Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind

[Dover]

Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind
21 July 2005

AT LONG last, we are beginning to get to grips with chronic fatigue syndrome. Differences in gene expression have been found in the immune cells of people with the disease, a discovery that could lead to a blood test for the disorder and perhaps even to drugs for treating it.

The symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome have been compared to those of a really bad hangover: extreme weakness, inability to think straight, disrupted sleep and headache. But unlike a hangover, the symptoms linger for years, devastating people's lives.

While nobody doubts CFS exists, just about every aspect of it is controversial. Some say it is the same as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME; others disagree. Many specialists are convinced it does have a biological basis, but pinning down physical abnormalities common to all patients has proved tough. People with CFS have often received little sympathy from doctors who dismiss it as "all in the mind"...cont'd

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18725093.700

[faithnotgreed]

1. thank you dover. i can attest this is all very real as can many many

others sadly

i do feel i have a good handle on the physical/spiritual basis so i feel quite fortunate

it all can be a path of learning and what we choose to do with it. after a long time i have come to wonderful terms with it
and believe that i will get better

thanks for posting so that others can possibly seek the help they need or at least receive the emotional support which can be just as important

[zalinda]

2. I've been fighing CFS/Me for years

What I've found that helped was 1000mg L-Carnitine and 50mg CoQ-10 along with a multi at least once a day. If I miss the L-Carnitine/CoQ-10 combo for a day or two, I get a drugged feeling and have to take a nap just to get through the day.

zalinda

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Fibromyalgia was also dismissed as "all in your head" for years

but now MRI's have shown differences in the brains of people with FM and people who don't have FM.

[musical_soul]

4. Many things "in the mind" can turn out to be physical.