Diseases » Chronic Fatigue Syndrome » Introduction

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Introduction

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a syndrome that has only recently been described by the medical profession. Once controversial, it is gradually becoming accepted as a valid diagnosis by medical professionals. Typically CFS follows a viral infection (e.g. cold or viral stomach bug), and is sometimes found after mononucleosis infections. Non-specific symptoms of fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion, and aches make CFS difficult to diagnose and similar to other conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease (among others). CFS and fibromyalgia share many common characteristics, and may be misdiagnosed as each other, and either condition is often misdiagnosed as depression.

Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Fatigue
• Persistent fatigue
• Intermittent fatigue
• Fatigue from exertion
• Tiredness
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 54 symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Anemia Tests
  • Home Thyroid Gland Function Tests
  • Home Adrenal Gland Function Tests
  • Home Calcium Deficiency Tests
  • Sleep Apnea Testing
  • Home HIV Tests
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Testing
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests
• Home Anemia Diagnostic Tests
• Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Adrenal Function Testing
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
• Sleep Disorders: Home Testing
  • Home Sleep Tests
  • Sleep Apnea Diagnostic Tests
• more tests...»

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• Depression - Patients may become depressed from dealing with severe symptoms for a long period.
• Panic attacks
• more complications...»

Disease Topics Related To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• Viral infection
• Infectious Mononucleosis
• more related diseases...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

• Misdiagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Failure to diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Hidden causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Medical Mistakes

• Insomnia -- Health Mistakes
• Sleep Disorders -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• Sleeping & Insomnia
• more product offers...»

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Fatigue Disorders -- serious diseases that may be undiagnosed:
  • Anemia -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
  • Fatigue -- Undiagnosed
  • Lyme Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Thyroid Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • more ...»
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all...read more »

RLS sleep disorder causing night-time leg sensations often misdiagnosed: A common but relatively unknown sleep-related disorder called Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is often...read more »

Pituitary conditions often undiagnosed cause of symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms that can be caused by a pituitary disorder (see symptoms of pituitary disorders). For example, fatigue,...read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Sleep/Insomnia Health Specialists:
  • Sleep Medicine (Insomnia & Sleep Disorder Specialists)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Viral infection - CFS may arise as a delayed reaction to a virus.
• Mononucleosis - CFS may arise after mononucleosis infection.
• more causes...»

Read more about causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

More information about causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

• Triggers for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a complication caused by other conditions
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Symptomatic treatments
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Ibuprofen
• Nonsedating antihistamines
• Balanced diet
• more treatments...»

See full list of 12 treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

News Archives for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Medical news articles related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include:

• Childhood Trauma Tied to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Decide for Me When I Can't, Most People Say
• Aggressive Therapy May Stem CF Progression in Infants
• WHO Readies to Declare Swine Flu Pandemic
• WHO Declaration of Swine Flu Pandemic Appears Imminent
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Medical research articles related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME)
• Guided self-instructions for people with chronic fatigue syndrome: randomised controlled trial
• Does the use of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system have any symptoms in a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome?
• Chronic fatigue syndrome / Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy); diagnosis and management
• The treatment and management of chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis in adults and children
• Ampligen (Polyl) Chronic fatigue syndrome
• The treatment and management of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in adults and children
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

See full list of 7 related videos

Patient Surveys for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

More about prognosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Reseach about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Visit our research pages for current research about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome treatments.

Clinical Trials for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include:

• The Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Ampligen in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Ampligen
• Glucocorticoid Effects on Cellular Cytokine Release - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Study of the Hypothalmic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and Its Role in Major Depression - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Compare the Medical Conditions of Gulf War Veterans to Non-Deployed Veterans - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Genetics of Fibromyalgia - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• more trials...»

See full list of 9 Clinical Trials for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Statistics for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Medical statistics for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Death and Mortality statistics for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Society statistics for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Broader Related Topics

• Possibly autoimmune diseases
• more types...»

