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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 (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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What is the course of your ME/CFS?

What is your ME/CFS course like? (Please answer only if you've been sick for 6-mo or more.)

  • Relapsing-remitting (periods of better wellness and periods of worse wellness)

    Votes: 38 33.0%
  • Secondary-progressive (relapsing-remitting, but with a slightly worse 'recovery' each time)

    Votes: 35 30.4%
  • Primary-progressive (gradually worsening with no relapsing-remitting pattern)

    Votes: 22 19.1%
  • Progressive relapsing (gradually worsening, with occasional sharp drops in wellness)

    Votes: 20 17.4%

  • Total voters
    115

Stretched

Senior Member
Messages
705
Location
U.S. Atlanta
No offense taken. FWIW, Tramadol is quasi opioid, having a mu receptor. It’s about the lightest of pseudo-narcotics and has an effect of taking multiple NSAIDS. Years ago
a pharmacist encouraged me to up its taking to more regularity, e.g. 3-5 daily in order to build up my blood concentration/effect. I did this for awhile and then withdrew since I developed a tolerance. It was a minor discomfort for about 3 days, e.g. sniffles, runny nose, and the like - nothing like withdrawing from a more substantial real narcotic compound. I now use it singularly on occasion for minor but persistent pain w/o worry of addiction.

Also, I understand your eye spasms and may even experience some similar aberration. Certainly, bright sunlight is painful to the point of having to use polarized sun glasses to control the input. I had a detached retina in my right eye way back in college. While it was remarkedly fixed I still get wierd sensations in my eyes. I’m not sure if I can correlate this to CFS since I’ve been afflicted with CFS for so long. Maybe others have similar experiences?