File :-(, x, )
Chronic Fatigue? Anonymous
Hi /fit/.

My friend has chronic fatigue syndrome, and has had it for about a year and a half. I believe she has it; however, I'm also getting skeptical that she's exaggerating/fabricating some symptoms. I don't really know enough about it and at this point I'm too biased for reading about it to do me much good. I would like your professional opinions.

Of course, she's tired all the time, which I buy. Goes home after school (we're high school seniors lol) and takes 3 hour naps.

She also constantly complains of joint/muscle pain pretty much everywhere; says it's excruciating for her to write (although I still see her doing it a lot). She also talks a lot about her nerves being fried or something. If you hit her lightly on the arm she says it really, really hurts.

Whenever she eats sugar she says she shouldn't be and she'll wind up tired and unable to function later on in the day. Apparently one of the many doctors she's seeing has told her to completely cut carbs out of her diet. She does a really, really bad job of this and is always eating sweets.

There's also a smut of other symptoms that she implies are vaguely related--the sound of a running bath makes her nauseous, she can't be around--I think she might've said she was allergic?--formaldehyde (we're dissecting pigs in bio), she says she blacks out, has dizzy spells, has short periods of blindness or deafness, and her short term memory is worsening. She also told me that her...sense balance, or something? is off; if she closes her eyes, she can't touch her nose with her two index fingers.

Despite all this, I have never seen one symptom that could not have been faked. I'm suspicious. Am I just being a dick, or does my friend have some sort of somatoform disorder?

Like I said before, she's seen tons of doctors and does acupuncture and takes some herbs. One day she mentioned that she takes ~30 pills every morning.
>> Doctor Anonymous
She probably has hypoglycemia. Beside that, she eats too many simple carbs ('sweets'), and she does not go to sleep at a reasonable time. I.e., she is full of shit. 90% of people with chronic fatigue are exhausted because they do not give their body proper rest (by going to bed too late and/or waking up too late).
>> Anonymous
Me being some one with chronic anxiety and depression has experienced a lot of those symptoms, to have chronic fatigue syndrome you'd have to be as bad as your friend is.
Cut her some slack, I know how it feels to have hardly any energy.
>> Anonymous
>>7844

Hey! Who let Tom Cruise near a PC?
>> Doctor Anonymous
>>7856
Truth hurts. I've known many with chronic fatigue, and their main problem is that they do not sleep well.
>> Anonymous
Does she cut herself? Chronic Fatigue can also be linked to depression.

I may of had a little episode back in Highschool, I was pretty much always tired, had headaches, slept most of my days away, Go to bed at 11 P.M. sleep until 7, which should be enough sleep for ANYBODY. But still be tired as hell throughout the day.

Then I'd go home and take an hour to two hour nap.

Also if I ever tried to drink an energy drink, I'd go straight to the low and never feel ENERGIZED.
>> Anonymous
>>7861

Oh right I'm very sorry, I'll just forget what site we're on and take all the shit that's pouring out of your mouth as gospel.
>> Anonymous
>>7844

Listen to this anon, s/he speaks much truth.
>> Anonymous
>>7825
>Hi /fit/.

>My friend is lazy and justifies it by having an imaginary illness
>> Anonymous
>>7892

Else AIDS
>> Doctor Anonymous
>>7863
Sounds just like reactive hypoglycemia. The only energy drink on the market=water.
>> Anonymous
>>7892
>>7894
agree
>> Anonymous
>>7863
I think she could very well be depressed, and believe me, I'd have 100% more sympathy for her if it was just that and not all this chronic fatigue crap. But with this she constantly makes excuses and complains; it feels like she's taking advantage of my me and her other friends and has gotten very old.

I've considered confronting her about it, but I don't think it would go over well. Whatever this is has completely taken over her.
>> Anonymous
>>7980
No, it wouldn't go over well. It sounds to me like she's either full of shit, or as posted has AIDS. If I had to guess I'd say she's full of shit.
>> Lil Dreamer !3GqYIJ3Obs!!FIK
>>7990
or full of aids.
>> Anonymous
If she's that dedicated to the lie, the least you could do is justify it by believing her.
I mean, who DOESN'T like to waste time and money by going to multiple doctors to have all of them tell you what to do? I know I LOVE it!
>> Anonymous
People absolutely love it when you tell them that their discomfort isn't real and that they're full of shit.
Try it out!
>> Anonymous
Depression is a risk. But understand that it's not your job to diagnose that. Make sure your friend understands there are people who can help her and that you'll do what you can to make sure she meets them. You can't do anything more than that.

Don't be afraid to set some limits. You gotta take are of yourself; you're the only one who can.
>> Anonymous
>>8027
Everyone's been telling that to me for the last 25 years, and I turned out fine.
>> Anonymous
>>8046
You're on 4chan.
>> Anonymous
>>8046
Also everyone you know is a dick.
>> Somewhat !rK4K86e49M
>>7861
Uh, wut? Isn't that like the definition of chronic fatigue? Not getting good enough rest?
>> Anonymous
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Severe mental and physical fatigue that is unrelieved by rest.

If you know someone that is fatigued because they are not getting enough rest, they do not have CFS.
>> Anonymous
>>8073
Sure but his point is that it's probably her fault for not having a decent sleeping cycle.

If she'd stop watching Lucky Star till 3AM she wouldn't be this tired. If she has issues even trying to sleep, which seems unlikely with her 3 hour naps after school, she should seek help in that area.

(we're on 4chan, I'm calling her a weaboo all I want)

OP I don't believe she 'blacks out', you'd notice it during school if she fainted. Honestly, that's just bullshit. And short periods of blindness/deafness? I don't believe that either. I bet she wouldn't have any of this if she told a real doctor and got her fucking license revoked.

Also 30 pills every morning is bullshit and exaggeration. I've known vitamin freaks and they max out at maybe 10.

Also if she's getting free healthcare (likely if she's seen 'tons' of doctors) then she could just be exaggerating everything. Attention whore, hypochondriac, misdiagnosed or just stupid. These are some likely possibilities.

I have constant joint/muscle pain in select areas but I doubt it's anything that can be treated. It's part of life.I take my vitamins and all that so I have no reason to but I do. Got a blood test and they didn't find anything. I'll be going again this year for my physical and will see if anything has developed. What I did to help? I got a fucking massager and use it whenever problems arise. (I wish I could afford a chair)

Oh and with your friend I imagine if she's seen a lot of doctors she's had blood tests and came back negative for HIV to the posts in here saying it could be AIDs.
>> Anonymous
>>8150
Anonymous is hard but fair.
>> Anonymous
>>8019
I did my very best to believe her for about a year. Then I stopped. I still don't tell her outright that I don't believe her, I just try to ignore her when she goes on about various symptoms.

>>8150
Nah, I'm pretty sure she does sleep a lot. What annoys me is when she knowingly stays up late and is tired the next day, and then complains.

But I guess that's pretty much all I was wondering. Only four more months of dealing with her, anyway. Thanks anon.