ME/CFS

[frenchhorn]

Last saturday until wednesday I was in a general hospital ward after I lost complete movement and most sensation down my left side. I had a brain CT scan, neck x ray, brain MRI scan and many blood tests done, everything was fine according to them, except in my first blood test I had a slight infection they said, but didn't say anything else.
As nothing came back on any of the scans and as the doctors all saw my notes and were told about my MH they put it down to that and I saw 4 psychs while on the ward, all at the same time, who I talked to for about an hour, they say they were about 80% sure it was stress related.
I'm not convinced it was stress related and having thought about symptoms I have had over the last few years and having spoken to a few people, I am worried it could be ME/CFS. I have always put things like exhaustion and poor concentration down to my MH, but even when I do get a good sleep I am still exhausted, I have read about ME/CFS on the NHS website and I do have an awful lot of the symptoms. Now let me say I am in no way self diagnosing here, I am just looking at the possibility and will go to my GP in the new year (next available appointment with her is 2nd january)
However, I was wondering if people who do have ME/CFS how did you get diagnosed? Did people fob you off because of your mental health?
I'm just so worried that my GP will say it is all stress and MH related especially as that is what the doctors are saying, but I'm not convinced.

[talaiporia]

I think sometimes we forget how powerful the brain can be and forget how bad stress can be. At the same time, sometimes things are written off as being MH related or stress related when they're not. I think it's worth looking at the big picture - have you been stressed recently and do the symptoms ease when you are more relaxed - and is anything else causing it.

My twin has had pins/needles for a few years now that began after a fall and after a series of inconclusive tests was told it was 'probably just stress' - even though there was nothing to support that other than the lack of any identifiable cause.

[frenchhorn]

thank you for your reply.
I've not been more stressed than usual recently, no. And also these symptoms can appear whenever and do not only appear when stressed.

[sherlock holmes]

ME/CFS could be a potential thing, but it's really hard to distinguish anything from MH/stress issues. Personally speaking I've been back and forth to the doctor for years and between my bipolar and irritable bowel syndrome everything else just gets blamed on them. My GP wondered if I had ME/CFS as I fit a lot of the symptoms and I was referred to the ME/CFS service at the hospital who rejected the referral because of my MH problems. According to them you can't be diagnosed with ME/CFS if you have a history of mental illness.

Personally I think that's stupid but I can't get around it.

Good luck in finding out what might be wrong and getting help, don't give up.

[frenchhorn]

thank you Sherlock, I'm sorry they are messing you around and rejected your referral because of your MH, that is ridiculous, I know someone diagnosed with bipolar, anxiety and ME/CFS.