| Basic Information |
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| Description |
- Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized primarily by profound fatigue. There is usually an abrupt onset of symptoms that come and go for at least six months. It is unknown whether it represents one or many disorders. It is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific laboratory test, or a defined set of signs and symptoms. It is observed primarily in young adults between 20 and 40, and women outnumber the men about two to one.
- The major criteria used to define cases currently are: 1) persistence of relapsing fatigue that does not resolve with bed rest and is severe enough to reduce average daily activity by at least 50% for at least 6 months, and 2) other chronic clinical conditions have been satisfactorily excluded, including preexisting psychiatric disease. Additional minor and physical criteria aid in the diagnosis.
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| Frequent Signs and Symptoms |
- Fatigue.
- Sore throat.
- Mild fever.
- Lymph node pain.
- Muscle weakness, stiffness, and discomfort.
- Headache.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Personality and psychological changes.
- Vision changes.
- Dry eyes, mouth.
- Diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite.
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| Causes |
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Unknown. Immunological abnormalities may be involved.
Many theories center on an infectious agent, but no such
agent has been identified. Epstein-Barr (a virus that causes
mononucleosis) and others have been implicated.
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| Risk Increases With |
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Unknown.
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| Preventive Measure |
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Unknown.
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| Expected Outcome |
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Generally very slow improvement over months or years.
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| Possible Complications |
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None specific to the disorder. Symptoms are usually most severe during the first 6 months.
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| Treatment/Post Procedure Care |
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| General Measures |
- Basic management involves four areas:
- validation of the diagnosis and education of the patient
- general therapeutic measures
- symptomatic therapy
- experimental therapy.
- Join a local or national support group.
- Psychotherapy may be helpful for some patients.
- Be patient.
- Additional literature and information may be obtained
from the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome (CFIDS) Association. P.O. Box 220398, Charlotte,
NC 28222-0398, (800) 442-3437; web site
http://www.ybi.com/cfids/tcaa.html
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| Medication |
- Medications must be individually tailored, but may
include pain medicine, local injections, antidepressants and others.
- Other experimental medication therapies are being studied and may prove to be more helpful.
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| Activity |
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Exercise is important. Begin a gradual program that may be
just 3-5 minutes a day to start with. Increase the activity by
about 20% about every 2-3 weeks. Setbacks will occur, so
don't be discouraged.
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| Diet |
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Try to maintain good nutrition, even if appetite is decreased.
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| Notify Your Healthcare Provider If |
- You or a family member has signs and symptoms of
chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Symptoms worsen after treatment is started.
- New or unexplained symptoms develop. Drugs used in
treatment may cause side effects.
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