Do you have chronic infections (yeast, URI's, etc.) ? Also... if you push yourself too hard one day, are you in bed the following day ? If so, then talk to your physician about CFS.
I would also consider making sure that your physician has ordered an ANA on you. (labwork). I would also ask your physician to check your thyroid levels
arthritis is actually autoimmune, as is Hashimotos disease a form of hypotyroidism..which I have ...there are lots more..cant think of em now....erethema nodosum and sarcodosis I believe are also.
i have lots of muscle and joint pain. tired all the time, insomnia. i find some places i have pain have like lumps or knots. a lot of neck stiffness. at first they thought i had lupus and treated me with prednisone for 2 years. After no help they sent me to a specialist and they said fibro was what i have. what other auto immune diseases are there?
~d
I would recommend having your CRP and cortisol level checked. The CRP measures inflammation, but it is a more sensitive test. The cortisol level, if low, can be responsible for a higher (but usually within normal range) in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.
Also... have autoimmune diseases been ruled out ? What are your symptoms ?
my sed rate is always high. i have never had it low. I have try and read the info i'm i lil confused. so if mine is high i don't have CFS?
~d
I checked out those sites. It was very interesting. My sed rates are always low.
I'll be getting bloodwork done again in April so I'll see if things have changed from January's.
Sed rates in CFS patients are within normal range, but usually VERY low. There is a reason for this (can't remember now), but Dr. Paul Cheney explains it. Here's a link on low (but normal) sed rates in CFS patients:
Sed Rate (ESR) --- The most consistent laboratory abnormality in patients with CFS is an extremely low erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which approaches zero. Typically, patients with CFS have an ESR of 0-3 mm/h. An normal ESR or one that is in the upper reference range suggests another diagnosis.
source: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/235980-diagnosis
Hi postie,
I actually had the link from Dr. Bell's website.... saved and posted in our Health Pages. Scroll down and you can read what Dr. Bell says about autoimmunity:
http://www.davidsbell.com/PrintLynNewsV4N2.htm
I know one thing that CFS physicians are talking about is cytokines. They've also discussed cytokine problems in patients with autoimmune diseases. I'm looking forward to reading this new research and hearing more about it !
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Fibromyalgia/Diagnostic--Blood-Tests-to-Help-Diagnose-CFS/show/376?cid=39