Diagnosed years ago; extreme exhaustion; chronic body ache

I am currently a full time law student and was diagnosed with EBV when I was in high school after experiencing chronic tiredness, fatigue, and swollen glands. Now 7-9 years later, I am suddenly having extreme exhaustion, body aches, joint and back pain, fatigue, and chills. On the weekends, I will sleep anywhere between 14-18 hours a day, intermittently. I don't know what is wrong with me; I have had my thyroid tested numerous times and every time it comes back normal. I do not know if this related to having EBV, or if I am experiencing something different. I do not feed sick or am vomiting. I have a normal appetite and regular bowel movements. I'm not coughing, congested or suffering high fevers. I am just so, so, so tired and it's gotten to the point were my boyfriend is concerned that I physically cannot get up sometimes. I also feel very dizzy and lightheaded often, which results in me laying in the tub for hours on end. I don't have a primary care doctor and usually go to those urgent care clinics, which hasn't been very helpful. I am enrolled in law school full time and have very little room in my schedule to wait in doctor's offices... though it will have to change if I don't find answers soon.

I'm 22 years old, 5'5", a normal weight, no medical problems, only on birth control, eat very healthy, exercise when I find the time, don't drink or smoke...

If anyone has any insight I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

[PlateletGal]

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can tell you that your story is similiar to mine. I had mono when I was a teenager and then had health problems afterwards. My  diagnosis, after numerous tests, is CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).

In my opinion, it is very important that you ask your physician to do numerous tests on you to rule out other possible health conditions.

I hope you will consider posting in the fibro / CFS forum. I am the Community Leader in that forum and have posted a lot of information on CFS in our health pages. Here is the link: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/44?personal_page_id=1064

If you do have CFS... I can tell you that I've found that it is very important to be pro-active and do research on this illness. It is frustrating to be a CFS patient and deal with physicians who don't care about this illness and don't know how to treat it.

I hope that you will stick around and continue to keep us posted. Feel free to send me a private message if you'd like.

Best,

PlateletGal


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A CFS diagnosis should be considered in patients who present with six months or more of unexplained fatigue accompanied by other characteristic symptoms. These symptoms include:

cognitive dysfunction, including impaired memory or concentration
postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours (exhaustion and increased symptoms) following physical or mental exercise
unrefreshing sleep
joint pain (without redness or swelling)
persistent muscle pain
headaches of a new type or severity
tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes
sore throat
Other Common Symptoms

In addition to the eight primary defining symptoms of CFS, a number of other symptoms have been reported by some CFS patients. The frequency of occurrence of these symptoms varies among patients. These symptoms include:

irritable bowel, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or bloating
chills and night sweats
brain fog
chest pain
shortness of breath
chronic cough
visual disturbances (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain or dry eyes)
allergies or sensitivities to foods, alcohol, odors, chemicals, medications or noise
difficulty maintaining upright position (orthostatic instability, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, balance problems or fainting)
psychological problems (depression, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks)
jaw pain
weight loss or gain



http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/cfssymptomsHCP.htm