• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    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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  1. C

    Chicagoland Area CFS/ME Doctors

    I just hung up with a doctor named Dr Nick Kouchis in Woodridge. His number is 630-244-7656. He said he diagnosis, and treats CFS. I found him on the CFS doctor website http://fmcfsme.com/doctor_database.php. Most of the doctors liste don this site actually dont reat CFS. They treat Fibromyalgia.
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    Chicagoland Area CFS/ME Doctors

    With millions diagnosd with CFS you would think the rest of the world would catch on. Even SSDI recognizes it.
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    Chicagoland Area CFS/ME Doctors

    I find it amazing that in a city as large as Chicago that no one can suggest a doctor. I have tried on the CFS Facebook sites too. Like I said every doctor I see says they can treat CFS, but dont feel comfortable diagnosing it. I think some doctors can make a lot of money by simply googling how...
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    Best CFS Doctors

    I just saw this. Dr William Epperly and Dr Patrick Massey are both pretty good. Both are in Elk Grove. Like you I need a Dr, but not a functional Dr as they dont carry much weight from what I understand with CFS disabilty diagnosis .
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    Chicagoland Area CFS/ME Doctors

    Hi, Its been awhile simce I last posted. I have seen 3 different doctors and all 3 have said to me "I guess this is CFS." All 3 have said in diagnosis letters that I "claim to have fatigue, cog fog, sleep issues, etc.". No one steps forward with a diagnosis in the 12 moths of going to them. As...
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    what is causing adverse reactions to SSRI class of drugs?

    Hello, I had an adverse reaction to Lexapro that triggered all kinds of stress, panic (emotions located in the hypothalamus) and head pain. When the stress left it left my body in a fatigued state. My endo labs dropped to low range. Low cortisol and magnesium (though I supplement regularly)...
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    Low Cortisol

    Hi Cyndia, Thanks for the reply. When my naturopath goy the results from my flatlined low cortisol, he suggested a couple of supplements. I then spoke to other dr's and also did some online research. Based on my results, I should have been prescribed hydrocortisone, which I just started today. I...
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    Low Cortisol

    Thanks Katie. Addisons has been ruled out. Adrenal Fatgue does exist and one day standard medicine will recognize it just like they are starting to recognize CFS/ME. If someone has low cortisol yet passes the ACTH stimulation test they still need to be treated one way or another. There are to...
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    Low Cortisol

    Thanks Kati. Though I was diagnosed with CFS/ME after dealing with all the symptoms in their severest state for 8 months I often wonder if I instead have Adrenal Fatigue. Aside from supplements, hydrocortisone is often prescribed in severe cases of low cortisol which is what I have.
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    Low Cortisol

    Im not a Dr but maybe they took you off it to soon. You showed small signs of improvement. Maybe if you stayed on it longer you would have improved more. What do you think? What kind of symptoms did you have coming off Cortef? Are you still as ill or have you improved at all using other methods ?
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    Low Cortisol

    Sorry for all the questions but trying to understand as I'm considering HC as my cortisol is extremely low. If it increased your cortisol how come you came off of it? Was your low cortisol caused by stress or a thyroid issue? I'm assuming that your still struggling with low cortisol. Is that...
  12. C

    Low Cortisol

    Kati, Thanks for replying. Can I ask how long you were on Cortef? Did it make you feel worse ?
  13. C

    Is this cfs or something else??

    Saliva testing by far is the most accurate. 24 hour urine is the worst as its not looking at specific times but overall cortisol. So if you have high nighttime and low AM it will show a normal result but the patient is far from feeling normal.
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    Low Cortisol

    Hello, I recently had a saliva cortisol DHEA cortisol test and my results were scary. Very low AM. Low the rest of the day and normal at bedtime. Have any of you had low cortisol and if so did you try anything that helped ?
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    Non Restorative Sleep

    I did see that neurologist. Incredibly, he suggested I go back on an anti depressant after I explained I got CFS from an adverse reaction from one. When I asked him how a anti depressant is going to help me head pain, fatigue, severe cog fog, etc he had no response. It seems we are written off...
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    Non Restorative Sleep

    Antares, May I ask what brought your CFS on? How long? Are you on disability? Part of me wonders if the meds keep us from entering into the deep sleep. But I saw on my sleep study results I do get deep sleep. They said though my sleep was poor my results were better than most that go in there...
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    High ammonia - with gut dysbiosis

    How does one go about getting tested for ammonia? I see it's not a standard test. Can I ask my Rheumatologist who is treating my CFS or do I need to see a liver Dr. How do we justify taking the test? Just by asking ?
  18. C

    Non Restorative Sleep

    Thanks CCC. Who is "us"? The forum?
  19. C

    Non Restorative Sleep

    Hello, I'm new to the forum. I've been diagnosed with CFS/ME recently. My situation might be a little different as I was a victim of a severe adverse reaction to Lexapro last December. The severe anxiety left but the severe fatigue, cognitive impairment, head pain, boat feeling remain. But the...