My ongoing recovery from CFS/ME.
Do you currently have a diagnosis of ME/CFS?
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Ever since I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea and learned how devastating interrupted sleep can be to our health, I (and this blog) have focussed on treating it, as I believe it’s the root cause of my chronic fatigue symptoms. While I am making steady progress with my Vivos mRNA appliance, the truth is that it’s a slow process and I’m yet to reap the full rewards. I still have mild flu-like symptoms which flare up when I’m stressed or don’t get a great night’s sleep; which is more common than I would like given that I need to sleep with a CPAP machine and mask strapped to my face every night.
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After doing a lot of research into palate expansion options to treat my obstructive sleep apnea, I’ve decided to go with the Vivos DNA appliance. Actually, I’m getting the mRNA version which also advances and expands the lower jaw. This should give me more tongue space in my mouth, stop it blocking my airway and get me off my CPAP machine earlier.
Several dentists trained in dental sleep medicine, an othrodontist and a couple of ENTs have told me that I have underdeveloped jaws and a retrognathic maxilla as a result of the orthodontic extractions and retractive braces that I had when I was aged 13. This has left too little space in my mouth for my tongue, which collapses into my airway when I sleep. The condition is compounded by the gradual loss of muscle tone in my airway as I have aged and probably lead to my chronic fatigue developing at age 40, but it’s likely to have been affecting me most of my life. (more…)
I first started this blog to track my progress on The Gupta Program over 10 years ago. At the time, I didn’t realise that I had undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea, and as a result I didn’t get much out of the program. The program has since been updated for online delivery and expanded in scope to cover more chronic health conditions. In the light of what I now know about my sleep apnea I recently revisited it, so check out my review of The Gupta Program.
If you have had a polysomnograph (also known as a sleep study) to exclude the possibility that you have obstructive sleep apnea, have been checked thoroughly by your doctor for the myriad of other potential causes of chronic fatigue, sought a second opinion (or ten) and been diagnosed with a chronic health condition like CFS/ME, The Gupta Program may help you recover.
I’ve just passed seven months using CPAP, so here’s an update. It took a while for my nose to stop hurting when I first started using it, and fortunately Chris Kelly from AER Healthcare recommended I try paw paw ointment, which turned out to be a lifesaver. As a result, my compliance over the period has been over 98%. Here’s my AHI overview during that time as reported by OSCAR:
My AHI results using CPAP for 7 months
I first came across The Gupta Program (affiliate link) a little over ten years ago when I had been ill with a mysterious flu-like illness that left me severely fatigued for years. I bought the program and started this blog to track my progress. At the time, the program was delivered on DVDs. Last year Ashok and his team released an updated version delivered online and agreed to give me access so I could review it. I’m an affiliate so I earn a commission if you buy the program by following any of the links on this blog but I’m going to be as objective as I can in this review. (more…)
I first came across Dan Neuffer, the author of the ANS Rewire Program, in 2012 after watching some of the videos on his CFS Unravelled YouTube channel. At the time, I had been desperately ill for almost 5 years and wasn’t getting any helpful response from my doctors. They just didn’t seem to know what was wrong with me. I checked out Dan’s CFS Unravelled website, read his free e-Book Discover Hope, and sent him an email to thank him for putting the information out there.
It’s exactly ten years to the day since I started this blog. Oh my god, that’s a fucking long time to feel like shit every minute of every day. I’m so angry about the whole thing, there aren’t even words to describe it.
Fortunately, there is some hope on the horizon for me, so I channel that anger into action that will hopefully restore my health. It’s also just over 12 months since I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which I now suspect is the cause of my malaise. It turns out that getting a really good nights sleep is incredibly important for your long-term health. The symptoms of CFS and sleep apnea are both like an extreme version of what athletes experience when they overtrain, the common link being that the body isn’t getting sufficient chance to repair itself. (more…)
I’ve been using a combination of a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD), Vocal Training and Didgeridoo practice to treat my severe sleep apnea for about 4 months now and I thought it was time for an update.
I wear the MAD all night every night, and most of the times that I have the occasional afternoon nap. During this time I have gradually adjusted it out by 6mm, when I hit the point where my temporomandibular joint (on which the lower jaw pivots) started to ache too much. I don’t find the MAD particularly uncomfortable to wear during the night.
It took about a week or so to adjust to sleeping with a chunk of plastic in my mouth but after that I didn’t really mind. I use the repositioner that came with my Somnomed device each morning to reposition my jaw. I notice some pain in my teeth eating crunchy foods particularly in the morning, but figure it will be worth it if it restores my health.
I’m definitely never getting laid again.
It’s about 3 months since I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea, after spending a sleepless night in hospital wired up to a monitoring machine doing a sleep study. Since that time I’ve been trialing a Continuous Positive Air Pressure Machine, which is the front-line treatment for sleep apnea.