Anxiety or CFS

[Mezzanin]

I am not sure if these symptoms are the beginning of CFS or anxiety or indeed some other illness.
I just wanted to know your gut reaction on whether or not I could have CFS.

I have provided some details of my symptom below. Sorry they are so extremely detailed but I wanted to be sure that my symptoms might be CFS. Obviously, you do not have to read it all, scan it. I rather wrote it as a therapeutic exercise.

I have seen five doctors. They all say my symptoms are anxiety related and that I definitely do not have CFS, I even saw Prof. Davis from the UK FM/CFS/ME clinic and he does not think I have CFS. I should add that doctors have only given me routine blood tests and no other checks.

Mid January another urine infection had three sets of antibiotics but it turned out not to be a urine infection as four tests came back negative. Came to the conclusion after ‘googling’ that I had interstitial cystitis. To say I was distraught was an under statement. I felt so utterly depressed and anxious about this potential life changing condition.
My symptoms, not being able to hold much urine, peeing an incredible amount of times if I drink a couple of glasses of water. If I forget to drink, darker urine, tiny volume and slight sting in bladder before and after peeing. I still get a strong urgency to pee even if I have a low volume of urine. My bladder problems vanished in March but have come back to a lesser extent in mid May.
Mid January 2013
Noticed I had burning pain in my feet at night whilst lying and in the day. This later migrated to hands and has responded to B12 injections.
February 2013. One random night in February after feeling very stressed about interstitial cystitis I woke up at 3am and could not get back to sleep this has continued until now (June 2nd 2013). Sometimes I sleep 5 hours. Sometimes 4 hours. I fall asleep easily, in fact am usually exhausted by 10-11pm. Then I awaken after 3-5 hours, fall back asleep for an hour or two depending on whether I got 3 or 5 hours the first sleep and then I am done. I cannot get back to sleep. Usually awake at 3:30am then 4:30-5pm up for the day.
During February I noticed that my hands (palms started burning too).
Other weird symptoms mostly transient and not painful as such more bothersome
• Slight jaw ache
• Slight neck ache
• Right shoulder ache
• Tight ham strings
• Tightness in back of thighs
• Tightness in biceps and triceps
• Feeling slightly unbalanced when I walk
• Less energy
• Feeling more thirsty
• Occasional eye soreness
• Blurring vision
• Mild headaches
• Lower back pain
• Light sensitivity
• My menstrual cycle has become more frequent (had a period after three weeks then after ten days)
• White tongue (apparently not Candida according to my doctor).
• Intermittent cough. Two coughs lasting a few days.
• Intermittent mucus on chest.
• Feeling cold, feeling hot when I exercise
• Hot flushes
• Sore Nipples
• Blurred vision
• Feeling like my legs are made of jelly when I walk
• Weird sore patch under arm lasted days, but no visible sign of rash.
• Waking up sweating (not often though).
• I have bowel movements at exactly the same time each morning 5/6am. I do not pass motions again throughout the day. This has never happened before. I urgently feel the need to 'go' although not do not get diarrhea unless taking Magnesium. Sorry about the too much information here.
•
Other symptoms more bothersome
• Raging anxiety in the morning sometimes during the day, less so since eating a protein snack before bed and/or taking theanine.
• Apathy
• Depressed mood
• Sleep issues, waking multiple times. Not being able to sleep more then five hours in total
• Bladder issues, peeing a lot but sometimes not producing much volume, burning sensation.
• Burning hands and feet
• Fatigue (not major)
• Slight Brain fog)
• Waking up feeling tight muscles, especially in ham strings, thighs, and triceps.
• Feeling irritable and impatient
• Feeling restless
Tests I have had done (All normal).
• Thyroid
• Menopause
• ESR
• B12
• Diabetes (2 tests, first normal and the second showed rising sugar levels)
• Scan on ovaries, etc
• Folic acid
Treatments
• Started Trazodone yesterday (50mgs). Discontinued after two days. Zopliclone tried 4 x. No effect slept the same.
• Had B12 injections that relieved the burning pains in hands and feet. Now taking oral B12 (Mecobalmin)
• I am eating wheat free and diary free diet. No caffeine either just water and herbal tea and decaffeinated tea.
• I am taking D-Ribose, N-Acetyl Cyteine, N-Acetyl L- Carnitine,Phosphatidyl Serine, L-Tyrosine, Co enzyme Q10, cod liver oil, and a pro biotic.
• I intend to start taking GABA, Zinc and Magnesium and VIT C and A and D.

