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CFS or Depression????

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Posted 7/24/2005 1:53 PM (GMT -6)
I know no one is a doctor here..but I just have to vent. My doctor diagnosed me w/ depression/anxiety and prescribed zoloft for me because I had been getting [what I called "the rundowns"..for lack of a better name] these episodes of of exhaustion would happen every few months off and on for years. The exhaustion would last anywhere from 3-7+ days , but would never be relieved from sleep or even extra hours of sleep. I woudl have to play 'suck-up' to my body and give it days, and days of rest. Now when these "Rundowns" occurr, I am always frustrated because in my head I wanna do the things I need or would like to do, whether its going to work or playing etc.. Its like my mind is saying 'go, go', but my body is saying 'no', no!  Its soooo frustrating!! Its been going on for over a decade. When these rundowns hit, all i can do is lie down and stare at the t.v or out the window. NOw i am a hyper person, who unless i'm sick does not lie down espec. in the afternoon! I do notice I get these 'rundowns' after either a physically stressfull &/or emotionally stressfull week.

Anyhow, I guess i've known i had a bit of depression my whole life, but when my doctor confirmed to me [after several lab tests] that it's not CFS, that i should try the zoloft. Well the zoloft, much to my surprise has helped me w/ the anxiety and ocd and i noticed I didn't get the rundowns for the first 6 months! And when they did start to creep back, they were functionable, that is I could force myself to work and perform, albeit not w/ the same as my usual energy.

o.k, so today I have got the rundowns again, and i wanted sooo bad to go out and do things this past weekend, but fear if I do I'll 'pay for it' if i don't listen to my body and stay home. AAhh its depressing, my brains says "go" and my body says "no"! 

Can anyone relate to this? and if so, could the doctor still be right and I get these run-downs from the depression and not CFS?!!!!!

Thanks for your time!!

Posted 8/7/2005 7:11 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Grayson,

Have just read your comments and can relate to what you said. I have also experienced these periods of run-down for some time now, approx 4 years. I'm a 25 year old male, extremely sporty, but also enjoy going out, socialising, drinking often till the eraly hours (well I did, no drinks for the last 8 months). Firstly the socialising side, even though I continued to go out, I would take days to recover from late nights. My friends would often say after a Friday night, shall we go out tonight on the Saturday as well, I would literally be startled by this, and not understand where they get their energy from, as I would be unwell flu like syptoms, headache until Wedensday, Thursday the following week. Stupidly or not I would then go out again, and have to go throught the same heartache the following week until my body caught up and was able to re-energise. Sport on the other hand I seem to beable to cope with. I ran the London marathon 2 years ago, and have been training in kick boxing upto 3 months ago, and these forms of sport (some of the most strenuous around) was never an issue for me. However this last 3 months everything has come to a grinding halt, I have fatigue, headache's, certainly anxiety and yes I hate to admit it but depression. I think the anxiety has built up in me for years. Presentations were always my biggest fear at uni, and I have always avoided them since, but the matter has just built up in side, where I think its effected me as a person and my way of life. I have occassionally had to stand a deliver say just a few words, and my nerves would be so bad, my heart feels like it would pop out of my chest!! Luckily it didn't though.

Just from re-reading this the thought of presentaions makes me jittery. Anyway my doctor and neurologist say I have cfs, and am gutted at the idea of having this, I would love to put it down to depression, anxiety, and take this medicine you talked about ZOLOFT and feel better. Have tried to take magnesium supplements but looks like its not helping..lucky I bought a small jar!

Would appreciate your response

Best Regards

Pablo7 

Posted 8/10/2005 7:37 PM (GMT -6)
Hi I was dropping in to read about CFS as I have Crohns Disease but am always tired. Reading your peace I can really relate too. This is what happens to me I do ok for a few days perhaps weeks then I crash. I have to wait until the fog lifts before I can really function better. I still make it to work and I have 4 kids so they keep me going but I do the bare minimum and not a happy camper at all. I dont know why this happens to me but always thought it was the CD. perhaps I am wrong and have to look into this. I know I get anxious more and have had panic attacks early on with the CD but cant figure out why I get so down and a one track mind and cant concentrate on anything or anyone but me. I hate to complain all the time to everyone around me but I wish it would just go away. I too would love any advice and Grayson you sound just like me but I have the bowel troubles.

Katy
Posted 8/12/2005 1:32 PM (GMT -6)
hi zoe , i have cfs but i also have asthma, and ibs with terrible bowel troubles, and when i get so profoundly fatigued, i dont know what to blame it on. so i understand where you are coming from . is it the crohns or something else. i am sure you are always thinking that also. .i used to go for a few days and then crash , now i go months at a time in a crash, with an occasional good day in between. i learned to just accept this life. i know what i can do and what i cannot, and i try to read everything that i can get my hands on about this mysterious disease., hoping and praying for a good treatment. so far i have tried everything, antidepressants, accupuncture, vitamin drips , b=l2 shots. everything helps for a while and then it stops. we all have to pray that they find a good treatment that works for everybody. thats the thing, what helps one person does not help the other, thats the frustrating part. hang in there zoe, i have had cfs for l3 yrs. it does get better, maybe not the illness, but the acceptance part. warm hugs to you. love joaniek
Posted 1/13/2006 6:05 AM (GMT -6)
I read a list of 11 symptoms.  It said to have CFS you need 8 of these.  It included things like swollen glands and frequent infections. 

I have only the big three:  Depression, sleep disturbance and lack of energy.

A medical school professor here in Los Angles wrote an article saying there is no such thing as CFS;  it is just another name for depression.

But, or course, it doesn't matter what you call it.  It is a mysterious condition that can't be cured.  But some of the symptoms can be treated.  My antidepressants are very helpful, for example.

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