What is 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'? What is it like?
Below we shall list the symptoms commonly associated with this condition and other related conditions.
Flu-like headaches for days/weeks
Constant or frequent tiredness - some people may feel tired all day, whereas others may take several hours or half a day to fully wake up (yawning all morning etc.)
Inability to recover from flu quickly (can take many months or even years for full recovery)
Prolonged flu symptoms for weeks or months after a cold or flu
Frequent recurrent viral infections and susceptiblity to viral and bacterial infections
Insomnia (inability to stay asleep - i.e. waking 1-10 times a night; or not sleeping at all; and/or finding it hard to get back to sleep once one has woken up)
Spending a long time in bed, abnormally large requirement for sleep
Very temperature sensitive when sleeping
Muscle and joint weakness
Muscle ache and tender spots
Quick onset on muscle fatigue during exercise
Minor visual disturbances whilst exercising
Lower back pain/ache
Tightness in cranium
White coating on the tongue
Bad breath
Low blood pressure (intermittent or continuous)
Elevated heart rate, at rest, when standing up (from a reclining posture) or when exercising
Chest pains and/or palpitations
Flat tone of voice (tired sounding monotone)
Sometimes not pronouncing words properly or when communicating sentences may sound laboured and rushed/slurred
Slow body healing - joint/muscle injuries that never fully recover
Inability to concentrate
Short term memory loss
Mental cloudiness or 'brain fog'
Low mental energy
Low physical energy
Inability to cope with stress
Inability to expend physical or mental energy for prolonged periods
Tendency for energy levels to 'crash' for hours/days/weeks if person overdoes things physically or mentally
Inability to relax or for conscious mind to calm down
Dizziness
Decreased sense of balance
Light sensitivity
Sensitivity to G-forces
Depression
Anxiety
Tendency to become cold easily
Bloated feeling in stomach and intestines
Excessive wind
Soft, loose and/or thin faeces
Frequent bowel movements during day (3+), often for small amounts and often immediately after eating
Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Specific food allergies
Itcy anus (occasionally or frequent)
General ache in intestines/lower abdomen
Pale complexion (a sun tan is no substitute for having enough blood in the face)
Sugar cravings
Extreme fatigue when hungry, poor blood sugar regulation
Premature hair loss
Excessive mucus production, sinusitis
Decreased libido/sexual desire
Weight gain through overeating
Muscle loss through inability to exercise.
Finger print destruction
Many more
Severity of the above symptoms can vary considerable from person to person, and also which stage the person is at in the course of the illness. A person may feel relatively 'normal' for much of the time, and only 'crashing' or experiencing flu-like headaches if they have overdone things over a period of days. Depending on the exact cause, such a person may never 100% recuperate if the root cause is not addressed, and symptoms usually become worse over a period of time.
Whilst some people are able to lead relatively normal lives, others may have to cut back their activities, their social lives or working hours in order to reach a manageable equilibrium. Some people may as a result feel isolated and misunderstood, especially as they may not outwardly look ill. The condition going on for years and gradually becoming worse may leave patients feeling depressed and with low self-esteem, life seemingly passing them by as they become older. Little practical help or guidance is given by the health service. Work colleagues and unsympathetic friends and associates may think you are just imagining it and can never really fully understand what you are going through.
Severe patients may not be able to work at all. Or socialise at all. Or in extreme cases, may not be able to walk or hold things properly and even get out of bed for weeks on end. In such cases, muscle wasting makes matters worse. The inability to work drains one's savings and finances, so there is less and less money to actually spend on proper identification and treatment. The worse one gets, the more complex the biochemical problems that were originally causing the fatigue become, and the harder they are to subsequently treat.
This is why it is critical to try to treat the person early on, as it is much easier, less complicated, quicker and cheaper!
Tips for managing stress and depression can be found on the Stress Management page.
NOTE:
To put it rather crudely and bluntly, the purpose of this page is relay some common symptoms and experiences of CFS sufferers for illustrative purposes and also give those afflicted a sense of certainty, a sense of being listened to and understood, and that they are not alone. This page is not intended to tell you how bad you should be feeling! It is not intended to provide you with a list of bad symptoms and experiences that you can learn or dwell on to feel worse than you already do! Clearly symptoms and experiences vary from individual to individual and there is not necessary a 'fixed and defined set' of symptoms. Identification of some of the core problems that tend to cause 'CFS' are discussed on this web site, including corrective actions to result in a complete cure and optimal health and energy.