I was already depressed and drained before the rona. That flu depleated the last I had in me. Pain in my legs killed me. Hair turned grey. Vit B depleated. B complex needs to contain B1 and B3. Zinc from meats needs to be stocked. But zinc is hard to find in food now.
Hello, thank you for the video. I'm hoping you can help me understand a couple of points: the first is about the advice not to rest for too long at once. I'm 5 weeks in, and a trip to the bathroom pushes my heart rate over 120, a trip downstairs pushes it over 140. I tried to add a small activity last week - one day I took a 5 minute walk and the next day I stirred some faux-chicken in a pan a little for a few minutes. It's taken me 3 days of excruciating muscle pain, weakness that has meant barely being able to hold a glass of water, terrible headache, brain fog/confusion and extreme exhaustion to recover. In these circumstances should I still have gotten up out of bed every 30-45 minutes? It just seems impossible! The second question is, when you say specialist fatigue services are available, what type of services? My work provides me with private health insurance. My GP has to write a referral letter for the insurance to cover my costs. But my GP says he doesn't know who to refer me to (what type of specialist). I'm keen to move ASAP because from what I've read (on good days, when I'm able to read), treating PVF carefully in the early stages is critical in avoiding CFS, but as I've had so many peaks and troughs from the simplest tasks, I feel like I'm somehow getting it wrong. Thanks in advance.
@Megan Walker I am pretty much fully recovered. It is so surreal reading this post and being taken back to the incredibly hard position I was in. I truly thought I would not be able to get better at some points. I really feel for you. HUGE hugs. 🫂 I hope you don't mind me sharing some of my experience, and a story of hope. I hope it helps you, or someone else reading this. ❤️ I began suffering after a viral infection, so I tend to still call mine post viral fatigue, or PVF. But it's much the same as CFS/ME it seems. My brother-in-law has had CFS/ME for around a decade already. I was fortunate enough to have private health insurance and had a battery of tests and expert advice when I got sick. The key supplements I've been advised for PVF are magnesium, and double dose vitamin D, however the double dose vitamin D was based on my blood test showing my levels at lower end of healthy. A plant based (vegan) diet is most recommended for PVF. It reduces inflammation markers and improves energy levels. I recommend the 'nutritionfacts' website for dietary recommendations for specific symptoms, and the book How Not To Die by Dr Greger. This book is at my bedside and has become my go-to reference text. There is an interesting video about fatigue and cocoa / cacao on this site. I've seen a difference since I started drinking a cacao inclusive smoothie every morning. I make it with 4 teaspoons cacao, oat milk, frozen banana, frozen berries and a couple of chopped dates. Adopting a plant-based diet has improved my brother-in-law's health incredibly (after he saw the difference it made in me). He has a very physical job and thought he'd have to leave it, but no can outperform colleagues who are "fit and healthy". I also added 1.5 glasses of tomato juice to my diet daily, for the high levels of lycopene and the benefit to mental health. Blueberries are another great addition to support the mental health aspects of this condition (I recognised I took quite a knock mentally since PVF, it was so hard to accept and adjust to my new life when at times it felt like my life was so limited it was pointless to keep living). On days my heart rate was particularly high and my blood pressure low, I added additional salt to my diet by way of ready salted crisps, salted nuts or sauerkraut/pickle. I was advised by a consultant at The Fatigue Clinic in London to stop allowing myself the once/twice weekly extended sleeps of 10-12 hours. I had already stopped napping. I am strict with routine around bedtimes and it massively helps. I spent 6.5 months off work completely, and for a good time in that period I was almost fully bedbound. I got up to use the bathroom and nothing else. I lay in silence because I was too tired to watch TV, I couldn't follow audio books, my eyesight deteriorated and I couldnt read or write well. The pain and fatigue was constant. I started very slowly working on a phased return to full hours (desk based, working from home). I measured all my activities - mental and physical - closely. I meditated 2-3 times a day (I didnt meditate before); this has been recommended time and time again, and for good reason. Trying to meditate is as good as meditating, I promise! It is like any activity, it gets easier with practice. I stopped watching TV for most of my illness because I noticed a pattern of it becoming a tiring activity, not a restful, recharge the batteries type activity. I now watch a small amount, but nothing high drama/emotion, complex topic, news, anything that could be a drain. Lighthearted, gentle stuff, and repeats, I have a little of now. I made innumerable adaptions around the house to make my life easier. I had a shower chair and a stool in the kitchen. I bought lightweight plastic plates. I kept cutlery in a pot on the side because the kitchen drawer sticks. I swapped from manual to electric toothbrushes, and bought two of them, so I could keep one downstairs for after breakfast so I didn't have to use the stairs. I bought smart bulbs so Alexa can turn the lights on and off, meaning I didn't have to get up. Once I was able to process audio better, I listened to a book called The Giant Leap. It helped me tap into what I could do with my mental wellbeing, and it seemed to help me turn a final corner towards the end of my recovery (maybe 12 months in). I was back at full time work after 18 months. 6 months later, I left my desk-job life, and now work in entertainment on a cruise ship. I'm on my feet and busy every day. I know the warning signs that I'm overdoing it and act instantly, making sure I'm eating right, resting enough, meditating etc. It's so easy to forget what helped me get well and then be surprised when I'm unwell again! This might sound an insanely long list, but I didnt put these things in place in a week! This is over around 18 months of illness and recovery. ***Practicing acceptance and gratitude have saved my sanity.*** If I had to pick two things to recommend, they would be the Headspace app for meditating, and a vegan diet. Sending you all lots of well wishes. 💚
Your video is a huge help. When the lockdown started i was classed as an 'essential' worked and placed on 12hr shifts (Admin role). Im in my 50's and i struggled all the way through, sitting at a desk extremely busy and going home to do nothing. Now back working office hours but it has affected me physically and mentally. I feel like i have been poorly 6mths and never gotten over, whatever it was. I suffer constant fatigue, I am struggling badly at work and i just want to stay home all the timeand lie down, sleep pattern is horrendous, low mood,overweight. It all makes sense with this PVF. Just wanting to find my way back. Thank you
i just went downstairs had breakfast toast and weak coffee now im on my bed and can't move my hair has nits not had enough strength and energy to wash hair it hasn't been washed for two weeks nit treatments don't work wheezing just had a shot of salbutamol, ive got worse since the dwp stopped my pip a few weeks ago ive got no one to help me,im on all sorts of medication because of multiple health problems, going to appeal against the dwp for stopping my disability payments, i failed assessment, drs won't help me either , please give me some advice on how to get help
