Hey Guys and Gals :)
I was diagnosed with CFS last late fall. I have a chronic, active infection with the Epstein Barr virus. I was reading your posts here, or somewhere that mentioned CFS causing more than CFS symptoms.
about 6 weeks ago I came down with a case of arthritis (of unknown cause per the doc) and severe muscle pain. I have seen a rheumatoligist twice. I have taken a very strong 13 day oral steroid treatment. I finished it 2 weeks ago. Monday I got 2 shots of cotisone in my lower back. The doc said they were "trigger points". My knees and feet are really swelled. I had an MRI of my knees yesterday. He thought I could have Baker's cyst. I knew my knees were swelled because I could not squat, lol.
I also have heart disease and degenerative brain disease. I have 4 stents in my coronary arteries. I have had a heart attack and 2 light strokes. Small vessel disease (SVD) is affecting the white matter of my brain. I have had a headache for 3 years. I have had three MRIs of my brain.
The infectious disease doc that diagnosed me with CFS said the virus meant nothing. Then he wrote down on the diagnosis sheet that I had CFS and arthralgia (joint pain). My cardioligist thinks the virus is very significant and so does the rheumatoligist. Thet didn't go into why, because things, or subjects, move along too quickly.
I am sorry to ramble on, but do any of you have anything that CFS or the EBV has caused, outside of the normal, nagging symptoms?
Thanks so much in advance for any information :)
Rj