Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

[PGB]

I had a previous post about the glands in my neck under my left ear being swollen for about 3 monthes now.  Tried 3 rounds of antibiotics and at least 4 antibiotic shots.  My first blood work showed nothing.  Mono was neg.  After sitting down and really talking to me Friday morning my doctor discovered that along with swollen glands, low-grade temp., night sweats, tired all the time, I also bruise very easily , have lower back pain, and every nick and cut I get is extremely slow to heal and usually gets infected first.  He wanted to do more extensive blood work which he says we will hear from the first of the week.  He suspects Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  What is this, really?  Everything I've found and read on it scares me because it sounds awful and hopeless because unless I missed something, there is no cure for this.  I am hurting REALLY bad today in the glands in my neck and am running a temp of 100.1 which is a little higher than it's been running.  I just finished 500 mg of amoxil 3 times a day for 10 days on top of a shot.  How do they treat this and if there is no test to do for it, why the blood work, and what are they looking for in it?

[jaspur77]

I had chronic fatigue when I was 19 years old. I won't lie,  It was the most horrible time of my life.  It took me about 2 and a half years to even be able to work again.  Luckily after alot of Doctor's that didn't care or were baffled, I found a Doctor that knew about it because he had it himself and treated himself.  I was so glad to have a diagnosis.  It felt like I had the Flu times 10.  And people treated me horribly because of ignorance about the illness.  People thought I was mentally ill. I had all of the symptom's you have. I tested positive for epsteen bar virus.  My doctor prescribed me B12 shots a herpes pill called Famvir [even though I didn't have herpes] and prenatal vitamins. It really helped.  I think probiotics would help too.  Quit taking antibiotics.  It's a virus.  Hang in there.  This experience has made me so much stronger and wiser.  Not saying I wouldn't trade it back in a heartbeat. It's very slow but you will recover. I hope you don't get the horrible insomnia that I had when I started to get physically better. It's a very unknown illness and there is no test to diagnose it.  That is why there is so many non- believers.  But know you are not alone. I've been there and through it.  Feel free to ask me any questions.        

[angelJoy]

Have you had your NA level tested?  This is often not done in a cbc.  I have had similar symptoms and they finally tested and found  an elevated ANA which can be a number of things including Lupus.  I have been referred to a rheumotologist and would pursue this with your DR.

[attheendofmyrope]

He is more likely trying to rule things out with the bloodwork rather than trying to prove it is Chronic Fatigue because, like you said, there is no test. As for treatment, they treat the symptoms since there is no cure. There will be medication to try and keep you from hurting (usually motrin or something like it) and other medications that treat other problems associated with what is going on with you. Each individual has their own particular things that go with Chronic Fatigue.