I have been doing oxygen therapy for over three weeks now. Is it helping? I don't have a clue. I have had flu-like symptoms for almost two weeks -- persistent sore throat, sneezing, sinus pain, nausea. I know that's normal for most people with CFS, but it isn't typical for me. Sometimes I get a sore throat from overdoing it, but it's usually mild and only lasts a short while. Is this that hopeful worsening of conditions that indicates I'm actually getting better? "Die off," or something like that? Or did my kids pass on the actual flu to me, and I just can't get rid of it?
I think clueless pretty much sums me up. I surf the internet incessantly, trying to know what is going on with me. I'm desperate for improvement. I'll try anything. And I do try everything. I take the right supplements. I follow the CFS rules. I convince myself I have a modicum of control. I believe if I just ... then I'll get better. Maybe not all the way better, like I once thought, but at least a little better, right? Right? No. I keep slipping, slipping, slipping, down this nasty slippery slope.
Abundance
“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend." - Sarah Ban Breathnach
Friday, January 22, 2010
Clueless
Posted by Shelli at 10:02 AM
Labels: CFS, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, crash, learning, life with CFS, living with CFS, research, treatments
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6 comments:
Hi Shelli,
I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so bad without a break. I don't even know what to say except that your friends are with you, I'm praying for you, and keep the faith.
Take care,
Lori
Hmmm...sinus pain and sneezing? Those are not typical CFS symptoms - sounds more like a sinus infection (which would trigger a bad CFS crash and all the other symptoms) - you should probably go see your doctor.
I don't think oxygen could cause a die-off (aka herx) reaction. That only happens with antibiotics or anti-virals being used to treat infections.
Sounds to me like something else going on, some sort of acute infection. The crashes triggered from infections are the worst.
I hope you start to feel better soon - until then, rest and take care of yourself!
Sue
Hi Shelli,
I agree with Sue. Your symptoms don't sound like typical CFS ones and I also don't think the oxygen would cause a die off that would trigger symptoms. You may have a bacterial infection (sinus perhaps?). I hope you can get to a doctor and find some relieve.
Thinking of you,
Toni
Yeah, my first thought was 'virus' too. And maybe the sheer effort involved in oxygen therapy is taking its toll. Do you have to go somewhere or is it in your home? The stress of worrying can make you worse. Try and take it easy this weekend.
Thank you for your kind comment on my blog yesterday. It helped.
Yes, my wise friends -- I, too, thought it must be a sinus infection. The only thing is, there hasn't been any mucous or congestion. Weird. And, oxygen therapy (which I do at home) is supposed to kill off bad bacteria and viruses because 1. they are anaerobic and can't survive the increase oxygen and 2. the oxygenation increases white cell production. Anyway, I am remaining at the high doses for a couple of more weeks, and then I taper it down again. I imagine I'll be able to tell what's going on much better then.
Thanks for your encouragement!
I feel clueless a lot of the time, too, when it comes to this illness, so don't feel alone. I agree with Sue that oxygen doesn't seem to explain what's going on as much as a bug of some kind. Hang in and thanks for visiting my blog today.
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