How would my doctor know if I have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)?
-
Celeste Cooper answered:Because research has been ramped up on chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as chronic fatigue immunodysfunction and CFS/myalgic encephalomyelitis, we are learning there are reasons that the CFS/ME patient symptoms worsen with exercise and activity. There is very strong evidence to prove CFS/ME is a biological disorder. Because of this, the diagnostics are being updated.
Read more about CFS/ME at http://thesethree.com/ME_X997.html including past, present, and future diagnostic criteria.
All blogs, posts and answers are based on the work in Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Celeste Cooper, RN, and Jeff Miller, PhD. 2010, Vermont: Healing Arts press and are not meant to replace medical advice. http://www.thesethree.com
Author of Chapter Five, Living with and Coping Effectively Through Fibromyalgia: Detecting Barriers, Understanding the Clues, in Fibromyalgia Insider Secrets: 10 Top Experts, 2nd Ed. EBook complied by Deirdre Rawlings, ND, PhD http://www.fibromyalgiainsidersecrets.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=121_0_1_59
Find out more about this book: Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofa...
Because research has been ramped up on chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as chronic fatigue immunodysfunction and CFS/myalgic encephalomyelitis, we are learning there are reasons that the CFS/ME patient symptoms worsen with exercise and activity.... More -
Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum answered:If you have had over three months of insomnia associated with exhaustion, then you likely have CFS. If your physician is not familiar with making this diagnosis, he or she will also not know how to treat it and you will be better off finding someone who does. To put this in perspective, I am an internal medicine physician -- not a surgeon. Just as you wouldn’t want to try to teach me how to do heart bypass surgery on you, you wouldn’t want to have to train a physician on how to treat your CFS properly. If your physician isn’t familiar with CFS, it doesn’t make him or her a bad physician. It just means you need to find somebody who is a specialist in CFS. Two good resources for this are the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine.
Helpful? 1 person found this helpfulIf you have had over three months of insomnia associated with exhaustion, then you likely have CFS. If your physician is not familiar with making this diagnosis, he or she will also not know how to treat it and you will be better off finding someone... More -
Riverside Health System answered:It can be hard for your doctor to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) because there is no lab test for it. Also, many signs of CFS are also signs of other illnesses or side effects of medical treatments. All cases are diagnosed by the 1994 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition, which is also sometimes called the "Fukuda criteria" after the name of a leading researcher in the field. Children with CFS can be diagnosed by a new pediatric case definition, which differs from the adult definition.
If you think you may have CFS, see your doctor. Your doctor will:
Ask you about your physical and mental health. Do a physical exam. Order urine and blood tests, which will tell your doctor if something other than CFS might be causing your symptoms. Order more tests, if your urine and blood tests do not show a cause for your symptoms.This process can take a long time (even years), so try to be patient with your doctor. While these tests are being done, talk to your doctor about ways to help ease your symptoms. Although CFS is not a form of depression, many patients develop depression as a result of dealing with a long-term illness.
This answer is based on source information from National Women's Health Information Center.
It can be hard for your doctor to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) because there is no lab test for it. Also, many signs of CFS are also signs of other illnesses or side effects of medical treatments. All cases are diagnosed by the 1994... More
