One to One
A sharing of tips, strategies, ideas and helpful thoughts from one person with CFIDS to another

One of the symptoms that I never experienced until CFIDS is canker sores and sore spots on my tongue. A doctor recommended that I put a drop or two of licorice extract on the sore area. I have found this to greatly reduce the severity and duration of my sores.

Another thing that was helpful for me was to stay on a strict schedule: going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
Carrie Potts
Brush Prairie, Wash.

I felt so ill, I forced myself out of bed each morning. When a friend who suffers from thyroid disease heard my symptoms, she shared the diet her doctor had recently put her on. Barry Sear's Zone Diet has changed my life! All it requires is eating a palm-sized piece of low-fat chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, pork or an equivalent, such as 12 ounces of tofu. Then balancing that protein with an equal amount of fruit and vegetables. A small amount of olive oil, slivered almonds or olives rounds out a meal. The aim is to keep insulin levels balanced. We eat little bread (just half a mini pita occasionally) and little pasta, but I don't miss them.

Last summer, I swam in our pool for 15 minutes at a time or took 15-minute walks with my husband. Admittedly, following the diet precisely means lots of measuring and chopping. Luckily, my husband helps. After all, he was doing all the cooking plus housework and laundry before.

My energy levels have rebounded enough that I work part time now (I worked full time before CFIDS). An added bonus is that I lost 15 pounds and can once again wear clothes I haven't fit into in more than two years.
Sandy McPherson Carrubba
Buffalo, N.Y.

Until about a year and a half ago, sexual intercourse posed a big problem for me in my marriage. I would be physically exhausted and in bed for two to four days afterward. After I discovered CoQ-10 and started taking 30 mg daily, I noticed a slight increase in overall energy, but the most important change was that physical intimacy was possible without the extreme exhaustion. This has been an enormous help in my marriage.
Anonymous

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with CFIDS, almost bedridden and in a state of complete exhaustion. I read an article talking about magnesium and CFIDS, so I tried it-1,000 mg magnesium, 200 mg calcium and 200 mg potassium. In about 10 days it made a big difference for the better. I can function at about 75% of my normal self, and it's a world better than the complete exhaustion stage. I don't know if this concoction would work for anyone else, but it is such a low-cost and painless experiment, it sure couldn't hurt.
Paul Onesti
Antioch, Ill.

I developed CFIDS about 13 years ago, though it wasn't diagnosed until about eight years ago. Throughout that time, I have had a "broken thermostat"-my temperature ranges from 94 to 102 often in the course of a single day-plus a non-existent shiver reflex and, frequently, an inability to tell when I was cold.

Recently in connection with another matter altogether, my new psychiatrist put me on Wellbutrin and Celexa in tandem. He was as stunned as I was when my thermostat promptly resumed functioning. My shiver reflex is back and my temperature is behaving itself. On top of that, I am getting up several hours earlier than I have been able to in the last eight years. I am definitely not well, but even having some things back, or almost back, to normal is heavenly.
Anne Wingate, PhD
Salt Lake City, Utah

My tip for energy is B-12 shots twice a month. Also:

• Get housework done and shop for groceries early in the day.
• Rest every day after lunch for one to one-and-a-half hours.
• Take carpet off the floors. It causes allergies.
• Don't use cologne or fragrances of any kind.
• Go to church every Sunday and pray daily.

Julia A. Burris
Norwood, N.C.

The success of this section depends on you. If you have a coping tip, a favorite quotation or a self-care treatment that has helped you, share it with others. Mark notes "One to One" and please include an E-mail address or a phone number.