Hi all-I haven't been around for awhile. I have an ongoing problem I would like to run by you who have ME/CFS. Do you get sicker during the winter? If so, how long are you down?
The reason I ask is because my ME/CFS flares in October & I am down for the count until March or April. This winter will be year # 5 or 6 of this & I really am not looking forward to it. All winter I am totally fatigued, my muscles have no energy in them to do anything, my arms & legs feel like they have 20LB weights on each of them. I pace myself but can not do much during the day. I feel like I have the flu most days, with nausea, acid reflux, headachey, & ache all over some days. I sleep at least 12 hours per night (I can sleep 15-19 hours some days) in the winter & my days are very short. Some days I am very depressed. I also have Fibro so some of these could be that.
I have tried all kinds of things but so far nothing has helped. I even tried a sunlamp but saw no improvement at all. With my Fibromyalgia I have chronic insomnia & with the CFS I have the unrefreshing sleep. My Dr had put me on a muscle relaxer for sleep taken along with Melatonin 5mg & I got "some" good sleep. A couple months ago, my Rhuemy took me off the Melatonin & prescribed Trazadone to help me get into the sleep beyond REM sleep, the sleep that heals. I was sleeping deeper & felt better for a couple months & I was hopeful this was going to help my Winter Sickness, but now my ME/CFS has begun to flare & I am sleeping more & more & I know the winter sickness is coming on. I have upped my cyclobenzaprine (muscle relaxer) & the Trazadone but still no help. I take a B12 in the morning for energy but that is not helping much anymore either. Anything you have tried or used that has helped with your ME/CFS? What a horrid illness.
Come winter I have to get out my fluffy bathrobes, comfy pj's & slippers. Forget getting dressed in anything else, which I must say is one bonus. I have very little laundry in the winter just some pj's, bathrobes & undies. LOL!!!!
Thank you for reading this, many hugs, Denise