Horses & ME Syndrome?

Montyforever

Montyforever

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Ive been finding it harder and harder this winter with horses and its a problem ive never had before.
I would never ever!!!! consider selling up lol!
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But my mum thinks i have ME (Am going to doctors to confirm) as the symptoms are exactly what im suffering with
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So anyone on here have it??
Tips for coping much needed!
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I have ME (I've had it for over ten years and have spent periods of time bed ridden and unable to function).

I'm really struggling this winter so much so that today I've cried three times because I can't cope, thought about giving up horses, selling my dream horse because I find others horses easier to school.

My two are on DIY and one is currently on box rest, I have a full-time job and my own home.

Pacing is key as is medication to control the various symptoms and avoiding stress. I'm very lucky as I have good friends and an understanding employer who are willing to help out. There are also some great support groups out there.

Part-livery, or 24/7 turnout with easy to keep horses that don't need working every day is definietly the way to go.

I hope you don't have ME as I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have ME (I've had it for over ten years and have spent periods of time bed ridden and unable to function).

I'm really struggling this winter so much so that today I've cried three times because I can't cope, thought about giving up horses, selling my dream horse because I find others horses easier to school.

My two are on DIY and one is currently on box rest, I have a full-time job and my own home.

Pacing is key as is medication to control the various symptoms and avoiding stress. I'm very lucky as I have good friends and an understanding employer who are willing to help out. There are also some great support groups out there.

Part-livery, or 24/7 turnout with easy to keep horses that don't need working every day is definietly the way to go.

I hope you don't have ME as I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ive got 2 on DIY, and 2 freelance jobs, which have me at 3 differnt yards, twice a day
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Thankfully my mum helps out when i cant manage!

I looked it up and ive got all but one symptom
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Ive been trying to avoid going to the doctors .. but i am now
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I've had it since 2001, and although I feel fine most of time now, when it was really bad I couldn't get out of bed.
I was treated with anti depressant drugs which sounds a bit drastic, but worked because it stopped the tiredness. I only took them for a few months and then weaned myself off them.

I had to take them again in early 2008, but again, only for a month or so.
I know it's hard but you have to push yourself and keep going. I just slowed right down and took my time to do things. I also stopped riding which I was just too tired to do.

Go and see your GP, he will take bloods which they will test to eliminate anything else that could be making you feel the way you do, i.e diabetes, thyroid, etc.

The symtoms vary from person to person but mine were, aching joints, sore throat, loss of appetite, tiredness. i also couldn't bare certain smells, and they would make me feel really sick. I also had a jaundiced area around my mouth which was quite strange!

It is a very strange condition, it is common in women who live in the western world, unheard of elsewhere.
 
I have never actually been told I have M.E however I'm pretty sure I have it! and have also seen it on my doctors notes!, it's incredibly hard to get an actual diagnosis however I get incredibly tired, lots of sore throats/glands, throat infections, rundown, achy joints, and i've been known to be bedridden with it for weeks too. The key as someone has mentioned above is pacing yourself, if you are tired, rest!, If I'm too tired to ride or compete I don't. I'm lucky to have lots of help and support from my family and my friends too. Good luck, and hope you haven't got it!
 
A friend of mine has been suffering with ME since she had the cervical cancer vaccination in September. She has been off school since, it's terrible as she was a brilliant student destined for Oxford but it has totally floored her.

It often comes on after a viral illness, though clearly a vaccination can cause the same effect. One of my friend's doctors said it was a tightening of the meninges around the brain.

My husband's cousin had it and was off school for a year and in a wheelchair, but she did come back from it, got straight A's and qualified as a vet. I think it's something you are always in danger of relapsing from though if you aren't careful to pace yourself.

It is a crippling illness. Mild chronic fatigue is different and can be just stress, anaemia, overtiredness etc. not to be confused with true ME.
 
another suffer here, since 2000. i am nowhere near as bad as i was at 1st - i was pretty much bed bound for ages. i ended up seeing a private doctor and he helped get me sorted - well, able to cope better with it. there are times i feel like i am relapsing but i just take it easy for a week or so and then i seem ok.

The BIG turning point for me was stopping drinking tap water.... sounds silly, but i switched to bottled water in 2002ish and have never looked back, certain brands i cannot have, and when you look at the mineral content, its a certain mineral that if its higher - after about a week of drinking it, i start to relapse!
Sounds really silly, but it seems to have helped me. (maybe it was other stuff also but my opinion is, not to change it if its working!)

i dont know if its changed but you had to have certain symptoms for more than 6 months, and have mutiple doctors diagnose it before they will say you suffer from it.
 
As someone else mentioned lots of people have similar symptoms but have something other than ME, diagnosis is usually by a process of eliminating everything else and monitoring symptoms.
Many people who are diagnosed with ME do make an almost full recovery some have relapses and never recover fully like myself.
As well as pacing some people find making changes to their diet helps them.
Feel free to PM me if you want to chat
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As people have said go to docs to get a proper diagnosis.Again as people have said there are lots of things that cause similiar symptoms.
I have MS and lots of ME are misdiagnosed as MS (and vice versa).Not saying thats what you have just saying could be many different things as I found when I searched for my symtoms which were very similiar to your own.
With the horses just get on with it and accept offers of help and learn to pace yourself-something I have problem with as severely independent and struggle to ask/accept help when know I should.
 
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