I was "diagnosed" with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome over ten years ago, but I put it in quotes because I tend to think it's more of a misdiagnosis for me. I have lived successfully with symptoms everyday that ranged from mild to severe and managed to cope with fatigue and being sick every couple of months; however, I have now gotten sick several times back to back, (e.g., cold and flu, asthmatic bronchitis, ear infection, tonsillitis, pneumonia, strep throat, etc.) and that's within the last eight months.

Then one night after about five months of being infections, the normally dull aching throughout my body escalated to excruciating pain through my thigh. It has since come and gone and I have several times considered going to the emergency room but just end up taking over the counter sleeping pills to pass out until the pain disappears. I don't like serious drugs and prescriptions.

My doctor did blood work and my organ function and, etc. is healthy. She wanted to prescribe anti-depressants, but I'm not depressed -- it's sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm HIV negative. B12 was great. Nothing unusual came up for ANA or any others in a comprehensive metabolic panel. Then I read an article about how the national company that did my labwork is being sued for inaccuracy! I don't know who to trust anymore, but I refuse to believe this is how my life has to be "coping" rather than living.

I shifted my already vegetarian diet to unprocessed foods in the last couple of months and now I'm segueing into veganism and making sure to get proper nutrition (though it wasn't really bad before). I drink lots of liquids and water. For the most part I stay away from caffeine and sugar. I consider my lifestyle fairly healthy but have an occasional glass of wine and social smoking with hookah shisha. But with being sick, I haven't had much energy to be social. I get a good amount of sunlight and take an extra amount of deep breaths. I'm very happy emotionally, spiritually, and mentally -- but with my lack of physical health my ability to experience and contribute value to the world is severely debilitated! I want balance and harmony back in my life and I'm really hoping you can help me!

I have been making extreme effort to take care of myself and this weekend was another discouraging set back. I suddenly felt the severe sciatica like pains again, passed out for the night then woke up without a voice, roommate dragged me to the urgent care and I found out it's another fever and strep throat! It's been two days and a half days of Bactrim (I'm allergic to penicillin, Z-pack had to be given to me twice couple weeks in a row, Clarithromycin's affects lasted only a month before getting another infection), my throat is nearly swollen shut, I have no voice and it's taking all of my energy to write this. I don't even know if anti-biotics work anymore because I've been on so many of them! I'm feeling quite helpless.

My question becomes, could this be something else? I have multiple symptoms that are very classic for Fibromyalgia (e.g., intense body aches, crushing fatigue, asthma, congestion, unrefreshed sleep, stabbing pains, hypersensitivity, sore throats, cold hands, light sensitivity, anxiety, cognitive problems, etc.) but the extensively weak immune system (six out of the past eight months) and compounding symptoms -- makes me wonder if it's something more serious? Someone else suggested the possibility of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. My doctor says there is nothing else to test for because nothing came back on the basic blood tests. She said she would do it if I asked, but I don't want appeasement -- I want answers. Please help!