Saturday, March 23, 2024

How To Talk To Your Doctor About Chronic Fatigue

Must Read

Treat The Worst First

How Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Are Related

Start by listing your worst symptomsthe ones that make it hardest to get through the day. With your doctor, focus first on treating those symptoms. Decide whether a specialist might be helpful for any of them.

The most common ME/CFS symptoms can also be the most treatable.

Symptoms worse after activity

Learning how to manage your activity can help you be as active as possible without causing your symptoms to get worse. This includes:

  • Estimating how much energy you have on a given day. This is sometimes called your “energy envelope.” You spend only that much energy, and not more.
  • Estimating how much energy an activity takes and how long you can do that activity. You stop when you reach that time, and then take a break.
  • Not pushing yourself to get more done on days you feel well.
  • Adapting activities to make them easier. One example is sitting down while doing the dishes.

Sleep

Good sleep habits can help improve the quality of your sleep. If you also try medicine for sleep, it’s best to start on a low dose. Certain antidepressants help with sleep, mood, and chronic pain, so your doctor may suggest trying one.

Feeling dizzy or weak while sitting or standing

Your doctor may have you wear pressure stockings, put your legs up while sitting, or increase your salt intake. Your doctor may also suggest medicines like fludrocortisone or midodrine.

Pain

Depression, anxiety, and distress

Who Is At Risk For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is most common in people between 40 and 60 years old, but it can occur in kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages.

ME/CFS also affects all genders, though women are currently 2-4 times more likely to be diagnosed with ME/CFS.

ME/CFS also affects people across all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

Increasing evidenceincluding family history studies and genetic analysissupports the idea that people with certain genes may be more vulnerable to developing chronic fatigue syndrome.

But the exact genetic mechanism remains unknown.

How Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated

There is no cure for ME/CFS. Treatment goals include managing symptoms and returning you to a higher quality of life. Some people arenât able to regain the level of health and function they had before their diagnosis.

First, your doctor works with you to determine which symptoms cause the most difficulty. Together, you will address those symptoms immediately.

Counseling is helpful for many people with ME/CFS. This type of treatment helps people better tolerate symptoms by changing thoughts and behaviors. Your doctor may prescribe medications, like antidepressants or sleep aids, if your symptoms are especially severe. These medications can relieve symptoms like unrestful sleep for some people living with ME/CFS.

Before prescribing sleep aids, however, your doctor may provide suggestions for improving sleep without drugs. For instance, he or she might suggest that you visit a sleep specialist. Other tips include:

  • Develop a regular bedtime routineâgo to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
  • Do not nap for more than 30 minutes total during the day.
  • Use your bed and bedroom only for sleeping and sex. Take out all electronics.
  • Avoid eating large meals before you go to bed also avoid alcohol and caffeine.
  • Do your exercising at least 4 hours before you go to sleep.

Recommended Reading: Can Fatigue Be A Symptom Of Heart Problems

Small Fiber Neuropathy And Dysautonomia

Chronic inflammation may damage nerve fibers that help control circulation, a condition called small fiber neuropathy. The damaged fibers, seen in skin biopsies, are associated with dysautonomia, a malfunction of automatic functions like heart rate, breathing, and digestion that is very common in long Covid patients.Keller

Just one small study provides evidence of small fiber neuropathy in long COVID, but many studies indicate its present in ME/CFS/FM. Keller, interestingly, embraces Systroms and others hypothesis that the SFN found in the skin is the most obvious but least troubling manifestation of an issue that has body-wide consequences and which includes the diversion of blood away from the muscles.

Dysautonomia, of course, is a common theme in ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and appears to be present in long COVID as well. Lower heart rate variability ratings that are indicative of sympathetic nervous system dominance, are found in ME/CFS, FM, POTS, and long COVID. A simple standing test that stresses the autonomic nervous system has been proposed as a diagnostic test by ME/CFS practitioners, and reduced heart rate variability measures were predictive of poor sleep.

Treat The Worst Symptom First

Pin on Projects to Try

Start by listing your worst symptomsthe ones that make it hardest to get through the day. With your doctor, focus first on treating those symptoms. Decide whether a specialist might be helpful for any of them.

The most common ME/CFS symptoms can also be the most treatable.

Symptoms worse after activity .

Learning how to manage your activity can help you be as active as possible without causing your symptoms to get worse. This includes:

  • Estimating how much energy you have on a given day. This is sometimes called your “energy envelope.” You spend only that much energy, and not more.
  • Estimating how much energy an activity takes and how long you can do that activity. You stop when you reach that time, and then take a break.
  • Not pushing yourself to get more done on days you feel well.
  • Adapting activities to make them easier. One example is sitting down while doing the dishes.
Sleep.

