What tests should I get done before believing it is CFS?

[serena311]

For a year I've been suffering from extreme fatigue, muscle aches and join pains and abdominal bloating and pain. It is unbearable. Even writing and walking seems impossible to me because of the weakness. I feel faint and dizzy everytime I stand up and I've gained a bit of weight. Diet and exercise has never been mmy problem- I eat healthily and (before these symptoms made it unbearable) I used to do yoga and physical theatre.

I've had my thyroid tested, I've had the liver and kidney checked and had the full blood count and everything has come back normal! I've even had food intolerance tests done. I realise my symptoms match chornic fatigue syndrome, however I know that all other tests need to be done before you can be diagnosed with it. Can anyone suggest any other tests I can get done? I really want to mmake sure every other possibility is ruled out before I amm diagnosed with CFS. Please help me! Oh, and I don't suffer from anxiety or depression or anything like that.

Thanks xx
Serena

[emilyt92]

Hey,  I have cfs and yeah, it ***** but you learn to live with it. I've had it since I was 15. But I was tested for things as extreme as lupus and multiple sclerosis. So I kind of thought I was lucky with this diagnosis. Way to do it is persistantly go back to your gp. Keep buggong them. I hope you get better :)

[LordUgh]

Hello Serena,

Did you read my posts "Some things that helped me"?  I talk about hypothyroidism type 2 at the end of part 1 and the beginning of part 2.  Type 1 is where your thyroid produces little or no hormone and that's easily detected by a blood test.  I had that test several times and I was always in the "normal" range.

Hypothyroidism type 2 (HT2) is where you test in the "normal" range but your body needs more.  Common symptoms are: brain fog, fatigue, myxedema, muscle pain, non-restorative sleep, post-exertion malaise.  Dr. Mark Starr has an audio interview and a book (see my posts for links) in which he talks about HT2.  He says you can test for it by taking your basal/resting temperature (again I explain that in my posts).

Other things to check are mercury and/or metal toxicity.  

At the end of part 3 of my post I describe some Google search techniques you can use to find other people that have your symptoms and see what worked for them and what didn't.

Sincerely,
Lord Ugh