What is CFS?

From "About CFIDS"
By The CFIDS Association of America
http://www.cfids.org/about-cfids/default.asp

Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, myalgic encephalomyelitis, ME and by many other names) is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems.

Although its name trivializes the illness as little more than mere tiredness, chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) brings with it a constellation of debilitating symptoms.

CFIDS is characterized by incapacitating fatigue (experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina) and problems with concentration and short-term memory. It is also accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as pain in the joints and muscles, unrefreshing sleep, tender lymph nodes, sore throat and headache. Post-exertional malaise is a hallmark of CFIDS and as the name implies, it is a period of profound fatigue that follows mental or physical activity and requires twenty-four hours (or longer) to recover.

People with CFIDS (PWCs) have symptoms that vary from person to person and fluctuate in severity. Specific symptoms may come and go, complicating treatment and the PWC's ability to cope with the illness. Most symptoms are invisible, which makes it difficult for others to understand the vast array of debilitating symptoms with which PWCs contend.

Additional symptoms are frequently reported by PWC's such as word-finding difficulties, inability to comprehend/retain what is read, inability to calculate numbers and impairment of speech and/or reasoning. PWCs also have visual disturbances (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain, need for frequent prescription changes); psychological problems (depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, personality changes, mood swings); chills and night sweats; shortness of breath; dizziness and balance problems; sensitivity to heat and/or cold; alcohol intolerance; irregular heartbeat; irritable bowel (abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal gas); low-grade fever or low body temperature; numbness, tingling and/or burning sensations in the face or extremities; dryness of the mouth and eyes (sicca syndrome); menstrual problems including PMS and endometriosis; chest pains; rashes; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); allergies and sensitivities to noise/sound, odors, chemicals and medications; weight changes without changes in diet; light-headedness; feeling in a fog; fainting; muscle twitching; and seizures.
[See also CFSupport's MVPS/dysautonomia and orthotatic intolerance list of symptoms.]

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis of chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a time-consuming and difficult process which is generally arrived at by excluding other illnesses with similar symptoms and comparing a patient's symptoms with the 1994 International case definition. As yet, there is no indicator or diagnostic test that can clearly identify the disorder. Overlapping symptoms can occur with several diseases, such as fibromyalgia, Gulf War Illnesses and multiple chemical sensitivities. Many diseases have similiar symptoms including lupus, hypothyroidism and Lyme disease and these need to be considered when making a diagnosis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------  End CFIDS Association Excerpt 

Where can I find more description of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelopathy (-myelitis)?

Official CFS and ME Case Definitions and History

2004 ME/CFS Management Guidelines for General Practitioners (PDF) - Australia

Comparing the Fukudaet al. Criteria and the
Canadian Case Definition for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PDF)  Jason, Journal of CFS

2003 Summary of Canadian Expert Consensus Panel CFS/ME Clinical Case Definition for CFS/ME (First Clinical Definition) - M.E. Society of America

2003 Carruthers Canadian Myalgic Encephalomyelities / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols
Journal of Chronic Fatigue Synrome, Vol 11 No 1, Haworth Press
http://fm-cfs.ca/CFS-Protocol.pdf

2003 Ambiguities in 1994 Fukuda Case Definition and Recommendations for Resolution
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-3-25.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CFS Case Definition (Research)
The Revised Case Definition (abridged version)  - CDC.gov

1994 Fukuda Research Case Definition (Annals of Internal Medicine) -
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/121/12/953 

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Definitions 1956 - 1994

1957 (Wallis), 1959 (Acheson), 1988 (Ramsay) Research Descriptions of M.E.

CFS Prevalence

Much here is from "About CFIDS"
By The CFIDS Association of America
http://www.cfids.org/about-cfids/prevalence-study.asp

June 2007 - Approximately 4 million in USA!!

As of late 2006
 
More than one million Americans have CFS according to studies conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DePaul University. Approximately 80-90% of patients have not been diagnosed and are not receiving proper medical care for their illness.

