JAQUIROUIN Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 I think that I have symptoms o the chronic fatigue syndrome, but my doctor never had talk me about this. Some of you have this illness.This are some of my symptoms: *Short-term memory or concentration problems *Sore throat *Multi-joint pain without joint swelling or redness *Muscle pain *Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity *Non-refreshing sleep *Poor sleep *Brain fog *Increased thirst *Recurrent infections *Exhausting after minimal exertionI know that many of this are to symptoms of POTS, but not all.Could I have both?I have the Sjogren's Syndrome too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 In short answer, Yes you "could" have both.CFS can be caused by POTS symptoms...especially those disabled by the POTS fatigue come under category CFS.CFS was my FIRST diagnosis 15 years before finding out I had POTS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 I have some of the CFS symptoms but not the "usual" ones: I don't have swollen lymph nodes, sore throat and some of the others.My doctors always attribute my poor stamina to POTS. Whatever the name of it is, I'm still disabled.I wonder if there are CFS people out there who "get better" and if so, how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wufflebear Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 I have been sick with ans problems since 3. I was told I had CFS at 17 and the ANS problems were not diagnosed till I was 31. I get the swollen glands and sore throat stuff too.... I dont think that fits into the ANS dysfuntion dx's but who knows.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalalisa Posted April 1, 2006 Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 I have also been diagnosed with CFS (and POTS). I often wonder if most of my symptoms stem from autonomic dysfunction or cfs. The symptoms overlap so much!Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eillyre Posted April 1, 2006 Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 Hello Jacquirouin! Sorry you're having so much trouble with health! I have POTS and CFS, although the CFS is my major hindrance at this point. Both conditions do have overlapping symptoms, which makes it difficult to determine which belong to which condition. The definition of CFS according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is as follows:"in order to receive a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, a patient must satisfy two criteria:1)Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis; and 2) Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; unrefreshing sleep; and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours. The symptoms must have persisted or recurred during six or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue."I would certainly discuss the possibility of your having CFS with your doctor. I'll warn you that diagnosis with CFS is not going to bring about lightning-fast change. There is no single, universal cure for CFS. There are steps that you can take to improve your ability to function, but not a magic pill as of yet. This is in part because the medical field still does not really understand much about the condition; the general population understands it even less. I've had all sorts of comments regarding CFS from people I know or have met: "Oh yeah, isn't that caused by some sort of yeast imbalance or something?" "Well if you hadn't danced so much you wouldn't have this problem!" "Oh, well just stop eating wheat, dairy, citrus fruit, starches, meats, fats, sugars, and fiberous vegetables and you'll feel better in no time!" "Well, if you just EXERTED yourself you'de be fine!" I'm sure someone could make a very amusing T-shirt out of the comments I've received! When I asked Dr. Low if I should see a specialist for CFS he told me not to bother -- I knew as much as they would he said. By educating myself and with some help from my dad, I've come up with a treatment that appears to be working for me. Generally, the medical professionals that I've talked to about CFS say that they treat CFS patients "by symptom." Since there is no single medication so far that seems to eliminate the whole condition, usually doctors work on getting rid of or reduce in intensity as many symptoms as possible, which in effect makes the condition as a whole less severe. Finally being able to sleep again was one of the big breakthroughs for me. I'm blessed with a wonderful new PCP with a background in CFS -- she's been able to give some very helpful suggestions regarding living with CFS and increasing my level of functionability, but there haven't been many medical interventions she could think of to get rid of it.So...I guess my point is this: definately speak to your doctor about the possibility of having CFS, but be prepared for the fact that if you do have it, it won't be a simple, straightforward condition to deal with. That is not to say that it is untreatable -- please don't misunderstand me. I'm thrilled by the progress I'm seeing on my treatment regimen and look forward to a more "normal" life ahead.Hope you're able to find some answers soon! Feel free to PM me anytime -- I love to talk! Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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