Activity Level:
Up all day without naps from 5am until 11pm. Usually walk the dog for an hour. Do all housework. Feel more apathetic about doing stuff the incapable.


Things I do not have that are consistent with CFS
• No tender lymph nodes
• No sore throat
• No cold hands and feet
• No severe headaches
• No severe fatigue
• No Severe brain fog
• Can walk for an hour or so
• Normal Blood pressure
• I am not sure about post exercise malaise. I am not wiped out for days. I am not sure what I am capable of yet.
• Can be on the computer all day, write, email, chat and I am not wiped out

[mrsymptoms]

Hi Mezzanin

I have just joined the site also. I was diagnosed with ME/CFS 15 years ago after never really recovering from glandular fever.

I have had a major relapse which has caused more symptoms than I have ever experienced in my life. This was all provoked by stress and lack of sleep... more stress etc.

I would say that you don't have M.E. so I would forget about that.

A likely cause of some of your symptoms would be is due to your B12 deficiency which I presume you were diagnosed with? These things can take time to resolve, even when the level in your blood is high. B12 deficiency on its own can cause anxiety and depression.

You are also suffering from a lack of sleep which obviously makes anxiety worse. Plus you are suffering from health anxiety as well.

My best advice for you would be to try and get support for your anxiety. Are you seeing a psychiatrist or therapist? Anxiety alone can cause a lot of symptoms. Getting your sleep back will help you a lot.

You are doing the right thing taking some supplements because anxiety is just tiring for the body. Make sure you take a bcomplex as well as the b12. Be careful with D-ribose and carnitine as they can give you more energy but can also give you more anxiety. Maybe you should just stick to the basic vitamins and minerals unless you have noticed any great benefit from them

If I were you i would try some exercise. It is great a relieving stress and promoting sleep.

Also don't google!!!! (easier said than done)

Hope this has helped

[Mezzanin]

It has helped massively.
Why don't you think I have it though?

[cattia]

I would agree that it definitely doesn't sound like ME. My best friend had ME for eight years and at the time I became totally convinced that I had it. I didn't though, alll my symptoms (which were very similar to yours) were all caused by anxiety which also led to depression. As for the interstitial cystitis, I've been there too! I was totally convinced I had it, same thing happened to me with a UTI that didn't clear up with anti biotics but then it showed no infection. I spent weeks googling interstitial cystitis, went on a special diet, bought books about it and all sorts. In the end it was totally caused by anxiety! I had just become obsessed and over sensitized to my urine habits!
You sound very similar to how I have been in the past. It's hard to believe that anxiety can cause such physical havoc, but it really can. The more time you spend convincing yourself that you have some syndrome or condition that is causing your problem, the slower your recovery will be. There are a million conditions out there that overlap with anxiety, but anxiety is the one that you know for sure you have, so that's the one to tackle. I am sure that the other symptoms will improve when your anxiety gets better. Feel free to PM me.

[mrsymptoms]

It never ceases to amaze me what anxiety can cause.

I'm stuck in the middle of it myself at the moment. I consider it to be a separate thing to my M.E.

It is like symptoms on top of my M.E. Which is annoying as you can imagine.

I am sure you don't have M.E. because of the reasons you gave.

The antibiotics probably weakened your body a bit, coupled with the stress, health anxiety... vicious circle.

Make sure you take B complex, C, Magnesium, Omega 3s... maybe chew a bit of liquorice root.. all good to support your adrenals...

[Mezzanin]

Thanks again MrSymptoms and Cattia.
Such thoughtful responses.