CFS - what has worked?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've been battling chronic fatigue syndrome for a few years now. It's pretty bad. I'm really into fitness, but often I go to the gym and I can barely lift my eyelids. My friends all think I'm a baby because on Friday and Saturday night I either don't make it out of the house or, if I do, I'm back home by 11pm. Caffeine does nothing for me. I had been taking 20mg of Lexapro, which seemed to MAYBE be helping slightly. I was going to up the dose, but I switched to Prozac because Lexapro is insanely expensive here. The Prozac didn't work and it made my head fuzzy, so I stopped immediately. What I want to know is what has worked for others? I don't want to sleep through life, either.
1 like, 4 replies
kend0g187
Posted
Sorry, my post was edited by another forum. Here is the original text:
I've been battling chronic fatigue syndrome for a few years now. It's pretty bad. I'm really into fitness, but often I go to the gym and I can barely lift my eyelids. My friends all think I'm a pussy because on Friday and Saturday night I either don't make it out of the house or, if I do, I'm back home by 11pm. Caffeine does nothing for me. The last time I felt normal and functional, I had taken a small amount of MDMA. It was like an awakening for me. "Wow, this is what it's like to be out at night and have energy." I had been taking 20mg of Lexapro, which seemed to MAYBE be helping slightly. I was going to up the dose, but I switched to Prozac because Lexapro is insanely expensive here. The Prozac didn't work and it made my head fuzzy, so I stopped immediately. What I want to know is what has worked for others? I'm not a huge fan of taking drugs on a regular basis, but I don't want to sleep through life, either.
jackie00198 kend0g187
Posted
What's helped me is pacing and rest. Also, meditation helps me cope. I've tried many meds. They've all had bad side effects, or stopped working after a while. That includes Prozac and Lexapro. But then again, I'm super sensitive to any meds. Be very careful about going to the gym. Pushing through the fatigue is not a good thing, and can affect long-term health with this illness.
toni62403 kend0g187
Posted
Hiya, I agree with Jackie - pacing and rest are really important. My symptoms massively reduce when I live within my energy envelope. I try my best to do the same amount of activity every day (what this was took a good year to figure out) and I also try to adjust my activity if I know that one day I will be doing more than I should. I don't take any medication at all since I tend to just manage my health through pacing.
Ladyliegh kend0g187
Posted
Honestly the best course of action is to do lots of research, knowledge is power.
I don't take a lot of meds for ME/CFS, only a few things for pain. Sleeping meds & antidepressants are often prescribed, but I am not sure they should be. Supplements & vitamins can help as well, with less risk & damage. I would recommend doing whatever you did before you had Me/CFS. No caffeine or sugar or vit. C in the evening, try milk or other natural options. I know rest is important, I hope you find something that works for you.
Don't worry about 'friends' who don't understand, if they care they will be concerned about what is best for you. They probably just miss you...