The LIGHT Center, T-90, College of the Redwoods (476-4290) - October 9, 2000

Okay, let’s play Jeopardy. Be sure to phrase your response in the form of a question. The answer is:

A debilitating and complex disorder characterized by fatigue not improved through rest, weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory, insomnia, all for a duration of 6 months or longer…

You would be correct if you said: What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Sorry, we have no prize money. You just get the self-gratification of knowing the disorder. CFS is a much-debated disorder that has taken until 1994 to have definitive description. In addition to the aforementioned characteristics, there are a variety of other symptoms that are often associated with CFS. These include mental fog, sore throat, swollen or sore lymph nodes, multi-joint pain, abdominal pain, bloating, chest pain, chronic cough, diarrhea, dizziness, earaches, jaw pain, nausea, night sweats headaches and depression . The diagnosis of CFS can only be made if other conditions with similar symptoms have already been considered and ruled out. Also, at least four of the symptoms must be present concurrently for at least six months in order for the diagnosis to be made. Why such a stringent diagnostic process? There are a number of other conditions that have similar symptoms.

One of the major difficulties both in the diagnosis and the conceptualization of CFS as a condition in and of itself is that the major symptom, fatigue is commonly associated with other conditions. These include hypothyroidism, sleep apnea and narcolepsy, major depressive disorders, chronic mononucleosis, bipolar, schizophrenia and eating disorders, obesity, substance a use and some reactions to prescribed medications.

Despite a great deal of research and testing, the cause or causes of CFS remain elusive. It has been noted however, that viral infections or other transient conditions such as stress or exposure to toxins tined to trigger the development of CFS. However, no firm association has been made between the development of the condition and any infectious agent. Immunological deficiencies have also been studied as possible causes for CFS. However to date there is no causal relationship evident. Other causal factors investigated have included hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal functioning, nutritional deficiency, and neurally mediated hypotension. Those of you familiar with the latter condition will recognize it as the sense of lightheadedness, and visual dimming that occurs upon standing suddenly. Again though, there appears to be no solid causal relationship between any of these factors or concomitant conditions and CFS.

Please send any comments to trish-blair@redwoods.edu

Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the windows.

-Jennifer Unlimited-

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention conduction prevalence studies of CFS between 1989 and 1993. It was estimated from those studies that approximately between 4.0 and 8.7 per 100,000 persons 18 years or older have CFS and are receiving treatment for the condition. More generally, this suggests that an estimated half million people in the United States have either CFS or a condition very similar to it. A more recent study conducted at DePaul University estimates the number to be closer to 800,000. This puts the condition as 4 times more common than HIV.

CFS is a condition that hits women more frequently than men. It is about three times more common in women than in men. There appear to be no particular trends in who CFS affects in relation to ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

Is CFS contagious? The jury is still out on this one. However, all the behavioral characteristics typically associated with contagious disease transmission (intravenous drug use, exposure to animals, occupational or travel history, sexual behavior) have not been associated with CFS, suggesting that it is not generally a contagious condition. Recovery from CFS is slow, with only about half of all patients considering themselves as "recovered" after 5 years onset of illness. At this point, predictors of recovery are unclear.