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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Introduction: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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
See full list of 63 symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical testing related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
- Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
- Thyroid: Home Testing:
- Home TSH Tests
- Home Adrenal Function Tests
- Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
- Sleep Disorders: Home Testing
Medical Textbooks Online about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
- [ read ]
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
- Underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
- Failure to diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Misdiagnosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Viral infection - CFS may arise as a delayed reaction to a virus.
- Mononucleosis - CFS may arise after mononucleosis infection.
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
See full list of 12 treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Videos for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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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)
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
Stories from Users Related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- The Truth About CFS/ME
- full of crap- DR. or Me?
- Is it EBV, CFS, Lyme or What?
- headrush/fatigue/vertigo?/dizziness/pain
- chronic fatigue or what????
- Complete exhaustion, fatigue, disoriented after workout
- Help Me Put These Symptoms Together
- Hi all Dr.s in these forum.. please, help me
- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Help me!!
- What The F*** Is Rong With Me...please Help
- Whats wrong with me?
- Headaches, dizziness, fatigue
- I have a few new, very disturbing symptoms, somebody please HELP ME!
- Fatigue and Chills from last 6 months. Reports Inconclusive
- fatigue and fog - my turn to ask....
- CFS/ME/Morgellon's/Lyme/Alzheimers ect....
- Please Help Me...
- Prostatitis- Help me please
- Can anyone help diagnose me? Weird brain episodes.
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Are They Related?
Related forums and 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
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- 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
- Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Risk Factors for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Diagnostic Tests for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Signs of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Complications of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Misdiagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Undiagnosed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Misdiagnosis of Underlying Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Alternative Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Cure Research for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Statistics about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Statistics by Country for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Medical News Summaries About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Books about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Articles about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Glossary for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Clinical Trials for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- External links relating to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- FATIGUE (Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)
- HEADACHE (Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)
- Fatigue (In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Headache (In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Fatigue (In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)
- Headache (In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)
- HEADACHE (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
- WEAKNESS AND FATIGUE, GENERALIZED (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
- Fatigue (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
- Headache (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
- Headache (A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis)
- Headache (Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
- Introduction: Immune Disorders (Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
- Fatigue (Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
- Headache (Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
- Fatigue (The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter)
- Headache (The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter)
- Fatigue (Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
- Headache (Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
- Headache (Handbook of Diseases)
- Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (Handbook of Diseases)
- Fatigue (Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
- Headache (Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
- Fatigue (The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics)
- Headache (The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics)
- Fatigue (Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
- Headache (Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
» Next page: What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
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
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