How Is Chronic Fatigue Diagnosed

How Is Me/cfs Diagnosed

Because many symptoms of ME/CFS are also symptoms of other illnesses or side effects of medicine, your doctor will need to do physical exams and tests to help determine if you have ME/CFS. There are no standard lab tests to diagnose ME/CFS.

If you think you may have ME/CFS, see your doctor. Your doctor may:

• Ask you about your physical and mental health.
• Do a physical exam.
• Order lab tests based on your symptoms, such as urine and blood tests, which will tell your doctor if something other than ME/CFS might be causing your symptoms.
• Order tests that check for problems found in people with ME/CFS.
• Classify you as having ME/CFS if:
• You have the main symptoms of ME/CFS, including extreme fatigue or exhaustion that does not go away and that prevents you from doing the things you want and need to do for you and your family exhaustion that comes after mental or physical exercise sleep problems and pain AND
• You have had the extreme fatigue and other symptoms for 6 months or longer AND
• You and your doctor cannot find another explanation for your symptoms.

The process to make a final diagnosis of ME/CFS can take a long time, so try to be patient. It is usually best to develop a relationship and follow up often with one doctor so that he or she can get to know you and see how you respond to treatment over time.

How To Diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Virginia Gewin gets to grips with a fundamental problem in chronic fatigue syndrome research how to know it when you see it.

After 25 years living with chronic fatigue syndrome , researcher Leonard Jason maintains a stalwart professional focus on improving the diagnosis of the disease. That requires doggedly analysing cases and symptoms to refine the criteria necessary for an appropriate definition of what constitutes a case of CFS-ME. Yet ongoing controversy over the criteria illustrates how much there is still to learn about it.

For example, in 2011 Jason and his colleagues showed that the most commonly used criteria identified only 79% of patients with CFS-ME. These findings underpin Jasons repeated calls for government bodies to test any proposed disease criteria using patient data and his continued dismay that they do not.

One problem is that people who also have other conditions, such as mood disorders, should be omitted when trying to define diagnostic criteria for CFS-ME. The goal is to hone the patient and disease criteria to their very essence: only then will researchers be able to tease out the biological mechanisms specific to this disease and find potentially effective treatments.

His work is slow but prodding, securing the data needed to understand the disease. And we all know its the tortoise that wins the race in the long run.

Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia

ME/CFS and fibromyalgia are both diagnoses of exclusion, which means:

• They dont have objective lab or imaging tests.
• Other possible conditions must be ruled out.
• Multiple factors must be interpreted to come up with an answer.

This process can take a long time. You may have to push your healthcare provider to keep searching or to give you a referral.

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What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome , sometimes referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis or systemic exertion intolerance disease , is a chronic condition thats characterized by severe chronic fatigue.

CFS can be so severe that makes it difficult for a person to perform their day-to-day activities. They may not be able to fulfill work or school obligations, engage in social activities, or even perform basic tasks like cooking a meal or taking a shower. In severe cases, they may not even be able to leave bed.

When people with CFS do attempt to perform these activities, they often experience a worsening of symptoms called post-exertional malaise . During PEM, other symptoms of CFS, like sleep difficulties, cognitive impairment, and chronic pain, can flare up.

Researchers are not entirely sure what causes CFS. However, according to the

Currently, theres no blood test that has been approved to help diagnose CFS.

A pilot study from 2019 explored a blood test that would allow doctors to screen for certain cellular markers related to ME/CFS. In this study, the researchers used an ultrasensitive blood test to determine if there were any notable cellular differences in participants with CFS.

This test has yet to be approved as a diagnostic blood test for CFS. However, the

How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated

Treatment is determined by your healthcare provider and based on:

• Your overall health and medical history
• Extent of the condition
• Your tolerance for specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the condition
• Your opinion or preference

• Medicine, including corticosteroids, antidepressants, and others
• Light-intensity aerobic exercise
• Dietary supplements and herbal preparations
• Psychotherapy and supportive counseling

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Why Read This Summary

Data from other countries indicate that chronic fatigue syndrome is relatively common , although good epidemiological data for the United Kingdom are lacking. Many different potential aetiologies for CFS/ME have been investigated, including neurological, endocrine, immunological, genetic, psychiatric, and infectious, but the aetiology cannot yet be fully explained. CFS/ME can cause prolonged illness and disability and substantially affect patients and their families. Although most patients have mild or moderate symptoms, some have severe CFS/ME and are housebound or even unable to move from their bed. Uncertainties about diagnosis and management may exacerbate the impact of symptoms, and patients often encounter delays in diagnosis and difficulty accessing information, support, and potentially helpful therapies.1 This article summarises the most recent guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on diagnosing and managing this condition.2