Good sleep habits can help improve the quality of your sleep. If you also try medicine for sleep, it’s best to start on a low dose. Certain antidepressants help with sleep, mood, and chronic pain, so your doctor may suggest trying one.

Also Check: Village Naturals Therapy Chronic Pain & Fatigue Body Wash

How To Talk To Your Doctor About Adrenal Fatigue

The first step is to stop referring to your condition as adrenal fatigue. By all means, use this word when talking about your symptoms with friends and family. But when you visit your doctor, youre going to need to learn to use medical terminology. Describing your condition as adrenal fatigue is a sure-fire way to get your doctors guard up. Remember, there is little to no scientific evidence supporting the adrenal fatigue theory. I go into more detail why that is in this post.

Instead of calling your condition adrenal fatigue, call it hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction or HPA-D. HPA-D has a long list of research backing its existence. To summarize, HPA-D explores how our body responds to stress. You likely wont be surprised to learn that stress can have a negative effect on our health. The HPA-D model explores how this occurs and the hormones involved.

If you know your cortisol readings through testing, you can also refer to low cortisol conditions as hypocortisolism. High cortisol conditions can be referred to as hypercortisolism. Both of these terms will be more likely to get your medical doctor on your side for future treatment.

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.

Read Also: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Rash Pictures

You May Like: Fibromyalgia Vs Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Someone with chronic fatigue syndrome can have many possible symptoms. The most common ones include:

  • severe fatigue, which can make it hard to get out of bed and do normal daily activities
  • sleep problems, such as trouble falling or staying asleep, or not having a refreshing sleep
  • symptoms getting worse after physical or mental effort
  • symptoms or dizziness that get worse after standing up or sitting upright from a lying down position
  • problems with concentration and memory
  • headaches and stomachaches

Get The Care You Need

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS, SEID)? A Doctor Explains

Visit your doctor every few months to help track your symptoms and check for any need to change your treatment.

Get specialized care if you need it. For example:

  • A rehabilitation specialist can help you treat pain and improve your ability to do your daily tasks.
  • A pain management specialist can offer a number of pain treatments.

Sign “release of information” forms so that your doctors can work together as a team.

Read Also: What To Take For Tiredness And Fatigue

How Can I Care For Myself With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

In addition to the treatments above, there are things you can do to help manage this condition, such as:

  • reducing your stress
  • getting plenty of rest
  • making sleep a priority if you are having trouble sleeping, check out these tips to improve your sleeping habits
  • eating a healthy diet to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs
  • having plenty of salt if you have low blood pressure and a tendency to feel dizzy or even faint on standing
  • learning to prioritise the things you need to get done, and then pacing yourself by dividing them into short times of activity with rest breaks in between
  • learning mindfulness, meditation or creative visualisation
  • getting out into nature regularly, listening to music and enjoying your pets
  • developing a support network of understanding friends and family/whnau for when you need help
  • joining a support group if there is one in your area
  • talking to your doctor about whether there are any medications or supplements that may help you.

Criteria For Diagnosing Me/cfs

To be diagnosed with ME/CFS, you must have all of these symptoms:footnote 1

  • Major decrease in your ability to do the things you did before you got sickincluding work, school, social, or personal activitiesthat has continued for more than 6 months.
  • Worsening of symptoms after being mentally or physically active .
  • Sleep problems, including not feeling rested after sleeping .
  • Extreme fatigue that is:
  • New or has not been a life-long problem.
  • Not caused by being active for a long period of time.
  • Not much better after resting.

You must also have one or more of these symptoms:

  • Problems with concentration, short-term memory, or using the correct word .
  • Feeling dizzy or faint while standing or sitting upright that gets better when you lie down .

Read Also: How To Know If You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Articles On Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Thereâs no simple blood test or X-ray to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome â also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome . And many of the symptoms of the illness — deep tiredness, unrelieved by rest or sleep, feeling worse after physical or mental exertion, trouble concentrating, feeling worse after standing and remaining on oneâs feet and other symptoms– are also seen in other conditions, too, making the diagnosis of ME/CFS more difficult.

Discuss Symptoms With Balance In Mind

Pin on Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue

Kids with JIA will experience bouts of pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Theyre also more prone to feelings of depression and anxiety, research shows. Your job is to encourage your child to talk about how hes feeling without dwelling on it too much, and to strike balance so that her illness is not taking center stage all the time. You’re validating that this is a part of your child’s identity and you’re not ignoring it, but that there are also many other facets to them, explains Stephanie Mihalas, Ph.D., a Los Angeles-based psychologist who works with children with chronic illnesses, including JIA.

