Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome

[mazza]

Do you know anyone that has this condition? How do they cope?

Is it the same as Myalgic Encephalitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

I've had a look at a few websites, but it's all a bit confusing. :wacko:

Just wondering! :)

Thanks anyone :lol:

[Mr Ribbit]

Hi Mazza,

Both had it for several years following viral meningitis - nasty condition, what do you wanna know and we'll spill the beans. :)

Mr D.

[mazza]

I was just wondering if they are all the same thing - my GP says I have probably got PVFS, but info I have looked up seems to suggest that it is another name for ME which I am surprised about as my GP didn't mention ME at all :unsure:.

It's nasty, whatever it is :sad: .

I'd love to know anyone else's experience of it :flowers: .

[Neighboured]

I had glandular fever which developed into ME/CFS/PVFS. It lasted for several years. I was so tired I often could only get out of bed for a couple of hours. For several months I spent most of the time asleep.

I took vitamins and supplements which seemed to help. One thing I did find helpful was real ale. I was drinking Wadworth 6X at my then local and this did seem to help. Maybe it was the minerals? I honestly don't know.

Eventually it started to get better. But it can take time.

Some herbal trearments can help.

[Domestic Goddess]

I've heard that drinking stout/Guiness can be useful as it contains so much iron and minerals. They use to give children a half pint of this at bedtime at Great Ormand Street Hospital for years and a tonic.
Other than that, lots of rest and a diet full of fruit and veg are meant to be helpful.

I maintain that I've never been the same since having glandular fever at 17.

[mazza]

DG and NB, me too, I have never been the same since I had glandular fever at 17 either but it's only really taken me this long to actually express my symptoms and stamp my foot over it - I just thought I was being lazy, or imagining it all... :( .

I've heard of ME before but I get the impression that many GPs don't recognise it as a condition that's why I am a bit confused about PVFS being cited as the same thing but a different name :wacko: .

[Mr Ribbit]

Hi Mazza,

The first time we really encountered PVFS it lasted around 2 years after we had viral meningitis and then it flared up almost every time we had even a mild illness for several years. We suffer less from it now but it does have it's moments, particularly after a more serious virus hits us. :(

Old symptoms from the viral meningitis kept revisiting us at the same time so we don't know which parts of the condition were PVFS or something else. The common symptoms everytime were exhaustion, lethargy, depression, feelings of hopelessness, fainting, weakness in the limbs, sleeping a LOT, headaches, loss of concentration, loss of short term memory, myopathy (bulging eyes), swollen limbs, aching neck, loss of co-ordination and itching (particularly at the extremeties). There were more symptoms but I can't recall them at the moment - loss of memory :D :P .

The doc told us we would have these symptoms recur for years and possibly have them recurring for life. It was only recently that we were told that it was ME and that PVFS is apparently the same thing. Many doctors dispute it even exists apparently. :rolleyes:

Mrs P. just said that decorating (all the physical moving about) really helped her loosen up her bones and muscles and she also swears by Ginger Wine as well. I absolutely loathe the stuff so I have no medicinal remedies that I can suggest I'm afraid.

[mazza]

Thanks for the info Mr D, I got the impression that they were the same thing too :thumbs: .

How awful that you still get it recurring...it really is nasty :sad: .

From what I can gather it comes and goes and you can be stuck with it for years and years...that certainly rings true with me. :cry:

I try to eat healthily, sometimes I am too tired to even eat though! :rolleyes:

Still at least I am a bit more clued up on it all now and know roughly what I should expect of myself. :unsure:

I'll have lots of questions for my GP next time! ;) :lol:

If anyone else has any other experiences or knows anyone that has, I'd still love to know :) .

Thanks all :flowers: .

[Mr Ribbit]

Forgot to mention, I was not told at the time to avoid driving. :(

I was so on a different planet at the time that I couldn't think straight so rather than using common sense, I just carried on driving around the country and ended up having 5 car accidents in a 6 month period! I also collapsed in 2 customers reception areas and fell asleep half way through a presentation I was making to a customer. :blush:

On the funny side, with the presentation, I was talking away when suddenly I slumped in my chair and started snoring :blush: . The customer had to wake me up to carry on with the meeting! :lol:

The moral of the tale is - don't drive if feeling even slightly tired and don't do presentations either. ;)

[Neighboured]

Just take ginger wine as a medicine, the you'll be OK! :thumbs:

Many doctors know realise CFS is a real condition. My elderly doctor did, his younger colleague refused to even consider it! :o

I heard a story of someone saying to a doctor: "You don't believe in ME? Great. Now, why don't you stop believing in cancer and other diseases? Then everyone can be 'cured' in the same way!"

[sonny]

I had glandular fever about 15 years ago and still don't feel good no energy- tire easily.Also I pick up all the bugs and colds going and get them twice as bad as the rest of family and friends.