I have had the pleasure to join this wonderful web site and get some insight on this Chronic Fatigue Syndrome… I knew that something was wrong with me about 20yrs. ago. I was told that it was depression, so I tried everything in the book but so far nothing has helped. Forgive me there has been one…LITHIUM!. I took that for over a year, I had so much energy, I lost 64lbs, and it seemed life had taken a turn for the better. But, they took me off of it and now my life is back like it was before. Depressed, wondering if I was the only one suffering from this CFS. But thanks be to God that I have you good women and I am daily reading the information that you have bravely shared and thanks to you all. If there is anything any of you can help me with please feel free to let me know, I will try it atleaset once.
hi 
From what you’ve written it appears you havent received an actual diagnosis of CFS yet.
so hence Im curious about what your symptoms are??? Do you get fatigue kicking in AFTER doing things and after not doing much at all???
I ask as there is many things which can cause symptoms like CFS does and its important to rule out all those things first by blood tests etc. before a CFS diagnosis is made.
Post exertional fatigue coming in up to 48 hrs after one has done something thou is the main thing which distinguishes CFS from other CFS like things.
I am sorry about that, but I have been sick for sometime now and I have had all the blood test and the doctor tells me they can not find anything wrong. My symptoms are I am tired all the time, there are times that I can not even get out of bed, this is interfering with my life, I hurt in my joints, I have severe leg cramps but my potassium levels are a little above normal…I am forgetful, it seems like I have brain fog or something. I do not enjoy things like I used too. I have tried supplements, dieting adding 5 more glasses a water a day and nothing seems to work. I can hold a job for a couple of weeks and then…BOOM!..I can not get up the strength to go in, then back at the doctor’s I go, but yet they say there is nothing wrong. I have been suffering from allergies, stuffy nose, runny nose, chest congestion, sneezing, asthma attacks all this for 3 years straight, there has not been any let up in these symptoms and my doctor has witnessed all this. They put me on singulair, zyrtec, flonase and zoloft. They said I was depressed, but nothing is working. I lived in a place for four years, I moved to see if it was the house, mold, mildew, but no…I am still suffering from those symptoms and now it seems like I am having a chemical something, because I have city water and the chlorine is causing my skin to break out, I have even started buying water for me to drink, because when I drink water with chlorine I get sicker. I am looking for answers. I have not been diagnosed with CFS, but I can not sit around and do nothing, there is something wrong and I want to find out what it is, I do not pray that I have CFS, but it would be nice to have a name and know that there is something out there with a name and hopefully one day maybe a cure or atleaset some relief. Thanks for your concern. Lee Ann
Lee Ann… Your symptoms sound like CFS (((((((hugs)))))). Allergies, chemical sensitivities coming in… all that commonly happens in CFS. apathy (not enjoying things like one used to) also happens with CFS. One with CFS usually has brain fog and memory problems (some doctors will not diagnose CFS without that symptom as its so normal in CFS).
A couple things you said thou dont fit the normal CFS picture thou… 1/ Lithium making you better. With CFS things like that usually dont improve ones energy at all. Lithium thou could improve depression which in turn could help ones energy.
2/ high potassium levels… Many studies have noted that CFSers have low potassium to normal potassium levels so the high potassium would be unusual in CFS.