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    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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Search results

  1. M

    Eyes are never fully awake

    But a year is 52 weeks, so maybe 26 weeks is meant by the term 6 months.
  2. M

    S. Wessely - Death threats, abuse, smear campaigns - Standing up for Science: 29 March

    The first two definitions of the term recover in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary follow: ----from illness 1. "recover (from something) to get well again after being ill/sick, hurt, etc." ----from something unpleasant 2. "recover (from something) to return to a normal state after an...
  3. M

    Nervana: Non-surgical vagus nerve stimulation via earphones

    Sounds very interesting. Was it shipped when the company predicted? Any results that can be shared?
  4. M

    Fatigue, gut and palpitation

    That could make sense for some people. For myself and at least some couple dozen others who have similar symptoms (reporting on another site), we note that we don't strain, but the symptoms are severe for a while. After 15-20 minutes, sitting up is an example of a huge chore that can drain us...
  5. M

    Fatigue, gut and palpitation

    Hi Ekaterina. I just read your message and I can relate. My symptoms spike about 20 minutes after bowel movements. There is a more recent thread where this is being discussed. It is labeled, "Feeling exhausted after bowel movement."
  6. M

    Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms

    Gingergrrl and alicec. Thank you very very much for your experiences and warnings on calcium channel blockers. I hope that my helpful response to a CCB does not lead to someone else's very bad reaction. Perhaps my form of ME/CFS is a minority condition. Or maybe there are a number of important...
  7. M

    Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms

    I just looked up HPA axis and saw a bunch of terms I have never encountered. A lot going on there. I have not experienced tightness in my chest or heart palpitations on verapamil, but I don't know if that is significant for you. I do have some generalized anxiety that I am controlling with a...
  8. M

    Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms

    Oh. BM is bowel movement. I get post-activity exhaustion and deep muscle aches and brain fog. Separately, I also get these symptoms after a bowel movement. I feel the same until 15-20 minutes after a BM. At that point, deep muscle aches all over, exhaustion, and brain fog surge in. Stamina is...
  9. M

    Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms

    Verapamil is my magical treatment for ME/CFS and I joined this site recently in part to let others know about it. It lessens the muscle ache symptoms by perhaps 40 percent, decreases night sweats and body temperature fluctuations (temperature fluctuations like feeling core body heat rise with...
  10. M

    Verapamil - an effective mast cell blocker

    Currently, my weight is 191, down from 201. I am about 5 ft 11 inches. I have tended to eat nearly as much as when I was more active before ME/CFS and am trying to bring that down. As for reposting it under general treatments, okay. I will do that.
  11. M

    Verapamil - an effective mast cell blocker

    Hi bertidog. A GP I had for a few years before moving 2 years ago would not prescribe the verapamil for me because she was not in the habit of prescribing it for migraines. I lapsed from the verapamil and took magnesium instead (maybe sophomorically rationalized, because I know that Mg and Ca...
  12. M

    Verapamil - an effective mast cell blocker

    Verapamil is my magical treatment for ME/CFS and I joined this site recently in part to let others know about it. It lessens the muscle ache symptoms by perhaps 40 percent, decreases night sweats and body temperature fluctuations (temperature fluctuations like feeling core body heat rise with...
  13. M

    Feeling exhausted after bowel movement

    Sorry about the colitis in your case. I have had a colonoscopy with a biopsy and there was no colitis. The gastroenterologist took the biopsy even tho the colon looked normal. He was trying to find a cause for my great exhaustion and muscle pain/aches after a BM, but he could not find a cause...
  14. M

    Feeling exhausted after bowel movement

    Double Trigger: It seems that BMs are a second way that post-exertion malaise, weakness and soreness kick in. So I have two types of triggers for increasing the intensity of ME/CFS symptoms. One is activity/exercise; the other is having a BM. Both induce brain fog, body fatigue, muscle aches...
  15. M

    Laura Hillenbrand: Leaving frailty behind

    I was going to list some wished-for follow-up questions for Laura Hillenbrand regarding the recorded interview and summary. Thinking back on hearing it a couple of days ago now, and seeing everyone's comments, I keep wondering about Ms. Hillenbrand's illness journey over the last couple of years...
  16. M

    Laura Hillenbrand: Leaving frailty behind

    I had not realized that vertigo can be part of ME/CFS and I am glad to be more aware. I had vertigo a lot years ago, before ME, and it's obviously no picnic. Best wishes to all who have it.
  17. M

    Laura Hillenbrand: Leaving frailty behind

    I listened to the 44 minute interview earlier today and just scanned the text summary. As others have said, the podcast audio includes a lot of detail not included in the text version. Also, listening to the audio, you get nuances in voice inflection/feelings that could not be gotten from the...
  18. M

    Laura Hillenbrand: Leaving frailty behind

    Thanks for the note about this! The podcast audio link on the interview Web page is after a few introductory paragraphs, just under the small heading "Extra." I definitely will listen during a drive this afternoon. Interview, text + audio (44 minutes)...
  19. M

    Feeling exhausted after bowel movement

    YOU SAID, "Basically what happens is around 20 minutes or so after a bowel movement I will begin to start feeling very tired and weak, to the point where I will have to write off the next few hours and just sit/lie down." This was how I STARTED with ME/CFS nearly 10 years ago. About 15-20...