Possible CFS with neurological symptoms

[Ingold12]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, in June 2022 I got what I presume was a viral illness, with symptoms such as fever, cough, throat pain and slight dysphagia.

All symptoms besides the dysphagia subsided until I got tired moving for a new job and, between July and August, I first developed fatigue, slight uncoordination and muscle spasms and, later, quite severe brain fog, insomnia and some visual disturbances (feels like stars in my vision when standing up). Around September the dysphagia sensation ceased.

During all this period I have had a higher than normal resting heart rate and blood pressure, episodes of intense throat pain and paresthesia radiating to my arm and chest, cluster headaches and occasional mild fever.

I have been diagnosed with POTS ten years ago and some symptoms feel like they could be related, I also have a cecocentral scotoma from presumed optic neuritis, which developed around the time of the POTS diagnosis and worsened half a year ago.

For a week, at the local university hospital, I have done tests (MRI, EEG, spinal tap) for many conditions but the only finding was a 14mm pineal cyst (which grew in size since my last MRI in 2014). My doctor told me I may have ME/CFS or some type of MS.

Has anyone experienced some of these less ME-specific symptoms (dysphagia, slight feeling of uncoordination, tachycardia and throat pain)? Also I was wondering, does the onset pattern match ME/CFS?

 

[hapl808]

Other than PEM, I don't know if there's really any ME-specific symptoms, as by definition it's a syndrome of symptom clusters.

That said, I have pretty bad brain fog all the time - just learned to deal with it. Constant tachycardia in the last several years, recent occasional elevated blood pressure (often correlates with migraines or just feeling awful in general), more pain than paresthesia radiating to my arm and chest (occasional), mild fever (which for me just means 1 degree or more above baseline), constant headaches and eye pressure, blurry vision and diplopia, definite lack of coordination (more than slight), occasional sore throats, etc.

Although not sure if that's helpful.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

etc.

Your list sounds really similar to my symptoms....altho currently I'm not experiencing much tachydardia but did in the past.

I've had some big BP spikes lately, associated with getting really anxious about demands my body likely cannot meet. My body will react.

I get mild fevers too. In acute PEM from a tiny minor surgery, I had a 100 degree fever and covered in physical pain, run down run over.

 

[Ingold12]

Other than PEM, I don't know if there's really any ME-specific symptoms, as by definition it's a syndrome of symptom clusters.

That said, I have pretty bad brain fog all the time - just learned to deal with it. Constant tachycardia in the last several years, recent occasional elevated blood pressure (often correlates with migraines or just feeling awful in general), more pain than paresthesia radiating to my arm and chest (occasional), mild fever (which for me just means 1 degree or more above baseline), constant headaches and eye pressure, blurry vision and diplopia, definite lack of coordination (more than slight), occasional sore throats, etc.

Although not sure if that's helpful.

Your symptoms do sound similar to mine, I wonder if, when they first started, the onset was rapid and also if they progressed or worsened in time or remained constant.

 

[hapl808]

Your symptoms do sound similar to mine, I wonder if, when they first started, the onset was rapid and also if they progressed or worsened in time or remained constant.

Started with more GI issues and fatigue and nausea and headaches after an illness in SE Asia. Then over the years it has changed and mostly worsened.