Finding stuff very difficult to cope with - is my ME back?

[KatyMac]

I am having:
visual disturbances
headaches
altered sleep pattens
aching mucsles & joints
swollen hands & feet (not had this before)
Very boated
& I'm very weepy

But
I'm having work problems big ones
& a career crisis
Nana just died (funeral on Wed)
I'm on
I've got bad sciatica
I went on a 2 days training course with a total of 6 hrs commute

So is my ME back or am I just rundown?

I don't know anything about ME sorry, but what you are describing is symptoms of stress and anxiety. It seems like you have a lot on your plate so im not surprised you are feeling like crap. I suffer from migriane and i get all of the above apart from the swollen hands and feet (but could that be high blood pressure?, again from stress?). Bloated? PMT?

Hope you feel better soon - take some time to yourself if you can.

I know my blood pressure is low

I kinda thought it might be stress

That sounds more like stress than ME to me(have had ME for 20 years)...be kind to yourself and get lots of rest. If I get an ME attack I find its more sore glands and slight fever, rather than the symptoms you are experiencing.

stress and cycles of ME go hand in hand so if I were you I would try and rest as much as possible and give yourself as great a chance to prevent it as possible. I know my mother gets worse when she is really stressed and run down. Its always easy to say though but not so easy in practice ... especially as you are stressed for good reason!

I'm glad it's stress

I can deal with that

I just hope I get my hands & feet sorted - they are so painful

Have you seen a GP about them?

Appointment booked for today

But I spelt through it

So another booked for Friday

It's silly I can wear shoes and walk but my sheets in bed hurt and just now with them on a pouf they are really pins & needles-y and painful

Well I hope they can help you with it, and get to the bottom of it

spelt????

Slept

Thanks

Another rotten day

Everything is so much effort

& I had a terrible attack of IBS (surprise, surprise)

You definitely sound like you need to be taking it easier if at ALL possible.....and it always helps me to remember that feeling like this is usually a phase for me and does pass after a while!!

If you have had ME in the past, you will be aware that pacing yourself is terribly important, especially at times of great stress. It is difficult to know whether it is one thing or the other and realistically only time will tell. Some of your symptoms could easily be ME related but equally might just be the effect of all the stress. (My DD has severe ME so I am well aware of the symptoms). Whichever it turns out to be, the best thing you can do is not to push yourself too much and look after yourself. Hope you feel better soon.

The symptoms also sound like they could be hormonal to me as well...I get most of them before my period...

chocaholic - how is your DD?

( I think I told you before that I was severely ill with ME at about the same age and am now pretty much ok!)

yes I remember now - not good really. More or less bedbound, can't walk, lots of pain, "brain Fog". We're trying a new pacing programme at the moment but that is really hard to keep to because it means less time on the computer, tv etc and she can't do much else.

Sorry to hear that!

I found pacing and increasing exercise incredibly slowly (a few steps at a time) helped me. But I know it doesn't work for everyone and can be too much for some. Maybe I was already on the mend by that time, I was not in the bedbound stage by then.

I really hope it burns itself out for her like it did for me, it is hard for you both, I know.

Thanks

Poor thing - it's hard enough as an adult

I had arranged time off work after Nana was taken ill - but being the boss I keep coming in anyway

But I am cutting down and trying to relax

I went to the GP who said "stress/ME? doesn't really matter - slow down & relax"

that was helpful