How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Typically Diagnosed

Without an official blood test to help diagnose CFS, it can take years for people to receive a diagnosis. Heres what doctors currently look for when making a diagnosis:

• Substantial impairment: CFS causes significant impairment in someones ability to do activities at home, school, work, or in social settings. This impairment usually comes as a result of severe, persistent fatigue that doesnt get better with rest.
• Post-exertional malaise : After engaging in mental or physical activities, CFS can cause PEM, which is a worsening of chronic fatigue symptoms. PEM tends to appear within 12 to 48 hours after the exertion and can last for days or weeks.
• Trouble sleeping: Chronic fatigue syndrome can cause difficulties sleeping, such as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or the inability to feel refreshed after sleeping. Not feeling refreshed even after a full nights sleep is one of the hallmark symptoms of CFS.
• Cognitive difficulties: When someone has CFS, they may struggle with decreased cognitive function. Sometimes referred to as brain fog, cognitive impairment can cause trouble with memory, information processing, concentration, and even language comprehension.
• Orthostatic intolerance: Orthostatic intolerance refers to the development of symptoms, such as dizziness, that happen when moving from a reclining to an upright position. While CFS isnt the only condition to cause this, people with CFS often experience symptoms when sitting or standing up.

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Do I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Or Long

Long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, such as severe fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and even PEM, can mimic those found in CFS.

If youve recently had COVID-19 and noticed persistent symptoms even after recovering, talk with a doctor. They can help narrow down whether you have long COVID, CFS, or something else.

Its Hiding In There Somewhere

Symptoms of CFS vary for each person and according to severity. If you suspect that you have CFS, understanding all the potential symptoms is the best approach. This way you can bring them to your doctors attention and get tests to rule out other conditions.

It may take time to get an official diagnosis, but you will be on the right path and can address each symptom as it occurs.

Fatigue is obviously the most common symptom, but it must have lasted for 6 months at least before it can be considered CFS. In addition to this continued fatigue, you must also have at least four other symptoms.

The possible symptoms include:

Rest does not alleviate the fatigue

Muscle pains

Loss of memory or poor concentration

Frequent headaches

Unrefreshed feeling each time you wake up

Frequent sore throat

Swollen or tender lymph nodes

Extreme fatigue after physical and mental activities

CFS can also affect people in cycles, meaning some of the time they feel perfectly fine. There are periods of normality followed by periods of extreme fatigue, which can be confusing and makes diagnosis difficult.

Sometimes symptoms can disappear completely , but it is possible for them to come back.

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Mental Health Support And Me/cfs

ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder. However, living with a chronic illness is challenging, especially one that involves missing out on normal life activities, and this may lead to mental health problems like anxiety or depression.

Speaking with a qualified mental health professional who understands the challenges of living with ME/CFS can be very helpful. They can help with things such as coping with changes to schooling, employment or social activities, and symptoms such as difficulty with sleep or pain. With the availability of Medicare rebates for telehealth, many mental health practitioners now offer remote consultations which makes healthcare more accessible for those who are housebound or bedbound with ME/CFS.

What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Symptoms of CFS often mimic the flu. The following are the most common symptoms of CFS. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• Sensitivity to light
• Low-grade fever

The symptoms of CFS may look like other medical conditions. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

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Deterrence And Patient Education

Living with chronic fatigue syndrome can be stressful, as the symptoms can affect the quality of life. Most people are generally healthy and active before developing CFS, making it particularly distressing. The most crucial factor for patients to successfully cope with CFS is establishing a strong relationship with an experienced health care provider. Having a provider that patients can trust, who listens to them and understands that their symptoms are real, can be validating and helpful. While it is discouraging to know that there is no quick cure for CFS, an experienced provider can work with the patient to find ways to manage their symptoms and maximize their quality of life.

How Is Me/cfs Treated

Right now, there is no cure or FDA-approved treatments for ME/CFS. But, there are things you and your doctor can do to help ease your symptoms. Because the symptoms of ME/CFS vary from person to person, the management plan you discuss with your doctor may look very different from the plan of another person with ME/CFS.

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What Is The Icd

The International Classification serves to record and report health and health-related conditions globally. ICD ensures interoperability of digital health data, and their comparability. The ICD contains diseases, disorders, health conditions and much more. The inclusion of a specific category into ICD depends on utility to the different uses of ICD and sufficient evidence that a health condition exists.

Uncovering The Mystery Of Cfs

Some people may be genetically predisposed to the CFS, plus viruses and stress appear to play a role. A weakened or compromised immune system and hormonal imbalances have been found in conjunction with CFS diagnoses, so they may have a part in its development too.

Because CFS has been linked to several viral infections in the past, it is thought that it could be more of an end-stage symptom than a unique condition of its own. Individuals with severe infections seem to be at greater risk for developing CFS than others. However, there are also cases of CFS reported in which no viral infection has ever been identified, so it continues to be a mystery.

