's having to do is a complete diet overhaul - last I spoke to her she was on a gluten-free, lactose-free, wheat-free and presumably taste-free diet. I'm pretty sure you've no wish to limit what foods you can eat even more, but I don't remember you ever trying to be gluten-free. Eating gluten - if you're allergic to it - could certainly produce 75% of the symptoms you've quoted above.
If you like, I can contact E and get a list of contacts from the ME society from her. They keep a list of doctors who are "ME-friendly" and who ought to be able to advise you better if you think it's what you have.
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she describes it as being difficult - almost painful - to think, as though your intelligence has been artificially reduced.
!! That's exactly how I've described my depression. And my doctors and psych people have always been surprised by that. On the worst days I feel like 40 or 50 points have been knocked off my IQ.
Perhaps I should have some more allergy tests done. Testing for food allergies is a bit more complicated than nasal allergies, but there is at least one method that's fairly reliable. Going gluten-free would be quite expensive to do as a trial, as well as driving me insane, so it would be a better idea to find out first whether it would do me any good.