Symptoms of ME/CFS can come and go, and often are triggered by physical activity or emotional stress. This can make it difficult for people to maintain a regular work schedule or to even take care of themselves at home. Many people may be too weak to get out of bed at different points during their illness.
Be sure to exercise at least four hours before going to bed, as exercise can also act as a stimulant and create restless sleep. Incorporate deep breathing exercises, massage therapy, meditation, yoga and muscle relaxation techniques into your daily routine as they can help manage symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems. People with ME/CFS are often not able to do their usual activities. At times, ME/CFS may confine them to bed. People with ME/CFS have severe fatigue and sleep problems.
Stanford scientists devised a blood-based test that accurately identified people with chronic fatigue syndrome, a new study reports. Ron Davis is the senior author of a paper that describes a blood test that may be able to identify chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a physical disorder, not a psychological illness, panel says.
Drug Therapies
Antidepressants often prescribed for chronic fatigue include: Tricyclics: amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin), notriptyline (Pamelor) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft)
A diet rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, avoiding saturated fats and refined carbohydrates—like the Mediterranean Diet—is reported by many people with ME/CFS to be helpful. Eat several small meals throughout the day. For example, three meals and three snacks might help keep energy levels up.
Extreme exhaustion. Confusion and slowed thinking (often referred to as "brain fog") Non-restorative sleep (feeling unrefreshed after sleeping) Dizziness/lightheadedness and racing heart (and other symptoms of orthostatic intolerance)
Anyone can get ME/CFS. While most common in people between 40 and 60 years old, the illness affects children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. Among adults, women are affected more often than men. White persons are diagnosed more than other races and ethnicities.
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) say doctors should consider diagnosing ME/CFS if a patient has extreme tiredness that cannot be explained by other causes and the tiredness: started recently, has lasted a long time, or keeps coming back.
Diagnosing ME/CFS
There is not a specific test for ME/CFS, so it's diagnosed based on your symptoms and by ruling out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms. The GP will ask about your symptoms and medical history. You may also have blood and urine tests.
Currently, there is no single test to diagnose ME/CFS. Doctors make a diagnosis by excluding all other illnesses that might be causing symptoms and following accepted diagnostic criteria. The person's results from routine medical tests will often be normal, but additional tests may show abnormalities.
One possible reason for feeling tired, anxious, and weak is having low levels of iron, vitamin D, or B12. Many experts believe that a significant percentage of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D.
Don't say: We all get tired
"They will say, 'Oh yeah we all get tired,' or, 'Come on it's just half an hour, you'll be fine,'" she says. "It's frustrating having to justify things the whole time and sometimes it can be quite upsetting. "It's not intended to hurt, it's just thoughtlessness."
Some researchers have reported that magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Supplementing can help make up for a deficiency. NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) helps make ATP, the energy source the body runs on.
The IQWiG concluded that graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) should be recommended in the treatment for mild and moderate ME/CFS based on two CBT and two GET studies.
Most people with ME/CFS improve over time, although some people don't make a full recovery. It's also likely there will be periods when symptoms get better or worse. Children and young people with ME/CFS are more likely to recover fully.
In most cases, there's a reason for the fatigue. It might be allergic rhinitis, anemia, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease (COPD), a bacterial or viral infection, or some other health condition.
If your medical provider suspects you may have CFS, they will refer you to a specialist (a rheumatologist) who can review your medical history, blood tests and urine samples. The rheumatologist will confirm the correct diagnosis.
If the fatigue is associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heart rate, or sense of imminent passing out, these are urgent conditions that warrant immediate medical attention.
It is not uncommon for CFS patients to sleep for periods of 12 hours or longer. But even if they sleep for this long, they still don't feel refreshed. Some have headaches when they wake up. For many people with CFS, it can help if they sleep in and nap during the day.