Types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Rare Types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

Rare types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include:

• Musculoskeletal chronic fatigue syndrome
• Infectious chronic fatigue syndrome
• Neurological chronic fatigue syndrome
• Post-ADD chronic fatigue syndrome
• Post-viral CFS
• CFS subtype 1 (cognitive, musculoskeletal, sleep, anxiety/depression)
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• The Truth About CFS/ME
• Is it EBV, CFS, Lyme or What?
• headrush/fatigue/vertigo?/dizziness/pain
• Help! No One Believes Me Because My Tests Keep Coming Back 'Normal'
• Headaches, dizziness, fatigue
• PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Help me!!
• Prostatitis- Help me please
• chronic fatigue or what????
• I have a mental illness but no doctor will tell me what it is!!
• Complete exhaustion, fatigue, disoriented after workout
• Help Me Put These Symptoms Together
• Can anyone help diagnose me? Weird brain episodes.
• please help no one can tell me whats wrong with me!!!
• Hi all Dr.s in these forum.. please, help me
• help please im 19 and something is massively wrong with me!!
• What The F*** Is Rong With Me...please Help
• fatigue, widespread pain, digestion issues. Please help me!
• Whats wrong with me?

Related forums and medical stories:

• Rare Diseases (134)
  • Adrenal dysfunction?
  • Hashimoto's, Adrenal Problem, Lyme's or Mercury Poisoning?
  • Ross's Syndrome
  • Gitelman's Syndrome, need advise
  • shy-drager need help please
  • More user stories
• Muscle Conditions (59)
  • Mctd
  • chronic muscle inflammation
  • Possible treatments for Chronic Fatigue?
  • I have it
  • Stiff-Person Syndrome
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)

We all get tired. Many of us at times have felt depressed. But the mystery known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is not like the normal ups and downs we experience in everyday life. The early sign of this illness is a strong and noticeable fatigue that comes on suddenly and often comes and goes or never stops. You feel too tired to do normal activities or are easily exhausted with no apparent reason. Unlike the mind fog of a serious hangover, to which researchers have compared CFS, the profound weakness of CFS does not go away with a few good nights of sleep. Instead, it slyly steals your energy and vigor over months and sometimes years. (Source: excerpt from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS, is characterized by persistent and debilitating fatigue and additional nonspecific symptoms such as sore throat, headache, tender muscles, joint pain, difficulty thinking and loss of short-term memory. Initial symptoms mimic the flu: on physical examination, patients may have nonspecific findings such as low-grade fever and redness of the throat, but frequently no abnormalities are found. No laboratory test or panel of tests is available to diagnose CFS so the diagnosis is made solely on clinical grounds. The cause of CFS is unknown. (Source: excerpt from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: NWHIC)

Definitions of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

Characterized by physical symptoms and demonstrable structural or physiological changes in which emotional factors are believed to play a major etiologic role. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Nervous breakdown (not in technical use) - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or a subtype of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet

 » Next page: What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Rate This Website

What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

Website User Survey

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

• What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
• Online Medical Textbooks for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Prevalence and Incidence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Videos related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Prognosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Tools & Services:

• Bookmark this page
• Symptom Search
• Symptom Checker
• Medical Dictionary
• Give your feedback

Medical Articles:

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles

Forums & Message Boards

• Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
• I cannot get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• See all the Boards.

homepage | back to top

Common Health Mistakes

Choose ... Alzheimers & Dementia Asthma Child ADHD ADHD in Adults Allergy Hypertension Bipolar Breast Cancer Celiac Disease Crohns Disease Colon Cancer Contraception Diabetes Cancer Depression Erectile Disorder Cholesterol COPD GERD Heartburn/Reflux Metabolic Syndrome Migraine/Headache Multiple Sclerosis Obesity Osteoporosis Overactive Bladder Psoriasis Sexual Disorder Sleep Disorders Smoking The Pill Ulcerative Colitis All Common Mistakes

Symptom
Checker

Choose... Fever Rash Pain Headache Fatigue Cough Other symptoms

Search Specialists by State and City

Choose... GENERAL PRACTICE CARDIAC HEALTH WOMEN'S HEALTH CANCER CARE RADIOLOGY MENTAL HEALTH PATHOLOGY EAR, NOSE, THROAT MEDICINE GENETICS NEUROLOGY DIALYSIS CARE SURGERY ORTHOPEDICS/SPORTS MEDICINE CHILDREN'S HEALTH OTHER SPECIALTIES