Because of the name, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the other symptoms besides fatigue that make up this illness are often downplayed by the medical community. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a distressing disease that affects the entire body and widespread pain is a common symptom experienced by these patients.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disease that has baffled physicians for years and to be honest, I can understand why. As a CFS patient for almost 20 years, I live with the illness daily and can see why physicians find it difficult to diagnose and treat. The symptoms are complex and unlike many other illnesses in that there is no set pattern. The fatigue is not relieved by sleep and the cognitive dysfunctions and short-term memory loss are hard to explain.
The pain is such that normally prescribed pain medications are not effective and physicians can’t physically or diagnostically find a reason for the pain. The type of pain and pain levels can also vary from day to day making the pain hard to control. This can be frustrating for both the doctor and the patient. One day a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient may experience a burning, stabbing pain throughout their body. The next day the patient may experience deep bone pain that is excruciating. Then another day the pain may be a dull ache, like a toothache, throughout the body. Some patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome experience a lot of muscle cramps.
Headaches of a new pattern or headaches that become more severe are common with CFS. I have headaches 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I have to take pain medication every four hours to keep the pain at a controllable level in order for me to function. The lymph node tenderness is another symptom that can cause great pain. When I experience lymph node pain under my armpits, the pain is so bad I can’t put my arms down. I have to keep them out away from touching my body it hurts so much.
If pain is one of your major symptoms, talk to your physician and let him or her know. Each CFS patient is unique as is their severity of certain symptoms. Pain medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are often recommended by physicians to treat CFS pain. Never try any pain relievers without the consent of your physician.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are the standard when it comes to pain relievers. Many NSAIDs are available over the counter such as aspirin, Ibuprofen and Motrin. Celebrex is a prescription NSAIDs that I used to take for pain. NSAIDs work by reducing inflammation in the body. NSAIDs may be effective for people with mild pain due to CFS, but for the majority of us we need something stronger.
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen, or medications like Tylenol, can be used to treat the joint and muscle pain in CFS if it is mild. It has no effect on inflammation, though. Too much acetaminophen can be damaging to the liver so if Tylenol is not helping relieve your pain, talk to your doctor. Do not take more than what is recommended.
Tricyclics
Antidepressants are not just for depression anymore. Antidepressants are used to help treat pain and sleep disorders in CFS patients. The key to fighting pain with antidepressants is taking them daily to help prevent pain. Antidepressants should not be used to treat breakthrough pain or severe pain.
Tramadol
Ultram is another prescription pain reliever used to treat CFS. I have never had any success with Ultram as a pain reliever. It is related to the NSAIDs class of drugs. CFS patients may find their physician needs to prescribe Ultram along with another stronger pain reliever to see any pain relief.
Seizure medications are said to work on CFS pain but the side effects can be great. Most seizure medications will cause fatigue and drowsiness – two symptoms already prevalent in CFS patients. Some seizure medications prescribed to treat CFS are Neurontin and Carbamazepine. Using these medications can cause allergic reactions and bone marrow problems. These medications should also not be used while taking Prozac.
Lyrica, the first FDA approved medication to treat Fibromyalgia, is in the same family as Neurontin. It is used to treat neuropathic pain, CFS and Fibromyalgia pain.
Narcotics
For a lot of us with CFS, our pain is severe enough to where we need to take narcotics. The problem with narcotics is that they can be addictive so physicians do not like to prescribe them. For a lot of us narcotics are the only thing that works for the pain. Also using narcotics long-term can cause damage to the liver.
Commonly prescribed narcotics for CFS include Darvocet, Percocet and Vicodin. Opioids, such as morphine and codeine are also prescribed to treat CFS pain.
It can be impossible for many of us to be pain free even with using these medications or combinations of these medications. But the medication can dull and ease the pain enough so that we can function daily.
