Steer clear of sugary treats like cakes, sweet biscuits, lollies, doughnuts, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks and packaged fruit juices. Be mindful, too, that some foods posing as healthy snacks (like some protein bars) are actually very high in sugar.
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.
Prioritizing rest, even on days when symptoms are minimal, can help prevent a relapse or energy crash later. Use memory aids. If memory loss due to ME/CFS is an issue, it is helpful to use tools such as calendars, to-do lists, programmed reminders on a smartphone, and sticky notes. Save energy when possible.
If you have overdone activity or exercise, or suffer a crash for any reason, decrease the level of activity and rest more. Repeatedly overdoing it may cause a severe and long-lasting relapse, bringing with it a worsening of many ME/CFS symptoms.
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.
For example, the tricyclic amitriptyline is known to relieve many symptoms, including sleeplessness and low energy levels in CFS/ME. Other tricyclics (doxepin, desipramine, nortriptyline, clomipramine and imipramine) improve sleep and relieve pain, although it can take 3 to 4 weeks for symptoms to improve.
Get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and learn to pace yourself. Often this combination of treatments will help you get better. If the usual treatments do not work, your provider may check for other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those of CFS.
New Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 2023: A groundbreaking breakthrough occurred in 2023 with the introduction of a new treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Australian scientists have discovered a potential game-changer called low-dose Naltrexone (LDN).
Many people with ME/CFS use caffeine to improve mental alertness or concentration or to reduce fatigue in the short term, but the 2014 International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis primer cautions against excessive usage due to the risk of tachycardia and agitation.
One study suggests that the average lifespan of an ME/CFS patient is only 55.9 years, which is over 20 years less than the average U.S. lifespan. And the vast majority of patients—75 to 85 percent—are women.
Although there's no cure for ME/CFS, there are ways to help manage your symptoms.
Some people with ME/CFS will improve over time, especially with treatment. Many people with ME/CFS will need to adapt their daily routine and pattern of activities on a long-term basis. There may be periods when your symptoms get better or worse.
Symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may appear similar to many other illnesses and there is no test to confirm ME/CFS. This makes ME/CFS difficult to diagnose. The illness can be unpredictable. Symptoms may come and go, or there may be changes in how bad they are over time.
ME/CFS shares some features of autoimmune illnesses (diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues in own body, like in rheumatoid arthritis). For example, both ME/CFS and most autoimmune diseases are more common in women and both are characterized by increased inflammation.
Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels. If you feel you're suffering from fatigue, which is an overwhelming tiredness that isn't relieved by rest and sleep, you may have an underlying medical condition.
Doctors might refer patients to see a specialist, like a neurologist, rheumatologist, or a sleep specialist, to check for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. These specialists might find other conditions that could be treated. Patients can have other conditions and still have ME/CFS.
Common causes of tiredness and fatigue include: not getting enough sleep or finding it hard to get to sleep (insomnia) an unhealthy lifestyle (such as having an unhealthy diet and not getting much exercise) stress, depression and dealing with life challenges, such as bereavement or looking after a new baby.
77% of people with CFS reported improvement with vitamin B12 treatment and they reported: an increase in vitamin B12 levels. an increase in daily walking. an increase in overall physical activity.
[83] As per these criteria, the patient should have severe fatigue for more than six months as well as at least four of the following symptoms: a new type of headache or a change in the pattern or severity of the headache, myalgias, pain in multiple joints, post-exertional malaise lasting more than one day, sore throat ...
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.
During PEM, any ME/CFS symptoms may get worse or first appear, including difficulty thinking, problems sleeping, sore throat, headaches, feeling dizzy, or severe tiredness. It may take days, weeks, or longer to recover from a crash. Sometimes patients may be house-bound or even completely bed-bound during crashes.