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Is this CFS?

Posted , 7 users are following.

chemkate
chemkate

Hello,

I was wondering if CFS can be triggered by Vit D deficiency, esp. in combination with prolonged stress (I am a 'high achieveing' student and have been putting pressure on myself since primary school - I am now finishing Uni) and a period of being underweight.

Namely, I have been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency (12 ng/mol) in March 2015. Since then, I have been taking supplements (first 20,000 IU per week for 6 weeks, now 5,000 IU every other day) and my blood test in November 2015 showed normal vit D levels (~42 ng/mol) but I have persisting bone aches in both legs and arms (they can be extremely painful, almost like my bones were cracking/breaking) as well as feeling run down/tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get.

I have trouble getting to sleep - it's almost as though my sleeping pattern were shifted 'forward' (i.e. go to sleep later and want to wake up later), but I wake up as tired as the day before.

I had my thyroid (TSH, T4) and 'stress hormones' (cortisol, ACTH) tested but they all came back normal. My endocrinologist suggested I might have a form of CFS.

Do my symptoms indicate CFS?

Is it plausible I have it based on my health history (I have not had any serious infections)?

If anyone has any helpful insight, it would be greatly appreciated.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • chemkate
    chemkate

    Posted

    Anyone? I would really appreciate any advice, the pain and exhaustion are not getting better at all...
    • Ravenwood
      Ravenwood chemkate

      Posted

      I think it's possible. It's hard to tell based on what you have written, but no one knows what causes myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome. The defining characteristic of the disease is that if you do some level of exertion, the next day you feel sicker. And by sicker, you feel like you have the flu. Achy, glands hurt, headache, etcetera. If you feel like you have that, and could find a doctor who knows what he or she is doing, you couldn't probably get that kind of diagnosis. I hope this helps.
  • lynne69494
    lynne69494 chemkate

    Posted

    l also get the persistent fatigue, and bouts of pain, occassionally severe, but also the sleep problems, restless nights, disturbed, but do get several hourss sleep but wake fatigued groggy will power to get up dress all slowly and do a few essential for an hour or so, then an easily fall asleep again, some days 2 or 3 times a day, for an hour or more.l was also told l,d low vit d, but think its common in uk, taken supplaments, makes no difference. Some do start cfs me following major infectioin, but not all, my health probs started following surgery, but l think immune conditions can start spontaneiously. Many with cfs also get fibromyalgia, which could account for your severe pain in limbs, also goes along with fatigue, there are other symptoms which you could check out on net see if any fit you, quite a few obscure ones,temprature probs hot or chilled, heightened sense of smell, Also no firm test to diagnose.  best wishes.
  • frank68910
    frank68910 chemkate

    Posted

    I know that I was diagnosed with CFS and my labs said I am vitamin D deficient.  I also have a form of cancer and my oncologist and a nutritionist said that the best forms of vitamind are Sunlight, Raw dairy grass fed cows milk and kefir and Mushrooms-very lightly cooked.  For sleeeping the told me Melatonin and cherry juice( tart Cherry is a good food-it is sour and I was told not to sweetin with sugar as sugar feeds candida a bad bacteria in our gut that causes inflammation.  I hope this has helped a little-oh I was told that the vitamin D in pasteurized milk is pretty much worthless-our bodies do not readily absorb calciferol in any form-so they said-I'm not a doctor-just passing on what they told me-tart red cherry juice is loaded with Melatonin-mix with 100% nothing added organic applejuice-it does have sugars but they are a slow natural form of glucose?  I believe that is what they said and no more than half and half because it has calories.  Good luck.  Others more up on CFS can probably help about a diagnosis 
  • jackie00198
    jackie00198 chemkate

    Posted

    I've never heard of vitamin D deficiency triggering ME/CFS. However, lots of us with this illness seem to have vitamin D deficiency. My guess is that the illness causes the deficiency. On the other hand, I've read many accounts of stress playing a role in onset of ME/CFS. It's definitely not the whole story, though. For instance, I had a flu and was also stressed out. I think it was the combination that started my ME/CFS, sort of a perfect storm. Do you have postexertional fatigue? That's a red flag for this illness. Go to the "solve ME/CFS Initiative" website to see if symptoms listed there resonate with you. If they do, and if you've already had a complete blood panel done that came back normal, you need to see an ME/CFS specialist. An infectious disease doctor or rheumatologist would be good.
  • bronwyn97278
    bronwyn97278 chemkate

