I am new to this and need some help. I have had CFS for years and in the last year developed EI. For about six months now my nervous system fluctuates from really wired to completely crashed. My heart starts to beat faster than normal and my brain gets wired up, and then many hours or days later I will come down from it and crash. I am only averaging about 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night. I can't take any meds or supplements because I react to them. Sometimes when I finally give in and take a little something to try to sleep it will wire me even more. This is very frightening and I am really depressed because I can't find an answer. If anyone has any insight into what is going on and what to do about it, please let me know. Thanks!

Hi Stowny,

Your situation seems very similar to what I have gone through and continue to go through to some degree. I was diagnosed with CFS aged 12 and developed MCS/EI aged 20. I am now 30 and still suffer from CFS although I have been free of chemical sensitivities for a number of years now (touch wood).

The fact is that both of these illnesses result in dysfunction of the system that helps us deal with stress. Stress hormone production is thrown out of balance which affects ennergy levels, mood, and sleep amonsgt other things. meanwhile the beain and nervous system tend to become hypersensitive. I know from experience that I become \"wired\" much more easily than healthy people if I drink a cup of coffee or ingest another form of stimulant. The leadng hypothesis for the cause of MCS/EI suggests certain parts of the brain (mainly the limbic system - emotional centre) become hypersensitive to chemicals such as perfume and fragranced products, diesel exhaust, cigarette smoke etc etc.

When I had MCS/EI and was exposed to chemicals to which I was sensitive they made me wired. I actually found this strangely helpful as my base state left me fatigue and drowsy so the wired feeling was the closest I came to feeling alive. Unfortunatelt the MCS/EI symptoms didn't stop there and headaches and generally flu-like illness soon followed.

I would suggest that you still have sources of chemicals in your environment and it is these that are causing you to feel periodically wired. Have you tried to remove all sources oif volatile chemicals from your home?

Alternatively it may be something in your diet that is causing the problem. Caffiene, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) could all be the culprit, as could hidden food allergies.

Dr. Paul Cheney, a leading CFS specialist, describes a scale with coma at one end and seizure at the other and puts CFS patients much more towards the seizure end i.e. our brains are already highly wired due to the illness without any further stimulation. He recommends low doses of klonopin, a relative of Valium, to calm the brain down.

Good natural alternatives include magnesium, high dose niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3), and the herb valerian.<br /><br />Post edited by: Maff, at: 2009/05/18 18:23