As of mid 2006:

A study conducted by researchers at DePaul University estimates CFS at approximately 422 per 100,000 persons in the U.S. [1999] This means as many as 800,000 people nationwide suffer from the illness. 90% of patients have not been diagnosed and are not receiving proper medical care for their illness.

(Jason LA, Richman JA, Rademaker AW, Jordan KM, Plioplys AV, Taylor RR, McCready W, Huang CF, Plioplys S: A Community-Based Study of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Arch Int Med 1999; 159(18):2129-37.)

CFIDS does not discriminate. 
It strikes people of all age, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

What is FMS?

Fibromyalgia syndrome, also called "FMS" or "FM," is a chronic condition of widespread pain, as well as a variety of other symptoms. The name comes from fibro- (fibrous tissues such as tendons and ligaments), -my- (muscle),  -algia (pain) and syndrome for the rest of the symptoms which, for many, also includes fatigue.

The pain of fibromyalgia is often described as diffuse aching or burning, often accompanied by muscle spasm. The pain and the fatigue of fibromyalgia varies from person to person. Fatigue can range from a mild, tired feeling to the exhaustion of a flu-like illness. The pain can vary in degree and migrate, becoming most severe in parts of the body that are used the most (i.e., the neck, shoulders, and feet). In some people, the pain can be intense enough to interfere greatly with work and ordinary, daily tasks, while in others it causes only mild discomfort. 

Symptoms vary from person to person and include 

-stiffness, particularly apparent upon awakening and after prolonged periods of sitting or standing in one position or coinciding with changes in temperature or relative humidity; 
-headaches or facial pain including frequent migraine, tension, vascular headaches, TMJ; 
-sleep disturbances, unrefreshing sleep; 
-digestive disturbances: pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, difficulty swallowing; 
-genito-urinary problems such as increased frequency of urination or increased urgency to urinate, interstitial cystitis (IC), more painful menstrual periods, conditions such as vestibulodynia (vulvar vestibulitis) or vulvodynia, characterized by a painful vulvar region and painful sexual intercourse; 
-numbness or tingling, prickling or burning, particularly, in the hands or feet; 
-skin complaints such as itchy, dry, or blotchy skin, and dryness of the eyes and mouth, a sensation of swelling, particularly in fingers; 
-chest/heart/circulatory/autonomic nervous system imbalance type symptoms such as migrating chest pain, orthostatice intolerance, MVPS/dysautonomia, shallow breathing, unsatisfying breath, dysequilibrium, temperature sensitivity, light-headedness, anxiety and/or depression, balance problems, nausea, visual problems when driving a car, reading a book, or trying to track objects. NMH, POTS, more... see our MVPS/OI page 
-environmental sensitivities including hypersensitivity to light, noise, odors, and weather; 
-cognitive symptoms, nicknamed brain-fog or fibro-fog, including difficulty concentrating, feeling spaced out, short-term memory difficulty, being distracted or overwhelmed easily;
-restless legs, an irresistible urge to move the legs particularly when still too long; 
-exaggerated reactions to a variety of substances including medications, chemicals, food additives, pollutants, etc.

Where can I find more description of Fibromyalgia / Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Official FMS Case Definitions

2003 Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Canadian Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols,
A Consensus Document
The Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, Volume 11 No 4, Haworth Press
http://fm-cfs.ca/FM-Guidelines-Journal.pdf

The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia

Common CFS/FMS Related Acronyms

• CFIDS - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome

• CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• CIND - Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases

• EI - Environmental Illness

• FM or FMS - Fibromyalgia or Fibromyalgia Syndrome

• GWI or GWS - Gulf War Illness or Gulf War Syndrome

• IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

• ME - Myalgic Encephalopathy or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

• MPS - Myofascial Pain Syndrome

• MVPS/D - Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome / Dysautonomia

• NMH - Neurally Mediated Hypotension

• OI - Orthostatic Intolerance

• POTS - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

• PWC - Person With CFIDS

• YPWC - Young Person With CFIDS