I'm being grumpy.

living with chronic illness isnt easy! yes it does get you down where you just want to crawl in a hole and die! like you Ruby I no longer have 'a life' ( I have M.E.) I just make the most of the good days I have and plod on....theres always someone worse off and that spurs me to keep fighting this silent illness.

Dearruby please don't be sad and fed up. Your post brought tears to my eyes. I have no answers for you but wish you all the best in the world. I am sure things will get better for you.

Oh ruby, it's ok to be fed up! No answers for you but I do understand, chronic illness does get anyone down sometimes and the middle of the night is worse, it can feel very alone.

Hi rubylady sounds like you are having a tough time there! Have you thought about seeing a therapist of alternative medicine? Some of the better healthshops have trained staff happy to advise, especially if some of your symptoms are due to menopausal change in your body. I have noticed changes in both my body and my mind since my menopausal signs started. Some days I dont know who I am anymore!

Constant itching can drive you crazy. Although this isnt a cure, keeping a bottle of aloe vera lotion in the fridge and covering the itching areas in this can relieve the itching and cool the skin down. As a sufferer of eczema I can fully sympathise with the itching which really can drive you mad!

Oh, dear, you are feeling low, aren't you - that is a silly statement, but you do sound so fed up, there really isn't much anyone can do from a distance,but perhaps you feel better for writing all that down. I am sure you are not a pain in the wherever, just not your usual self, hope it all comes right soon.