Flare of the

[Jessie 107]

How often do you you have a flare up of your symptoms?
I have been keeping a diary of how I feel each day, what I have been able to do etc, and i seem to have a flare of symptoms (always flu like, sore throat, PEM, and just feel ill and weak) roughly three /sometimes four days a week. Is this a lot?
I'm thinking maybe I should do less, I don't do much now! A few weeks ago I had nine days in a row of feeling ok, this hasn't happened for a very long time though.
I had to stop working, because of this illness, I was a great walker, I now struggle to walk half an hour, if I feel ok I sometimes will do another twenty minutes later in the day.
Trying to except that can't walk with my two beautiful Border collies is devastating me, this is the thing I miss most as I was never a person to sit indoors.
Regards
Jessie

 

[Lissyleigh]

I used to feel fluey and in a state of PEM permanently. These days I have stabilised more so I tend to feel fluey if I've done too much, which for me is lterally walking 5 minutes or doing too much typing or reading. I have to pace very carefully.

This is obviously my opinion, but walking half an hour a day is a lot if you are struggling with ongoing flu symptoms. I can't even manage that on a better day. Only you know what works for you, but if it were me I'd try reducing the walking massively until you're more stable. You really don't want a big crash and be unable to walk at all...this has happened to me.

Can you walk your dogs using a scooter? Thats what I do.

 

[NelliePledge]

hi I get PEM when I do more than I can handle there isnt a pattern. Im post menopausal tho. I have read somewhere that menstrual cycle can create PEM maybe that's relevant for you?

I am badly overweight now but until I started with ME/CFS symptoms a few years ago I could walk reasonably long distances. Now I struggle to walk far and particularly struggle with standing in a queue. I try to save my energy for doing stuff around the house and outdoors rather than exercise I think I would have to get a scooter if I had dogs to walk.

 

[Jessie 107]

Thanks for your replys, I think you are both right I need to stop the walking think I have been pushing too much as I can't get through the week without causing PEM and I certainly don't want to get any worse. I may look into the scooter ideas depending on how expensive they are.
I am 50, not quite hit menopause yet and still having periods, but I have noticed when I am due on my symptoms seem worse.
So not only do I have this illness to deal with, I also have the menopause to look forward to!! Oh the joy's of being a woman, wish I could just fast forward the next five years!

 

[Wishful]

My flare-ups are as frequent as triggers dictate. There's a baseline of flu-like symptoms that's all the time, plus minor flare-ups most days, plus more severe ones if I do muscle-damaging activities or eat a food trigger. I can walk 45 minutes without triggering PEM, but climbing a ladder a couple of times (uses muscles in non-daily ways) will trigger it.

I do force myself to go for walks just to keep up the conditioning in those muscles. If 45 minutes becomes a problem, I'd try to find what my limit is.