Don’t Miss: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Vs Fibromyalgia

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Symptoms Causes & Treatment

Chronic fatigue syndrome , also called myalgic encephalomyelitis , causes overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by sleep or rest.

CFS is sometimes also called systemic exertion intolerance disease .

Its estimated that 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans have this complex, chronic illness, though as many as 90% of them have not been diagnosed.

Some people with ME/CFS may outwardly appear to be in good health.

But that doesnt mean they are not sick.

There is no specific test for diagnosing ME/CFS, but researchers have found many ways in which the bodies of people with ME/CFS function differently from their peers.

In this article, Ill discuss what its like to have ME/CFS, as well as identify who is at risk for the disease.

Ill outline the research about the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as its most common symptoms.

Ill talk about how doctors and healthcare providers diagnose ME/CFS, and provide an overview of the most up-to-date treatment approaches, including medication, lifestyle changes, and alternative medicine.

Ill discuss whether its possible to prevent ME/CFS, and the major complications that accompany the illness.

Finally, Ill review what we know about the long-term outlook for people with ME/CFS, and when to talk to your doctor about this disease.

Tests To Confirm A Diagnosis Of Me/cfs

Other conditions can cause symptoms similar to ME/CFS, so your doctor may do more tests to confirm the diagnosis. These may include:

Orthostatic testing.
Tests may be done to see if you have symptoms after being upright for long periods of time.
Neuropsychological testing.
This may be done to see if you are having problems with your ability to think, concentrate, or remember.
Cardiopulmonary exercise test .
This may be done to see if you recover after physical activity. Often the test is done and repeated about 24 hours later.

Read Also: Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mats Amazon

Children And Teens With Me/cfs Or Long Covid

As with adults, the degree to which a child or teens life is impacted by the disease depends on a number of things, including disease severity. If the child is mildly affected, he or she might benefit from a slightly modified school schedule and a reduction in social activity as long as parents and guardians recognize the need to avoid triggering PEM and worsening symptoms. If the child is moderately ill, the school and parent/guardian will need to work together to establish a substantially modified plan of education which might include private tutoring, remote learning, or some type of home-schooling. Children who fall into the moderate-to-severe range are generally unable to attend school at all and need help with even the most basic personal care.

It is important for family members and caregivers to know enough about the disease to understand what is happening and help guide the childs activities in order to prevent worsening of symptoms. For more information about navigating pediatric ME/CFS and working with your childs school, click here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Gradually Figuring Out Whats Wrong

Chronic Fatigue – Cutting Through the B.S.

In 1983, a health professional in her 30s walked into my office and said, Ive been healthy all of my life. A year ago, I came down with some kind of virus sore throat, aching muscles, swollen lymph glands, fever. My fatigue was so bad I was in bed for nearly a week. Many of the symptoms gradually improved, but the terrible fatigue and difficulty thinking have not gotten better. Theyre so bad I cant fulfill my responsibilities at home or at work. This illness is affecting my brain, stealing my energy, and affecting my immune system. Its keeping me from realizing my dreams.

Theres a piece of advice attributed to a famous physician, William Osler, that every medical student probably has heard: Listen to your patient. The patient is telling you the diagnosis. But I wasnt sure it applied in this case.

Also Check: Diet For Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia

Nausea And Eating Disorders

Approximately 40% of children with CFS experience significant nausea and many develop subsequent problems with eating. CFS and eating difficulties can develop into a vicious cycle where not eating makes the fatigue worse and the fatigue and nausea make eating difficult. Adolescents say that their eating difficulties are caused by abdominal pain, being tired, and changes in their sense of taste and smell. There are no trials for investigating what treatments are effective, but current guidance suggests that eating little and often can be helpful.

While some children struggle to eat because of nausea, in others, increasing weight is a problem. Children with CFS assessed in a specialist clinic were found to be at a greater risk of developing obesity compared with healthy children . No increased risk was found in those identified as having chronic disabling fatigue in a birth cohort, suggesting the risk of developing obesity is only present for children and adolescents with CFS that require specialist care.

Dont Miss: Extreme Fatigue And Muscle Weakness

Other Lifestyle Changes To Manage Me/cfs

Other ways to manage ME/CFS include:

  • equipment â some people may need a blue badge for parking, a wheelchair, a stairlift, or other adaptations for their home
  • changes in your place of work or study â when you’re ready and well enough to return to work or studies, your doctor should be able to advise you on changes that could ease your return

There’s limited or no evidence to recommend:

  • resting completely â there’s no evidence this helps
  • complementary medicine â there is not enough evidence that it’s helpful for ME/CFS

You should not take up vigorous unsupervised exercise such as going to the gym or for a run as this may make your symptoms worse.

You May Like: Plus Size Army Fatigue Joggers

More articles

Popular Articles