How To Get Diagnosed With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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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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Causes Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Despite considerable research, the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome remains unknown. Controversy exists as to whether there is a single cause or many causes and whether the cause is physical or mental, but either way the symptoms are very real to the person.

Some researchers believe the syndrome ultimately will prove to have several causes, including genetic predisposition and exposure to microbes, toxins, and other physical and emotional factors.

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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.

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.

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Drug And Alternative Therapies

Specific chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms such as pain, depression, and poor sleep are treated.

Many different drugs and alternative therapies have been tried to relieve the chronic fatigue itself. Although many treatments, such as antidepressants and corticosteroids, seem to make a few people feel better, none are clearly effective for all. It can be hard for people and doctors to tell which treatments work because symptoms are different in different people and because symptoms may come and go on their own.

Controlled clinical trials The Science of Medicine Doctors have been treating people for many thousands of years. The earliest written description of medical treatment is from ancient Egypt and is over 3,500 years old. Even before that, healers… read more , which compare the benefits of a drug to those of a placebo , are the best way to test therapies, and no drug therapy has been shown to be effective for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome in controlled trials. A number of treatments directed at possible causes, including use of interferons, intravenous injections of immune globulin, and antiviral drugs, have been mostly disappointing and potentially dangerous. Dietary supplements, such as evening primrose oil, fish oil supplements, and high-dose vitamins, are commonly used, but their benefits remain unproved. Other alternative treatments have also been ineffective. Treatments that have no proven benefits are best avoided because they can have side effects.

Shortness Of Breath And Tiredness

You should be worried if you have been feeling tired, exhausted, or breathless, for longer durations of time. It could surely spell trouble for you if you have been experiencing these symptoms for over six months now, especially when there are no medical reasons for them to occur. A few medical tests could ascertain the underlying cause.

It may also come from ingesting toxins or after Hepatitis or Jaundice and can leave you hollowed out from within. Whatever be the underlying causes, we recommend going for the requisite pulmonary function tests to determine if your total lung capacity has reduced, and if so, what corrective measures can you take to set it right faster.

Note: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as an ailment is easy to detect but takes time to go away, and may signify some serious health conditions related to the liver and heart. The sooner you get it diagnosed, the better it is.

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When To Get Tested

Most people with new-onset fatigue are usually advised to change their lifestyles, including diet, exercise habits, and stress levels, to see if such changes can improve symptoms. Should those fail, a visit to a primary care provider typically results in a trial of treatments to address sleep issue or mental health concerns. If symptoms persist, and a diagnosis cannot be made, patients may wish to discuss diagnostic testing using the BioReference ME/CFS Profile with their provider.

Key Points About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by profound tiredness.
• Symptoms often worsen with physical or mental activity.
• In addition to severe fatigue, symptoms include light sensitivity, headache, muscle and joint pain, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and depression.
• Treatments may include medicines, exercise, supplements, and counseling.

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Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The main feature of ME/CFS is a type of exhaustion known as post-exertional malaise, crash or payback. This means having flu-like symptoms after exercise and not having enough energy for daily activities.

Research shows that people with ME/CFS have a different physiological response to activity or exercise from other people. This includes abnormal exhaustion after any form of exertion, and a worsening of other symptoms. The response may be delayed, perhaps after 24 hours. Depending on the amount and type of exercise, it may result in post-exertional malaise for a few days, or serious relapses lasting weeks, months or even years.

• problems with thinking, concentrating, memory loss, vision, clumsiness, muscle twitching or tingling
• disrupted sleep
• sore throat, tender lymph nodes and a flu-like feeling
• inability to cope with temperature changes.

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.

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What Is The Outlook For Someone With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The long-term outlook varies quite a bit. There may be times when your symptoms are not too bad and other times when they flare up and become worse. However, many people improve over time and some recover well. Children and younger people have a better rate of full recovery. Early diagnosis and treatment may lessen the impact of the illness. The important thing to remember is that this is not a progressive or life-threatening disease and that for many people full recovery is possible.

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is not very well understood on a number of levels. While we know that chronic fatigue syndrome causes, obviously, chronic fatigue, we dont yet know why. Some doctors have speculated that the source of the condition might be in the immune system, suggesting that it is an autoimmune disorder.

An autoimmune disorder is a condition where the bodys immune system begins to attack the body because it thinks that a persons own cells are actually an invading foreign cell. This produces conditions like celiac disease and psoriasis. Its possible that this could explain the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Fatigue is common among autoimmune disorders.

