How does a person get chronic fatigue syndrome?

Answer 1

Scientists believe, and the scientific literature shows, that ME/CFS can be triggered by multiple pathogens just like a cold or hepatitis. Although stress may affect the immune system, there is no objective scientific evidence that ME/CFS is psychological. It is also possible that ME/CFS is several diseases under one umbrella term grouped together because of similar core symptoms or for convenience.

Despite the name, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis and post viral fatigue syndrome - is so much more than being tired. It is a severe complex neuroimmune disease. Below is the clinical definition used to

diagnose ME/CFS.

CFS should not to be confused with the solitary symptom of chronic fatigue which is just one of many symptoms found in over 30 diseases including ME/CFS. You need to be careful that you are not misdiagnosed with CFS when it could be something far less serious or something serious that can be cured or treated.

There is currently no cure. Most patients with the key symptom of post exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours and unrelieved by rest use pacing to keep exercise and activity within their extremely reduced energy envelope. CBT may help with coping and the very normal depression that accompanies any severe disease, but it will not cure or reverse ME/CFS or any other organic disease for that matter.

The 2003 Canadian Clinical Case Definition is summarized as follows and symptoms from all of the categories are required for a clinical diagnosis of CFS. The full paper can be found in PubMed.

1. POST-EXERTIONAL MALAISE AND FATIGUE: There is a loss of physical and mental stamina, rapid muscular and cognitive fatigability, post-exertional fatigue, malaise and/or pain, and a tendency for other symptoms to worsen. A pathologically slow recovery period (it takes more than 24 hours to recover). Symptoms exacerbated by stress of any kind. Patient must have a marked degree of new onset, unexplained, persistent, or recurrent physical and mental fatigue that substantially reduces activity level.

2. SLEEP DISORDER: Unrefreshing sleep or poor sleep quality; rhythm disturbance.

3. PAIN: Arthralgia and/or myalgia without clinical evidence of inflammatory responses of joint swelling or redness. Pain can be experienced in the muscles, joints, or neck and is sometimes migratory in nature. Often, there are significant headaches of new type, pattern, or severity. Neuropathic pain is also a common symptom

4. NEUROLOGICAL/COGNITIVE MANIFESTATIONS: Two or more of the following difficulties should be present: Confusion, impairment of concentration and short-term memory consolidation, difficulty with information processing, categorizing, and word retrieval, intermittent dyslexia, perceptual/sensory disturbances, disorientation, and ataxia. There may be overload phenomena: Informational, cognitive, and sensory overload -- e.g., photophobia and hypersensitivity to noise -- and/or emotional overload which may lead to relapses and/or anxiety.

5. AT LEAST ONE SYMPTOM OUT OF TWO OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

A. AUTONOMIC MANIFESTATIONS: Orthostatic Intolerance: E.g., neurally mediated hypotension (NMH), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), delayed postural hypotension, vertigo, light-headedness, extreme pallor, intestinal or bladder disturbances with or without irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or bladder dysfunction, palpitations with or without cardiac arrhythmia, vasomotor instability, and respiratory irregularities.

B. NEUROENDOCRINE MANIFESTATIONS: Loss of thermostatic stability, heat/cold intolerance, anorexia or abnormal appetite, marked weight change, hypoglycemia, loss of adaptability and tolerance for stress, worsening of symptoms with stress and slow recovery, and emotional lability.

C. IMMUNE MANIFESTATIONS: Tender lymph nodes, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, general malaise, development of new Allergies or changes in status of old ones, and hypersensitivity to medications and/or chemicals.

6. The illness persists for at least 6 months. It usually has an acute onset, but onset also may be gradual. Preliminary diagnosis may be possible earlier. The disturbances generally form symptom clusters that are often unique to a particular patient. The manifestations may fluctuate and change over time. Symptoms exacerbate with exertion or stress.

Carruthers BM, Jain AK, De Meirleir KL, Peterson DL, Klimas NG, Lerner AM, Bested AC, Flor-Henry P, Joshi P, Powles ACP, Sherkey JA, van de Sande MI. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols. J CFS 2002;11(1):7 - 116