Struggling with work at home

CFS_for_19_years

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone) helps clear my brain fog.

PQQ makes me more alert, but can cause insomnia if I take it after 12 noon. Other people here have said it felt like they were on speed. 5mg is adequate for me.

Source Naturals makes a tablet form of PQQ and since the 20mg dose is the best buy, I can cut those tablets into quarters if I just want a 5mg dose. At 5mg/day, it takes me 2 to 3 days to feel the effects kick in.

www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-PQQ-Mind-Tablets/dp/B00BQS87D2

If you want to try this, I would recommend starting with 5mg x 3 days. If you don't feel anything, go to 10mg x 3 days, then if you still don't feel anything, go up to 20mg/day.

Here are a couple of articles about PQQ:
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2011/2/Generate-Fresh-Mitochondria-with-PQQ/Page-01

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/cont...inone-brain-health-anti-aging-supplement.html

Swanson also makes a 20mg capsule of PQQ. It would be very difficult to empty the capsules and deliver exact doses of 5mg or 10mg, so I wouldn't buy that product until you know you want to take 20mg/day.
 
Kati

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
wearywriter said:
Hi all,

I've only written an intro post on this forum so far but do a lot of reading here. For a bit of background - I'm 26 years old, suffering with ME and fibro for about 1.5 years now, although I had milder symptoms for years before. I'm not sure how I'd rate my severity level as I'm in a pretty constant push/crash cycle lately - I don't have a car and often have to walk quite far to do basic errands. It's a long and complicated story but I don't have anyone really to help me with certain things so pacing is really hard. I also have a 3-year-old, which comes with its own inevitable activity.. So I push myself when I have to, but have plenty of days that I spend fully lying down recovering from the previous day's efforts. It's exhausting, as I'm sure you guys understand.

Getting to the point: I work from home as a freelance writer. I write mostly web content for businesses, blog posts etc. I know I'm fortunate that I have a skill that allows me to make some money without having to get out of bed - I previously worked in office at a magazine and couldn't cope physically. Regardless, I'm really struggling just to keep up with the small amount of work that I do need to do to keep us afloat. I don't make enough to pay rent, currently living with in-laws because rent wasn't happening, but I do have to make enough to buy food and cover some basic living expenses.

As my symptoms have become gradually worse I'm finding writing more and more difficult. Just sitting down with my laptop and focusing enough to research and put together decent sentences that can be sent to a client is really a struggle. My vision gets blurry, my mind seems to just go blank, and I feel incapable of, well, THINKING. The fatigue also makes it so difficult to get that push of motivation that you need when working from home, so I end up putting things off until I 'feel better', which obviously doesn't really happen, then cramming at the last minute to write before a deadline. Just another push/crash basically, but on a cognitive level as well as physical. It's so frustrating and leads me to get into a mental to-and-fro over whether I'm just lazy and procrastinating or if I'm just plain sick.

Basically what I'm getting at is, has anyone found anything that helps them to concentrate, clear the brain fog, get some work done? Not working isn't an option, and i'm making my life harder with the way I'm going about things at the moment. I need to write 9 x 400 word articles today, and I look at the brief and just feel the fog descending.

Now that I've written this I feel like I have so much more I need to rant about :( this illness is truly driving me insane. More for another thread, I suppose.
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hi @wearywriter, welcome to the forums. If you made your way here, very likely it is not in your head, you are not lazy, and you are not alone!

I worry most about you having to walk long distances in order to get groceries or needed errands. The most prominent cardinal symptom of Me is post exertional relapse. It can zonk you for days or even weeks on end. I wonder if you could find a way to get assistance that way, help for errands for a few weeks and see if you are better just by avoiding physical exertion. Perhaps you could ask a church group or a volunteer organization for 30-60 minutes of their time.

It is worth trying and it should be free to try. Supplements, you sill get plenty of recommendations here, however it's a slippery slope if you are short on money. Most people are still here and still sick.

Sending my best wishes. i also love your profile picture.
 
Ellie_Finesse

Ellie_Finesse

Senior Member
Messages
192
Location
UK
Hi @wearywriter

I am really sorry that you are struggling at moment. I have been too tired to read everyone else's advice so I skimmed over most of it to see if anyone mentioned about a software you can use to help with your writing. The software is called Dragon, It turns spoken words into text. Price varies from around £80 to about £300. It's a brilliant piece of software, it's used a lot in schools and colleges for those with SEN (Special Educational Needs).

I don't know how talking effects you but for me I find physical activity more of a problem. Maybe it will be easier for you to write if you take away they physical side. I.e. Siting up having to hold posture while typing, on its own can use up tons of energy you probably don't have. It could be something you could use while lying down resting/relaxing and speak into laptop in short bursts.
 
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NelliePledge

Senior Member
Messages
807
I notice one or two folks have said caffeine helps them. That stuff is poison to me these days so I would caution against relying on it for a boost. A few weeks ago I forgot to ask for decaf cappuccino when out at lunchtime I drank leaded coffee. I literally did not sleep one minute that night.

When I had mild ME a few years ago but didn't know I had it I used to rely on strong coffee to get my brain started in the morning. Around the same time I started having problems sleeping.

I know one persons detailed experience of ME doesn't translate to another. I would just caution against a reliance on caffeine due to potential impact on sleep which is so important

N
 
ladycatlover

ladycatlover

Senior Member
Messages
203
Location
Liverpool, UK
Hi there @wearywriter, good that you found your way here, hopefully you will find plenty of helpful information. I've been reading on and off for a while, but only recently took the plunge and started posting.

One thing I've found when I'm actually out of bed is that after a couple of hours my brain gets very slow and I begin to lose my words etc - typical brain-fog I guess. But if I get my legs up horizontal, even while still sitting up, I feel "livelier" again. If you can call anyone with ME lively at all! :rofl: I have a footstool in the living room, but mostly just come back to bed (have fab view down to the River Mersey and across to the Wirral and Wales from bedroom window). I have an over bed table thing on castors with my laptop on it, and use wireless keyboard (lighter than laptop) on my knees, and a wireless mouse.
 
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NelliePledge

Senior Member
Messages
807
I also seem to spend a lot of time with feet up on the sofa these days I find when Im working (at home) a short break with my feet up on the arm of the sofa helps a lot. Once I finish working I have a lie down and listen to a guided meditation - Im not majorly spiritual or new age but the one that works for me is chakra balancing as it goes through the points in your body and helps everything relax. from that I get enough of an energy boost to sort out food and get through my evening rather than just having to go to bed really early.
 
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