Are you utterly exhausted all the time even though you get enough rest? Do you find that you can’t think the way you normally do? Are you achy? If you have answered yes to these questions, you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS.
If you suspect that you have something which isn’t quite normal like a cold or flu, but have many of the following symptoms, you may have a condition called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS for short. It is also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, or CFIDS.
Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
- Incapacitating fatigue which is unresolved by rest or sleep
- Post-exercise malaise or fatigue
- Achy muscles or joints
- Tender lymph nodes
- Headaches of a new sort
- Sore throat
- Memory and concentration problems
- Difficulty finding words
- Panic attacks
- Depression
- Inability to comprehend something you have just read
- Visual disturbances such as blurred vision
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety
- Palpitations
- Dizziness
- Allergies
- Sensitivity to noise
- Sensitivity to chemicals or odors
- There are many more, check with your doctor or with www.cfids.org
If you are finding that you get tired very easily and that you do not rejuvenate after feeling fatigued, you should talk to your doctor. You may just have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Non-Restful Sleep
This is a symptom which is indicative of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. You may find that you are experiencing severe fatigue, so you try to eat well and get a little extra sleep. But, for some reason, your fatigue is not going away. In fact, you feel much more tired when you wake up than when you went to sleep. And it seems to be getting worse. Make sure that you mention this to your doctor.
What is Post-Exercise Malaise?
Post-exercise malaise is a symptom which is quite common with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It can also be quite devastating. Post-exercise malaise occurs when you have done some kind of (usually physical) activity. It is normal to feel somewhat tired after doing a physical activity. However, people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome do not recover from activity normally. If you find that is takes many days to rebuild some sort of energy after having done a physical activity, you may be experiencing post-exercise malaise.
It takes people who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome far longer to rebuild any sort of energy store than for healthy people to do the same thing.
The Exhaustion of Emptiness
I usually describe the exhaustion that I feel with my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a fatigue of emptiness. It’s the only way that I have come close to being able to communicate the depth of the exhaustion people with CFS feel. If you have a similar feeling, you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, be sure to check with your doctor.
Most normal people will overdo things from time to time. Maybe you have run all around town doing errands and carrying packages. Maybe you have raked a huge lawn full of leaves, or have overdone it with something else similar. That is the fatigue of fullness. You have gotten things done, moved your body, run around and now you’re really wiped out. With some rest, you will feel like your old self pretty soon.
People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome do not feel the fatigue of fullness. The fatigue that we feel is one of emptiness. It is unrelenting and is probably not caused by doing anything at all. There is no sense of achievement, because we have done nothing that caused us to feel this way. It is just a feeling of being utterly empty and utterly tired. It is like nothing most healthy people have ever felt. Many times I feel as though I could sit in a chair for hours, doing nothing and not be bored. If you are feeling a fatigue which is similar to this, please check with your doctor.
Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This can, unfortunately, be difficult. The diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is usually one of elimination. In other words, if all test results are normal, and you are still experiencing severe, debilitating fatigue and you have many of the above symptoms, you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Doctors may be reluctant to give you this diagnosis, however. Many doctors do not understand or believe in this condition. So, be sure to educate yourself.
Diagnosis of Elimination
This can be frustrating. You are not feeling at all well and your doctor can not find anything wrong with you. Unfortunately, this is the path that you will have to take for a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There is no blood test for this condition. You will probably have to go through several batteries of tests, and they will probably all come back normal.
Be sure that you are seeing a doctor who believes that there is such a thing as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Many still do not.
Use Your Resources
You may be able to find a good doctor on the internet. Do your research. You will also want to do as much research as possible to find out if you have CFS. A great resource that I have found is www.immunesupport.com. You can also check out the website of Dr. Jacob Teitlebaum, a prominent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome doctor. You will find it at www.endfatigue.com.
Whatever you do, don’t give up! There are many, many people who have the same condition as you do, and it is not in your head. Rest as you need to and try to get the help of those around you. There is no cure for CFS, but there are many things you can do to help yourself feel better. Keep a tight rein on your medical records and take a hands on approach to your recovery. You can feel better.
