Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS))

Member Name: fluffypup

Product:	Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Date:	30/09/00 (264 review reads)
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Advantages: none!

Disadvantages: Muscle, joint & chest pains; sore throats; severe pounding headaches; brain fog (bad short term memory loss); poor or bad concentration; tiredness; exhaustion; breathing problems; poor immune system; sore throats; poor sleep pattern; non-refreshing s

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also know as Post Viral Fatigue (PVS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or ‘Yuppie Flu’ is a condition which primarily is associated with severe fatigue, malaise or total burnout. It is generally thought that CFS is contracted through a virus such as glandular fever, flu, bad tummy bugs and/or exposure to chemicals such as organophosphates etc. After a period of time this virus kicks in and CFS is formed.

Did you know that the CFS is the second largest cause of long-term sickness of school (over 3 months) children next to leukemia?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not just associated with fatigue; there are other key symptoms. These symptoms may include some or most of the following:

Muscle, joint & chest pains; sore throats; severe pounding headaches; brain fog (bad short term memory loss); poor or bad concentration; tiredness; exhaustion; breathing problems; poor immune system; sore throats; poor sleep pattern; non-refreshing sleep; blurred or difficult to focus vision; malaise; emotional turmoil caused through the onset of CFS.

A diagnosis of CFS is not simple. CFS develops throughout time. Generally first symptoms were not associated with fatigue. Fatigue develops over an undefined period of time. CFS is diagnosed after suffering a number of major symptoms (fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, chest pain, breathing problems) and a number of the minor symptoms (sore throat, poor concentration, brain fog, difficult to focus vision) from between 6 to 12 months. Your GP or a Specialist should hopefully diagnose CFS after this time.

What is it like having Chronic Fatigue? At first it’s a total nightmare – emotionally, physically and mentally. One minute you may feel great the next your in bed for a week unable to move. You get better after a few months and feel that you are getting back into the swing of things. Then next you are in bed for another week. You fee
l great one day and do too much. You spend the next 4 months suffering because of this. It is living life in a vicious cycle. You break the cycle, you learn to live and cope with CFS!

What is it like to have CFS to the non-CFS suffer? Imagine yourself having a really bad bought of flu. Your arms, legs, body and head aches. You feel totally drained! You can’t do anything. You spend most of your time in bed. You drag yourself out of bed to go get a drink. You spend the next couple of hours recovering. Add to that the sore throat; add the pounding all over headaches but minus the cold. This is what CFS is like at its worst. The severity of these symptoms, vary from hour-to-hour, day-to-day and week-to-week. Simple things that most people take for granted, set off CFS. These can be things like: walking, climbing stairs, standing, driving, cooking or even eating! The only problem is that a non-sufferer can get a good night’s sleep and recover. A CFS sufferer might not be that lucky!

There is no treatment or cure for CFS! CFS symptoms reduce after about 2-3 years. There are ways to improve the condition that include seeing a CFS/ME friendly GP. Most GPs will refer you to a clinical psychologist who will help re-adjust and come to terms with living and coping with CFS. Most psychologists use “cognitive therapy”, which is based on examining and improving your mental, physical and emotional states – improvement of diet (no alcohol, no caffeine, no chocolate, no coffee, reduced dairy products, no coca cola…) rest, exercise (mentally, socially & emotionally) plus increases amounts of rest. It is a hard adjustment in life from being able to do everything to nothing! This therapy is usually done in parallel (mainly adults rather than children) to the “GP referral scheme”. Where by your GP refers you to the local sports centre to be assessed on physical fitness. There a fully qualified fitness & health instructor
issues a very gentle programme of exercise and activity that monitor and assist your progress. Activities such as Aquatherapy, walking and very gentle cycling are highly recommended in about 10-20 min sessions, 1-2 times a week followed by constant rest. Rest is positively encouraged by sleep during the day is positively discouraged. One of the CFS is a very disturbed sleep pattern and sleeping throughout the day only upsets this balance even more. Alternative therapies, such as yoga, massage & aromatherapy (see my previous opinion), reflexology, homeopathy, are also recommended. I’ve tried homeopathy without success. Massage & aromatherapy has eased my fatigue and increased my energy levels by about 5-10%! CFS does also cause depression because of the emotional strain of not being able to hardly anything. In most cases your GP will prescribe a mild form of anti-depressant such as Prozac or Lustral.

The benefits available for CFS sufferers are: Incapacity Living Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (depending on how bad the condition is). Check http://www.dhss.org for details or get a friend or member of family to go into your local DHSS.

Any comments gratefully received. Our email address is located on our website http://www.geocities.com/fluffy_pup_2000 for questions, advice or support concerning CFS.

Other sources of help are:

The ME Association, 4 Corrington Road, Standford-le-Hope, Essex SS17 OAH

ME Association’s Young Persons Group.

Action of ME, PO Box 1302, Wells, BA5 1YE


Recommended book:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Practical Guide by Dr A Macintyre (ISBN 0-7225-3539-2)

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