The lethargy is what bothers me most.

Hello.

Your symptoms could be part of what is known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Neurasthenia), though you need to rule out all medical causes for the same. There is currently no consensus on what causes CFS. Most of the symptoms of CFS can mimic those of a depressive disorder. The feature that can separate CFS from Depression is the main complaint. In CFS, fatigue and tiredness is the first complaint and depression comes later in the list. In a depressive disorder, sadness of mood is usually the first complaint.

Another important feature of CFS is that the pain and the fatigue are relieved with rest. This often works against motivation to do tedious work, or even routine work. If you think these are your symptoms too, you may discuss this with your doctors. The treatment can involve psychotherapy, anti-depressants and other treatment modes as deemed necessary by the evaluating physician.

Hope this helps.

Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD


(This post is for the purpose of providing medical information and is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a doctor. This post is not intended to give or rule out a diagnosis, create a doctor-patient relationship or replace an existing one. I am not able to diagnose medical conditions online. Please consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options)