Post Viral Fatigue/Chronic Fatigue experiences

[SconeLikeGone]

The whole of this year, I have been picking up every virus that's going which is really unlike me. I would normally have say 1-2 colds a year and suddenly I was getting 1 every month.

Although I had been resting to recover, I was also training for a 10km race and commuting to work on my bike.

At the start of August, I got what I thought was another virus but this time it didn't go away. At the same time, I was getting increasingly exhausted, to the point where I couldn't exercise at all. I had glandular fever as a teenager and it sort of feels like that.

It's now pretty clear that I have a form of post viral fatigue. I've stopped all exercise. I have to go to work (I'm a single parent) but I've cut my office days down to 3 a week rather than 5 and I'm trying to do 2 at home a week.

At the moment, it's getting marginally better day by day but the improvement is marginal like really tiny and some days it feels like 1 step forward and 2 back.

Just wondering if anyone else has been through this and has any tips. It's such a drastic change to my life, I'm just thankful this is happening when my kids are already adults!

I got glandular fever when I was young and from my experience you never get over it. It goes into remission at times and it's easily triggered again . I regularly experience exhaustion and flu like symptoms. It also caused cramp fasciculation syndrome . Feel burnt out most of the time but try and live with it . Not easy .

My experience is the same as Wiccans OP. My CFS has gone through phases. At the moment I have been working part time for 8 months, but prior to this I hadn’t worked for 7 years as I didn’t have the energy. I think CFS has to managed and as time goes on you find out what triggers you and work to avoid/manage it. The fatigue is always there in some form.

I had post viral fatigue for about three years so it definitely had a beginning (the virus), middle and end rather than being permanent.

I found taking iron and B12 supplements helped. I reduced my hours at work so I could rest more. I felt totally exhausted a lot of the time, very little stamina. I slept a lot but didn't feel refreshed. Probably ate too much so then put on a bit of weight.

It was a bit of a waiting game and I just had to make sure I was active but not too active as to leave myself wrecked. Didn't agree to every social thing etc.

Have you seen a GP and had bloods done?
Full blood count to rule out anything underlying also B12 and Vit D

Yes it's definitely nothing in my blood. There were some marginal results but not enough to cause this level of exhaustion sadly (I say sadly because at least there would have been a cure!).

@TheOGCCL I can see myself putting on weight. I'm very used to running/cycling and I can do neither now. I am going to have to drastically alter my calories I think!

My son has it . He had glandular fever in March 2023 and then fatigue but it was getting better but since October he’s had a crash and now it’s not good.
He also has very high anxiety and that makes recovery harder .
I’m now thinking of trying something called Perrin treatment. I’ll try anything to get him back to normal .

Hi there, so sorry you are going through this.
I was a GB swimmer and then a rower. I also had Glandular Fever at Uni age 21/22.
I took up rowing later on, and heavy training. Like you, I had a number of bouts of tonsillitis / viruses, and each time after a few days carried on training as couldn't afford time off. I had several lots of Antibiotics too which probably hammered my immune system.
I got exhausted and felt constantly sick. Would try to go to work, some days I made it, but would be desperate to go to sleep in the day, other days I'd have to turn around and go home en route, as felt dizzy and nauseous. Blood tests all fine, Dr's baffled. (This was end of the 90's)
Eventually someone recommended the BOMC (British Olympic Medical Centre) and I had to pay for a private consultation.
They did lots of tests, and noticed my BP was dropping drastically when I stood up.
Rest was the only thing.
I had 3 months off work, already stopped the training.
I got depressed so went onto anti depressants. I slept until about 11 every day (unheard of for me!) after a couple of months I went on a trip to New York, and made myself walk and walk, exploring the city. I came out of my depression, and was able to go back to work. It took about a year to start feeling completely right again, I had bad days and better ones. After 2 years I started rowing again, and slowly built up my strength, and was fully back and competing again after 3 or 4 years. Never had a relapse since.
Anyway really hope you start to recover soon 🙏

So I think the anti depressants helped me, and lots of rest. The trip away helped pull me out of it, and things just got better from there.

Hey
I had ebv / glandular fever in 2022
Now i have cfs

My cfs is better now than it was 5 months ago

I take daily actimel

I take daily vit d 1000iu daily in summer - 2000 iu daily in winter

I eat iron rich foods - snack on raisins - blue berries - dried apriccots etc

Eat lots of tomatoes , carrots, green veg

Eat enough eggs n potato - b12

Consider an indoor exercise bike 4 even 10 min a day

Keeping your b12 - feretin and vit d ok will probably help

Ask 4 refereal 2 fatigue services for ot - occupational therapist