New Member seeking advice!

Hello all. I am a 38yr old male living in the UK. I am asking for anyone to point me in the right direction and offer any advice they feel may help me. My history is this. I lost my mother with Breast Cancer about 7 years ago and since then have never really got over it. I was diagnosed with depression and have had 2 bouts of that in the 7 years since my mum passed away. I am a terrible worrier and think that any illness i get is Cancer related. I have IBS which started not long after mums passing. Since then i just seem to go from one illness to another, Costochondritis, Migraines.

I have a really great relationship with my Doctor and have been to see him so many times. For about the last 2 years i have had difficulty sleeping, or waking from my sleep still so tired. I feel lethargic and yawn constantly. Often i have no energy or willpower to do anything. Just yesterday, i lay down on the sofa about 6pm and could have slept but choose instead to reast only. I have aches and pains in my legs, i often call it "Restless Legs". This they have said is related to previous car accidents and it part of a lower back problem. I work for a long-haul airline as a cabin crew member and i'm sure this does not help my tiredness.

Does this sound like CFS or something else. How tired should you be? with CFS.

I have had full blood tests, stool samples tested and MRI/Xrays taken. All found to be clear, this at least gives me some comfort.

Sorry its a long winded post but needed to offload.

Kindest regards

Pete

Hi Pete, I also live in the UK.  I have had CFS for 4 years but have only been diagnosed for 2 thanks to the good old NHS .  Like me, your symptoms are vague and I cannot comment because I am not a doctor, but I had every test known to the NHS which all came back negative.  In the end I paid for a consultation at the National M E Centre, then I got a firm diagnosis and a report that I was not suffering from clinical depression.  I was going forward slowly till my mum died of cancer last year and I have not been able to catch up since.  There has to be a degree of depression when you lose your mum, it's part of the grieving process, and the stress of cancer takes a toll on you physically and emotionally.   This coupled with trying to remain at work caused me to relapse and now I have had to stop work for the time being.  CFS is an annoying illness in that it takes elimination of everything else it could possibly be in order to make a diagnosis.  The UK is very behind in this field and there are precious few specialists, but Dr Mitchell at the Centre was very good.  Trouble is I now have no-one to follow me up as I cannot easily travel to London.  So I have my diagnosis but not much idea what to do with it.  My GP tries his best.  There is a lot of good info on the net, especially on this site and there is an 8 point criteria for diagnosing CFS.  Track it down and highlight anything you can relate to, then take it to your doctor.  Let me know how you get on.  Good luck, Alison.

my wife suffers from the simalar simptoms you say get checked out for an entro virus

Hi Pete,
my husband is with the airlines too and suffers from jetlag but not to the extent you are talking about. Depression isn't a problem with him either, unless it's a momentary thing from sheer exhaustion.

I have ME and he has worried at times he might have it with the fatique, but the fatigue he gets goes away with a good rest. But when he's really tired and feeling the nausea from it, he can relate a bit with my symptoms. Glad you have got some good advice about where to check out your symptoms though.

There is a book by a Dr Sheppard (spelling?)I think and another one by Dr Anne McIntyre and probably others. I think they are English Authors. Are you able to check out your local library or get someone to go for you?
Might help you a bit if you don't find reading difficult.

Really hope you can find something to help. Some people find B Complex helpful but take it before lunchtime with food, as it can keep you awake.

Keep in touch with the forum and take care

Mouse