Chronic Fatigue Compared to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Do you find when you tell someone that you have ME/CFS that they often respond that they are often tired themselves? I always feel like I have to make sure anyone who says this knows that I’m not just talking about the normal “tired” or the normal “fatigued” that people experience from mental or physical work. This kind of tired that these people are talking about can be relieved by going to bed and getting a good night’s rest. The kind of “fatigue” associated with most people comes from lack of sleep, being overworked, or having some type of cold, flu or other mild illness.

People who suffer from “chronic fatigue” feel differently than those of us who suffer from “chronic fatigue syndrome”. There is a big difference. Because doctors often hear fatigue as a main symptom from patients, when someone who truly has ME/CFS presents their symptoms, they are often misdiagnosed.

I read an interesting article on About.com that talks about the differences between having “chronic fatigue” and “chronic fatigue syndrome”. If a person has “chronic fatigue”, they have exhaustion or a lack of energy that lasts for six months or longer. When someone has chronic fatigue, it is usually a symptom of something else, such as:

• Sleep disorders/lack of sleep/insomnia
• High stress
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Infection
• Immune/autoimmune disorders and diseases
• Depression
• Organ disease
• Muscle/nerve diseases
• Hypothyroidism

For someone to have “chronic fatigue syndrome”, their symptoms must have lasted at least or six or more months and they must meet the other criteria set for ME/CFS:

Clinically evaluated, unexplained, persistent, or relapsing fatigue that is:

• Of new or definite onset
• Not a result of ongoing exertion
• Not alleviated by rest
• Results in a substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, social, or personal activity

Four or more of the following symptoms that persist or recur during 6 or more consecutive months of illness & that do not predate the fatigue:

• Self-reported impairment of short-term memory or concentration
• Sore throat
• Tender lymph nodes
• Muscle pain
• Multi-joint pain without swelling or redness
• Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity
• Unrefreshing and/or interrupted sleep
• Post-exertion malaise (this is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness) lasting more than 24 hours.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active, unresolved or suspected disease that is likely to cause fatigue
• Psychotic, melancholic, or bipolar depression (but not uncomplicated major depression)
• Psychotic disorders
• Dementia
• Anorexia or bulimia nervosa
• Alcohol or other substance misuse
• Severe obesity