I have CFS and have been off work for a while. How do you know when is right time to go back?

Hi Katoreo.  I'm not a medically qualified person but I understand that there is a link between CFS and Vitamin B12 deficiency and this could be exascerbated by your "gastro problems". I suggest you ask your doctor to test your serum B12 and Folate levels if for nothing else but to rule them out as a possible cause,

I wish you well

If the hospital CFS programme is CBT and GET I wouldn't do them if I were you because many patients with ME say they exasperate their conditions. People have been trying to tell the medical profession this but they're not listening.

First of all, know that you are very fortunate to be at a point where you can even contemplate going back to work. I have to think long and hard before even walking across the room...You're right to be concerned about a crash. This is very common. We push beyond our capabilities and crash. Dr. Lucinda Bateman, an ME/CFS specialist in the U.S., believes that the more you operate outside of your energy envelope, the less chance you may have of a recovery. She recommends getting a device like a Fitbit to help you get a handle on your optimal activity level. I would be extremely cautious about going back to work. For instance, if you go for weeks without crashing, and are back to a normal level of activity, you might consider it. But above all, you don't want to crash and endanger your health. I pushed myself and went on a vacation 3 years ago. The result was new, pretty awful symptoms that still haven't gone away.

Mazpaz

Very happy to hear you're contemplating work. I'm a teacher myself and was only diagnosed 2 weeks ago after feeling unwell for several months. I'm still learning a lot about the condition but my occupational health therapist has said I should try to still work but only teach 1 class a week and build up up to more very slowly and only when I can teach without any symptoms coming on (at the moment max 5 hours a week). I'm starting this plan on Monday so I can let you know how it goes.

Hi, I was in this position in April 2014 and went back on a phased return. It was the worse thing I could have done as I made myself far worse. I was a police officer but they put me in an office on greatly reduced hours. I ended up going off sick again after 5 months and eventually got ill health retirement. I would think very carefully about going back, also because there are no visible symptoms people presume you are better than you are and don't make allowances. Good luck x

I was off work for 6 months, my doctor didn't want to sign me back to work but I was desperate to get out of the house and have a purpose to get up in the morning. I started a phased return to work that started with 2 hours a day Mon/Wed with 2 hours at home on a Fri. I stuck at this for a couple of weeks then gradually increased by half an hour each week. Some weeks I paused and didn't increase if I didn't feel able to. It took me over a year before I managed to get up to full time hours but I've not managed to sustain them. I now work just short of full time hours and half day on a Friday. I'm really fortunate that my boss and colleagues have really supported me through this, without them I wouldn't have managed to get back to the hours I have.

I'm stubborn and feel like I'm failing myself and my colleagues if I have to reduce my hours etc, but I'm learning to listen to my body and make adjustments when needed.

Good luck!