Herefordshire CFS/ME/FMS Group |
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Are CFS and ME the same illness?CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is now used by most doctors and researchers (though not by most sufferers). CFS is a condition whose main feature is prolonged and disabling fatigue that causes substantial reduction in daily activity, without any recognised medical diagnosis to explain the fatigue.The latest diagnostic criteria give various physical and neurological symptoms, however the cardinal features of ME - the muscle fatigability and pain, and post-exertional malaise, do not have to be present for a diagnosis of CFS. CFS covers a spectrum of causes of fatigue, possibly including fatigue caused by stress, depression or 'burn-out'. Dr Anne Macintyre (1997) ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) typically follows an infection, usually a viral illness (which may be sub clinical), in a previously fit and active person. The main symptom of ME is a severe fatigue and malaise following exercise, with weakness and pain in the muscles after use, and frequently visible muscle twitching. "This feature of muscle fatigability is the dominant and most persistent feature ofthe disease, and in my opinion a diagnosis of ME should not be made without it" (Ramsey 1986). The exhaustion comes on 24 to 48 hours afterwards, not during the exercise. Fatigue can also result from intellectual exertion. Then there are a variety of neurological (brain) symptoms. Impairment of temperature control and circulation with ashen-grey pallor and abnormal sweating. Poor concentration and memory. Sleep disturbances and emotional instability. The two other features of ME are first the fluctuation of symptoms from day to day or within a day, together with remissions and flare-ups during the year;and secondly the tendency for the condition to persist for several years. Other symptoms common in ME are; Disturbances of sensations. Over-sensitivity to sound or light; tinnitus. Numbness or pins and needles. Blurred vision and problems with balance. Total intolerance to alcohol. Digestive disturbances and food allergies are common. NDS: An expert group in the USA has recently proposed renaming the illness Neuroimmunoendocrine Dysfunction Syndrome (NDS) because it involves the brain (neuro), the immune system (immuno), and the hormonal system (endocrine); dysfunction - things aren't working properly; syndrome - a collection of symptoms withnoapparent cause. |