What doctors and scientists have been able to identify are risk factors. Along with viral infections, there seem to be certain factors that up your chances of getting CFS.

It most commonly develops later in life between the ages of 40 and 50.

Women are more likely to be diagnosed than men.

Allergies, stress, and environmental factors also seem to increase your risk.

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A Trial Of Solriamfetol In The Treatment Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome

This will be an 8-week single center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible titration trial evaluating the efficacy of solriamfetol in the treatment of fatigue symptoms in adult patients with a diagnosis of ME/CFS. Subjects will be randomized to a solriamfetol group or placebo group . The investigators will utilize an intent to treat model and impute data, if statistically feasible, from dropouts utilizing a MNAR approach.

The trial involves primary, secondary, exploratory and safety/tolerability objectives.

Primary objective: Evaluate IMP efficacy in treating ME/CFS fatigue symptoms

Primary endpoint: Difference in means at week 8 between treatment and control groups as measured by the Fatigue Symptom Inventory.

How Do You Get A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosis

Image: Pixabay

Are you wondering how you get a chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis? Maybe youre worried that you might have the condition yourself or that a loved one does. Or you might be curious about how doctors identify and treat chronic fatigue syndrome.

If so, youre in luck, because the answer is fairly straightforward if not exactly simple. So lets talk about what exactly chronic fatigue syndrome is, how you get a chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis, and how the condition is treated.

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Housebound Or Bedbound With Me/cfs

About 25% of people with ME/CFS are housebound or bedbound. Those who are housebound may be able to undertake minimal daily tasks for themselves, such as brushing teeth, cooking or using a computer for short periods of time, but they have to pace their activity and often use aids to help them . They are unable to leave the house, often because this requires more energy than they have available. When they do leave the house, they often need mobility aids such as a wheelchair or mobility scooter, or other assistance . Recovery from a trip out of the house can take days, or longer.

Some people are so severely unwell that they are bedbound some or all of the time. The most severely unwell may be unable to undertake even simple tasks, like eating or going to the toilet by themselves. They may require additional medical devices, such as feeding tubes, to help them get enough nutrition and fluids, and can be totally dependent on carers.

How I Got Diagnosed With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue. It sounds like something were all experiencing, right? It seems like everyone is functioning on too little sleep, getting by on fumes, hitting the weekend too tired, stressed, and worn out. Fatigue seems to be an epidemic. And yet, when I talk about chronic fatigue syndrome, Im talking about a whole different animal.

Its hard to clarify for those who havent experienced it the difference between the fatigue that most adults are functioning with and what living with chronic fatigue syndrome is like. The name betrays the significance of the actual condition. This isnt simply being tired all the time, this is bone-weary, joint and muscle pain, extreme exhaustion that remains unchanged with sleep, and sleep is often elusive. For most of us, CFS is accompanied by additional symptoms of the illness like swollen glands, sore throats, headaches, cognitive difficulties, fevers, night sweats, and difficulty recovering from any kind of exertion. For me, it feels a lot like an unrelenting flu.

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Talk With A Doctor About Creating A Treatment Plan That Works For You

Its important to remember that theres no one treatment for CFS. Everyone has different symptoms, so what works for one person may not work for another person.

If youve received a diagnosis of CFS, discuss your symptoms with your doctor and work together to develop a treatment plan thats right for you.

What Are The Symptoms Of Me/cfs

The key symptom or feature of ME/CFS is called post-exertional malaise . This means that your symptoms get worse after exercise or mental effort and dont improve after sleep or rest. PEM can be very disabling and can reduce your ability to function during regular daily activities. PEM is also common if you have long COVID.

ME/CFS may start suddenly or gradually over months or years. The level of activity that triggers your PEM will vary from person to person and can depend on how severe your condition is. For example, if your ME/CFS is relatively mild, you may experience PEM after going for a walk or a jog, but if your ME/CFS is severe, just reading a book or brushing your teeth could bring on your PEM. Your PEM may appear immediately after activity or may sometimes be delayed by up to 3 days. It can last for 24 hours or for a few days. A more serious relapse can last for weeks or months.

A common misconception is that people with ME/CFS have ‘chronic fatigue and are just very tired. Persistent and profound fatigue is just one symptom of ME/CFS.

Other common symptoms of ME/CFS, that may also increase with PEM include:

• thinking problems, loss of memory or poor concentration
• gastrointestinal changes such as nausea, constipation or diarrhoea
• sensitivities to light or noise, food, medicines or chemicals
• problems with temperature regulation

Everyone is different, so you might experience only mild symptoms, or you might develop more severe symptoms.

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