I've just been to see a consultant who "diagnosed" CFS. This was after a 20 minute private consultation, where he did a physical exam, asked me questions about how I was feeling and where I showed him results of a thyroid profile I'd had done. He gave me three options: antidepressants, cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise. I must admit, it was like listening to a textbook talking. :rolleyes:

I do exercise - every single day - for at least the same time as I used to exercise when I wasn't feeling ill. I'm not sure where "graded exercise" would fit in. :confused:

I've been on antidepressants - they made me extremely tired and lethargic all day and disrupted my sleep at night... very helpful. Also, I'm not depressed. In fact some of the time I'm extremely cheerful, but the consultant kept saying 'you can't feel that happy though', like as if just saying it would make it true.

CBT I must admit I haven't tried, but the consultant didn't reckon it would help in my case.

Guess what he came up with as a treatment? Positive thinking. :eek: Like I haven't been trying to get rid of this for a whole year now!

My symptoms are as follows:
- lethargy
- foggy mind
- poor concentration
- cold hands/feet and intolerance to cold
- horizontal lines across all my toenails, apparently due to some major illness
- muscle aches/weakness - not post-exercise, just generally, especially when I walk up stairs
- high cholesterol with no family history
- thirst - although glucose was checked and found to be ok

I had a thyroid profile done and my TSH was 3.3. All my other tests done by my GP - just a basic full blood count, ESR, glucose etc. - came back normal, except the cholesterol which was moderately high at 6.3 (<5.0). Nothing else has been checked and it worries me that the consultant pronounced CFS as if that is all he's going to do! I paid £140 for the consultation and he gave me absolutely no practical advice as to what to do next.

NHS is certainly NOT here to help. :(

If your TSH values are the same as ours in the States, it would be my guess that your thyroid could be the problem. Check out the thyroid board. Many people dont think the TSH test is an accurate test.

Hi Kiya,

I agree with the above poster, I think your TSH is quite high. I also paid £100 to an endo that dignosed me with CFS and offered graded exercise - total waste of time, he didnt even agree with the CFS thing he said that there will be different causes for these set of symptoms for different people, not that he was really interested in what things though. I think you should follow up the thyroid thing. If you go to thyroid UK they have private docs that specialise in thyroid/adrenal and will trial you with thyroid meds if you are on the low side to see if they help even though you are not clinically hypo.

I still dont really know what is wrong with me but Im thinking of seeing one of these docs when I get my adrenal profile back.

Good luck,

Chris

Thank you all. :) It's such a relief to be able to come here and discuss all these things. Some doctors are completely close-minded. I'm hoping to have my calcium levels checked to ensure it isn't a parathyroid problem and also B12 levels. This is totally dependent on my crappy GP but I wrote her a really nice letter (as opposed to writing how I really feel - as I know at work I tend to just get my back up when someone comes in angry!!) so fingers crossed!

Holistic doctor would be a good idea - I'll definately look into that.

kiya