Already have fibromyalgia, do I have CFS also?

Wackers34, I am so sorry to have to meet you on this or any forum. But I do welcome you & hope you can get some answers to your questions. When I was dx'd with FM I was sure that was not all because I was so tired all of the time & had flu like symptoms quite often. I couldn't sleep & when I did I couldn't stay asleep. I was just so tired & sick that I just wouldn't let it go & was finally dx'd with CFS as well as FM by a rhuematologist. Your symptoms do sound a lot like mine so I think you certainly have a possibility of having CFS. Swollen glands & sore throat is not FM, neither is the tingling, buzzing sensation. The statistics are that 60% of people with Fibro have CFS, whereas, 30% of people with CFS have Fibro. So the statistics say you have a good chance of having it. Just keep talking to your Dr about CFS & if he/she won't listen get a second opinion, like I said I was dx'd by a Rhuemy.

As far as getting better, I have heard of some getting better but it is usually within the first three years I have read. They can go into remission within that time but after 3 years not so much.

I have good days & bad days but even my good days are very sedentary. I hope you can keep up with all you are doing, it seems like an awful lot. Just remember to prioritise & if the house doesn't stay as clean as you want it to don't stress because like with Fibro, stress is not good for us. I am glad you found us, take care of yourself. Many gentle hugs, Denise

Wackers, for me my CFS is worse then my FM, it is what keeps me from working or really having much of a life, so it is my primary illness. I receive disability for both FM & CFS. I had to quit my job, that I loved, because I just couldn't do the job anymore. I was so tired & sick, I just wanted to sleep all of the time. I now take Tizanidine, a muscle relaxer & Trazadone, both for sleep. Since I sleep better I am a bit more alert during the day depending on if I am flaring or not.

My Dr is not very knowledgable about CFS either. I have had to learn all I can myself but like anything else you have to sift through the muck to find answers. There are a lot of people who think CFS & FM are close if not the same thing but they are not. CFS is now thought to possiblely be an autoimmune disease, the latest research is going in that direction. Also, there is quite a bit of interest in mitochondrial research. After reading about this I started taking Co Q10. Our mitochondria make a lot less of this then normal mitochondria. I do think I have notice a bit more energy from this.

I take magnesium malate it seems to help with energy, memory & cognative issues.

As far as holding down a job only you can answer that. If you can, that is great & just keep on with it. If I could I would, I loved to work. I don't think working can make CFS worse, it is what it is, mine has not gotten any worse or any better. Sorry to say that but I have gotten used to my life as it is. I try not to get too down because of it. So, keep working, spend your energy on your family, I do I live with my daughter & two garandchildren. Everything else do as you have the energy for. My daughter is also ill so we do things like cook once, eat twice or maybe three times. Empty the dishwasher as soon as it is done so it is ready for dishes. We make one big salad per week, ect. just to name a few.

I hope this helps some. Take care of yourself & come back often. Gentle husgs, Denise

I would like to give my input in this matter as well. I suffer from fibromyalgia and cfs as well as a long list of disorders. If you are already having issues with fatigue and disturbed sleep, working even part time would not be in your best interest. You really need to focus on your health and on taking care of you which I know can be very hard to do because you are so used to being the caregiver for your family. But if you push yourself too much your health will suffer more. And you'll have flare ups more often. Sure you can have good days where you'll want to do more but ultimately this is the worst you can do for a body already stressed from the fibromyalgia. Plus keep in mind that you have two very active kids that rely on you for everything. If you are to tired or hurting to much to give those kids what they need you'll suffer from depression because your caregiver role is now lacking and it will also lead to flare ups. That's why it is so important that you take really good care of yourself.

It doesn't matter if you also have cfs. The treatment for medication is just about the same. Best of luck and welcome to this forum.

thanks Kayla

I have decided to go back on sick leave from work and then drop my days from 4 days to 2 days a week and see how I go with that.

Vitamin D was very high, over 100 so I think thats ok, i have just joined a specialist clinic here in the UK for ME/CFS...they are going to do adrenal testing on me and recommend the best supplements and diet. My thyroid was also normal, but was nearer to the hyper end than hypo end.

I have never considered Lyme Disease...not sure how you ask for this in the UK?