    Posted

    Hello chemkate;   Yes I do feel that you may have CFS, especially the way you describe your Sleep Patterns, and with Vitamin D deficiency, we all have this problem too (I live in Australia, and have very brown legs and arms, but it doesn't seem to absorb as properly as it should).   As for the Sharp Pains in Legs, this I have felt too......would describe it as the same as the diagnosis known as Shin Splints.   Most of us that succumb to CFS and Fibro seem to have a Particular Personality....one of those being "high-achievers"...putiing every thing you have into your studies/work/family life (always being there for others etc).....so this may have contributed to you at this stage........however, having said that, don't Give up....just slow down for this periiod, as you are still young, and if you look after your body's needs now, you can get better.   I agree totally re the Melatonin, as I trialled for about 3 months taking supplements, and now can have a good night's sleep and wake up with my mind clear.....my body still takes a couple of hours, but I can come on here, and concentrate........To get the right help you need to research all that you can on this subject, and also try and get a referral to a Rhuematoligist....these are the specialists who give the correct diagnosis and will guide you through.   Also if you can afford Physio/massage for your body aches, I have found them invaluable......and take vitamin suppliments (I have dissolvable that I put into my water bottle and drink at it alll day......it Keeps me going).....also take Magnesium as our muscles really need this......hoping that this has helped a little, but also keep in contact with us all, and everyone can help from their experiences and what they have found to help.......talk again soon.............Bron
  • dee07306
    dee07306 chemkate

    Posted

    Your symptons sound very similiar to mine, I am also vit D deficiant, and have been taking Vit D tablets from GP for over 4 months now, last year I was on a higher dose for over 6 weeks, I have been suffering with extreme fatigue for over 3 years and it is so bad I had to take voluntary redundancy from work ( I used to be a teacher).   I was told on Tuesday that I was suffering from CFS/ME.  I have all the same test done that you have mentioned, to be honest, Im sure that I am being passed from piller to post with each specialist not knowing what to say or do with me! The only infection that i can recall, having been otherwise very healthy up until now, hardly ever having to go to GPs for anything, is a dental problem, I had some dental work done around the time this started, i was in so much pain from this work, and have had to seek professional help wilth a new dentist in order to sort it out, but not until a year later as it took me that long to discover the dental work had caused the pain in my jaw in the first place.  My new dentist has told me that my teeth are just crumbling away and i have a low lying infection in my gums!  I mentioned before that everytime I have had blood tests done my auto-immune markers were up, suggesting a low lying infection, apart from having an absess in my gum for over 3 years on and off, i have not been ill with anything other infection, at the moment my new dentist is trying to sort out the gum disease and absess before he can start work on my tooth causing the problem, but i have noticed that on the days the gums and tooth are not so inflammed i do feel slighty better, if that makes sense, not sure if this has anything to do with the CFS/ME, it will be interesting to see if the symptons disappear once this work has been completed, so far the specialists have paid no attention to me telling them about this infection, but its funny how the fatigue etc has only started since the dental infection and it makes sense to me that if my immune system has been fighting an underlying infection for 3 years this could be causing the fatigue! however im no medical expert! so ive made another appointment to see the GP after the recent diagnosies and will see where i go from there.  I know this dosnt help much but it may trigger something in your memory that you may not have thought of before.  
    • lynne69494
      lynne69494 dee07306

      Posted

      Again interesting how we can sometimes see simularites, but l guess others wont have same. My health problems started following csection. l did have immediate intense pain and had catheter in, not usual for cs, then a uti late treated, from there on l had frequent severe pain and poor health and fitness, after being a person with great stamina and loving walking miles, digging garden, quite strong, that all went by the by, just slowed down and not as able, though still managed day to day stuff, many years later symptoms diagnosed as intersticial cysitus following scope. But before this l,d got very ill and gp put me on one anti b a  week for a month and 2 pessaries a night, which did help at end of it, for a while,l,d really bad persistent thrush, symptom of immunity, also had discharge of crystalised stuff, weird. Gps never explained things, but pharmacist told me on asking the meds were for a deep seated infectioin, which l guess is simular to low lying infection, l,d never heard of such a thing. Later when l  had a scope and diagnoses of ic, under anascetic with biopsy, and diagnoses also acid reflux diagnosed, but strangely from that scope on, l never had that same discharge l,d had so regularly over years, so it does make you wonder, l dont know, l,d always had allergic rhinitus penicillian allergy so maybe immune probs always there.

      Its only in recent years research has discovered with ic that they now believe there is underlying infection deep in bladder wall, hence a new treatment for many now is to take one anti b a day as preventative. So how much is poor immunity allergy problems or an opportunist infection bacteria pathogen got into deep tissue and taken its affect over years.  A;though my ic did improve with meds, the fatigue and gastric problems started a year or more ago, also ic is linked to cfs fibro myalgia, sjorgens, other immune condition are often linked, l,m not wating to see rheumatologist, but have got far more info advice on here than from gps, who seem quite casual about it, as they did with ic.  These mbs are a good help support, l also have spring water at hand and put soluable vits in it, haqd been told short of vit d, also use others,  easier on the stomach, will keep trying other things.  l,m sure its only a matter of time before they know answers to all, take care

       

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