11 Worst Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
We often get lost in the stresses of daily life; especially in these times. It It seems as if there is just one life catastrophe after another. And what do you do? Roll with the punches. Then you finally get a few days to rest and relax. You tried sleeping in a few days but your extreme fatigue did not lift, not even one bit. Hmmm, that’s weird.
The days go by and the number of cups of coffee starts increasing. But this is adulting, right? Early mornings and late nights. Grind, grind, grind.
After seeing a few Doctors, you get the good ole, “Oh, you’re just tired!” But maybe you could be suffering from something even more. Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome gets under-diagnosed about 80% of the time.
If you have five (5) or more of these symptoms for six (6) months or more, you may be suffering from something more serious than just being “tired”.
Most common symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Un-refreshed sleep
- Joint pain
- Muscle cramps
- Headaches
- Anxiety attacks
- Depressive moods
- Lack of focus
- Post exertional fatigue
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome start as young as 20 years old but in some cases it’s seen even in children. Many adults don’t get diagnosed until well into their 40’s although the symptoms may have been documented decades before. The typical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome is usually sudden and severe, but it never goes away.
It usually starts with a fever, sore throat, cough, muscular pain and fatigue. Later you begin to experience gastrointestinal discomforts such as gas, bloating, and intermittent constipation and diarrhea.
Meanwhile, you’re trying to pinpoint what it was that you ate or what bug you have or maybe even the dreaded COVID-19 has gotten to you!
You realize your symptoms never get better and you wax and wane between feeling bad and feeling worse.
Several trips to a bunch of different specialists and maybe even some invasive tests yields nothing. The Dr. tells you… “Oh, you’re just tired and a bit burned out. You have a lot on your plate”. You want to scream from across the table, “No, I’m NOT!”. You know your body and this is NOT normal.
Before the onset of any of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome there are usually episode of an infection or a prolonged stress event.
Two (2) Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
1. Illness from Infection
- Epstein Barr virus
- Yeast overgrowth (Candida albicans)
- Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)
- Enterovirus
- Citomegalovirus
- Human Herpesvirus (HPV)
- Spumavirus
- Retrovirus
- Borna virus
- Coxsackie B virus
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
2. Neuroendocrinological disorder caused prolonged by energy crisis
Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are quite similar to fibromyalgia. School of thought surrounding these disorders suggest that the hypothalamus has dysfunctioned. This small section of the brain is at the forefront of managing the body under stressful conditions brought about by internal or external causes.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome you have fallen under the category of persons suffering with an invisible illness. There are some steps to take in managing a new diagnosis.
You have been suffering with these symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome for this long, but now it’s time to move to another stage in your journey: RECOVERY.
Along with the medication that you’ve been prescribed, you may also decide to make some changes to your diet and exercise routine as well as adding some supplements to your treatment that could assist in energy production.
If you think that you may be suffering from an energy crisis that has caused symptoms for chronic fatigue syndrome you can learn more about the way your body produces energy and how it affects you if this all goes wrong.
If you haven’t gotten a diagnosis and think that you may be suffering with symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome here are ways that can make it easier for you to get a diagnosis from your healthcare professional.
Always trust your instinct; if you believe that something is not right keep believing in yourself. Never accept the diagnosis that “you’re too tired” or “this is the way adult life is”. If you think and believe something is the matter keep searching and keep looking until you find that answer. Live well!
Think you might have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Take our FREE Quiz!