And the fact that some of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome include things like muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes suggests that there may be an immune system component as well. At the moment, there simply is no solid answer to what causes chronic fatigue syndrome.

But it is still possible to get a solid chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis.

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I Don’t Have Insurance How Can The Affordable Care Act Help Me

If you’re uninsured or have been denied coverage in the past for ME/CFS, the Health Insurance Marketplace may be able to provide you with access to affordable coverage. With health insurance plans in the Marketplace, you can no longer be refused coverage just because you have a pre-existing health condition. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program also can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more because of a health condition. They also can’t charge women more than men. Learn more about the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace at Healthcare.gov.

How Is Cfs Treated

Theres currently no specific cure for CFS.

Each person has different symptoms and therefore may require different types of treatment to manage the disorder and relieve their symptoms.

Work with your team of healthcare providers to create the best treatment plan for you. They can go over the possible benefits and side effects of the therapies with you.

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Comparison With Existing Literature

CFS/ME was seen as a contentious illness by many of the GPs in this study, viewing the condition of CFS/ME with scepticism, similar to descriptions in previous research , where GPs did not consider CFS/ME to be a genuine illness. This qualitative study confirms findings from previous quantitative work suggesting that GPs are unconfident in the diagnosis of CFS/ME .

Most GPs don’t see enough patients with CFS/ME to become experienced in the diagnosis of this condition, and it has been shown that GPs can change their attitudes towards CFS/ME when a person who they know developed it . The NICE guidelines suggest that negative attitudes and uncertainty about the condition make it difficult for GPs to establish a relationship with patients and that healthcare professionals should acknowledge the reality and impact of the condition and it’s symptoms . The NICE guidelines also recognise the need for a supportive and collaborative relationship with patients with CFS/ME to facilitate their effective management and other guidelines stress that where possible CFS/ME should be managed locally . GPs in this study reported lack of confidence in confirming the diagnosis of CFS/ME themselves, and that there were limited referral options locally. In addition, they expressed scepticism about the value of referral, having had previous negative experiences.

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis , is a chronic , complex and disabling illness that causes extreme fatigue and other symptoms that cannot be explained by any other medical condition.

If you have ME/CFS, you are likely to feel very tired, very often, even if you have not been active. You may also have a host of other symptoms.

Doctors do not yet understand the cause of ME/CFS, and there is no simple cure. If you or your child has ME/CFS, your doctor can suggest treatments you may find helpful.

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How Is Cfs Diagnosed

Before 2015, CFS was diagnosed by ruling out other health issues. Even now doctors will generally diagnose CFS only after your lab tests for other diseases/illnesses come back within the normal ranges.

In 2015, the Institute of Medicine redefined the the way CFS is diagnosed. At the same time, they re-named the disease. Today, CFS is known as systemic exertion intolerance disease . Not surprisingly, the name change has not caught on.

Along with changing the name, the Institute of Medicine also made it more difficult to be diagnosed.

The difference between CFS & SEID

The major differences between CFS and SEID are as follows:

• There needs to be a specific point in time where your fatigue began. It cannot have happened your whole life.
• Your fatigue cannot be associated with any exercise or fitness program.
• Your fatigue cannot be alleviated with rest.
• Unrefreshing sleep now needs to be associated with the fatigue.
• You need to experience either a decline in your cognitive abilities or intolerance to standing upright.

These new questions force doctors to run more tests on their patients to rule out other possible causes of fatigue. This makes a diagnosis of CFS more difficult. It also encourages doctors to investigate all possible causes of fatigue before diagnosing CFS. I believe this to be a very important development in the treatment and management of the illness.

First, I will ask you a series of questions based on the method of diagnosis from before 2015.

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.

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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.

Find A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Healthcare Provider

The more you know about chronic fatigue syndrome , the better prepared youll be when trying to find a healthcare provider. Its a difficult process, and you may need to educate a few health-care professionals along the way. Be sure you know the list of symptoms and become familiar with the various ways ME/CFS is treated.

The crux of the problem is that no medical specialty has claimed ME/CFS, so finding a knowledgeable healthcare provider isnt as easy as with most illnesses. Even fibromyalgia, which is considered closely related to CFS, falls under the auspices of rheumatology. Chronic fatigue syndrome is not well understood, and many health-care providers have a hard time recognizing it. Some dont even believe it is an actual condition.

All this means that the burden of finding someone qualified to treat you falls squarely on your shoulders. However, you have a number of resources to use in your search.

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