Well
All I can say is that the two major things that affect my fatigue levels are not pacing and hormone levels. After having the continuous virus, my symptoms were associated with my period. For two and a half years, doctor tried to adjust my birth control pills, tested me for menopause even though I was 39. Finally he put me on three days of estrogen each month, just based on my symptoms. He said my estrogen was falling too low.
But the symptoms stayed and expanded to more days of the month, cognitive problems started, then the plummet with pain.
Even today, I can mark off the days before my period and three days into my period as my being totally disabled from the fatigue.
I too have adult acne, and never did not have it. I went through the topical treatments. One would work for three years, and then it would stop working. Then they tried another one. It worked for about three years. Then it stopped working. Basically, the bacteria was developing a resistance.
Once I tried tetracycline (long before I had CFS) and it gave me a vaginal yeast infection. I used to not like medicine. I just couldn't understand taking another pill to fix what the first pill was causing. So I refused to take it, stopped the tetracycline and never took it again.
I had normal, but on the low end, level of testosterone. And the FFC doctor gave me testosterone cream. My acne got so bad. I had it in my scalp. I lowered the dose. But I still had it real bad. So I stopped it. And I still had it bad, worse than before the testosterone, but not as bad as while I was on it. I get cysts on my chin, my forehead and my back.
My new skin doctor suggested it. I refused. So I went and bought a whole bunch of over the counter anti-acne stuff. And now, as soon as I come home, I wash my face (get off all the makeup). If I am home all day, I wash my face three or four times a month. Yet, about one week out of the month, no matter what I do, it appears.
I do think the hormone activates XMRV, and that explains why perimenopausal women (with fluctuations in hormones) and teenagers (with wild fluctuations in hormones) are more likely to come down with XMRV.
So maybe that testosterone was bad for me. And I was on bio-identical progesterone for a while too. Did that make the virus worse?
So many questions.
Tina