Medical Questions > Conditions and Diseases > Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Forum

Have I got CFS or something else?

Must Read
Chronic fatigue
What is chronic fatigue syndrome? We outline the medical definition and different types of CFS in this intro section....
Read more >>
Chronic Fatigue Causes and Risk Factors
What causes chronic fatigue? And who does it affect? We outline the main factors doctors think contribute to CFS in this section....
Read more >>
Chronic Fatigue Symptoms
Symptoms of chronic fatigue are also common to other disorders. Learn to identify CFS symptoms and when to seek medical help here....
Read more >>
Conditions and Diseases
CFS
cfs/adrenal/immune problems
are Gall stones and CFS are related in a...
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
testosterone supplementation for CFS
Could i have CFS?
CFS/ME
Related Topics
cfs and breast cancer
I have cfs, and my anxiety is getting ba...
Cfs And Narcolepsy
February 21st, 2012
Hi, I am a looking for a diagnosis of what I may be suffering from. To clarify, for the last five years or so, I have been suffering from the following symptoms: chronic fatigue (this is by far the worst and most debilitating symptom), low mood (as a result of the chronic fatigue), itchy scalp, acne, dry skin, abdominal discomfort/flatulence, nasal congestion and an inability to gain weight. I have visited my doctor and I have had a whole host of medical tests performed, ranging from various blood tests, urine analysis, stool analysis and an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, none of which have revealed anything unusual, and as a result, I have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but I do not think that I have this condition, I believe that there is an alternative underlying medical cause for my symptoms, as CFS does not typically manifest itself with such an eclectic array of symptoms - any suggestions as to what it could be? (By the way, I have tried many different vitamin/mineral supplements, none of which have helped me).
Did you find this post helpful?
First Helper User Profile Valentijn
|
User Profile
Valentijn
replied February 21st, 2012
You probably don't have CFS. Your doctor may have diagnosed you using the CDC definition, which is quite bad and very vague. The Canadian Consensus Criteria and International Consensus Criteria both heavily emphasize the symptom of Post-exertional malaise or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion. This means that a day or two after exercising you would feel extremely ill - as if you had a bad case of the flu and/or got run over by a truck.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
User Profile
Valentijn
replied February 21st, 2012
If I had to pick something else for you to look into, it would be food allergies/intolerances. These can cause the GI problems and the skin problems, and could result in lack of weight gain and fatigue as well. You could try a food elimination diet to find intolerances, since lab results aren't really useful in that area.

As a side note - the symptoms of CFS (or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the rest of the world) are extremely eclectic. Far more than your current symptoms!
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Scorpio25
replied February 21st, 2012
Thank you for your reply, I have considered the possibility that my symptoms could be related to a food intolerance of some sort and I have done some research into this, but it's just a case of identifying what food(s) it could be; I have been tested for celiac disease, but the results came back negative and I also eliminated dairy from my diet for one month to see if that would help my symptoms, but it did not, so I am still not sure of the source.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
User Profile
Valentijn
replied February 23rd, 2012
A proper elimination diet requires cutting back to just a few very safe foods for a week or two (rice, meat, potatoes, multi-vitamine), then introducing potentially problematic food groups every 3-5 days, like corn, gluten (there can be non-celiac intolerances/allergies), wheat, egg whites, egg yolks, corn, soy, etc. Then if you still have problems, you can try avoiding harder stuff like salicylates to see if there's an improvement and/or if things get worse when you start eating it again.
|
Did you find this post helpful?
Sign up for FREE weekly health tips!
... Saving
Ask a doctor

Featured Experts
drandrews
Dr. Paul A. Andrews
TMJ, Snoring and Sleep Disorders, CPAP I ...
eHealthPedia Articles
Chronic Fatigue Causes and Risk Factors
Chronic fatigue
Chronic Fatigue Diagnosis
Chronic Fatigue Symptoms
Chronic Fatigue Treatment