Posted on 07/17/2007 12:22:25 PM PDT by neverdem
For decades, people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome have struggled to convince doctors, employers, friends and even family members that they were not imagining their debilitating symptoms. Skeptics called the illness “yuppie flu” and “shirker syndrome.”
But the syndrome is now finally gaining some official respect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which in 1999 acknowledged that it had diverted millions of dollars allocated by Congress for chronic fatigue syndrome research to other programs, has released studies that linked the condition to genetic mutations and abnormalities in gene expression involved in key physiological processes. The centers have also sponsored a $6 million public awareness campaign about the illness. And last month, the C.D.C. released survey data suggesting that the prevalence of the syndrome is far higher than previously thought, although these findings have stirred controversy among patients and scientists. Some scientists and many patients remain highly critical of the C.D.C.’s record on chronic fatigue syndrome, or C.F.S. But nearly everyone now agrees that the syndrome is real.
“People with C.F.S. are as sick and as functionally impaired as someone with AIDS, with breast cancer, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” said Dr. William Reeves, the lead expert on the illness at the C.D.C., who helped expose the centers’ misuse of chronic fatigue financing.
Chronic fatigue syndrome was first identified as a distinct entity in the 1980s. (A virtually identical illness had been identified in Britain three decades earlier and called myalgic encephalomyelitis.) The illness causes overwhelming fatigue, sleep disorders and other severe symptoms and afflicts more women than men. No consistent biomarkers have been identified and no treatments have been approved for addressing the underlying causes, although some medications provide symptomatic relief.
Patients say the word “fatigue” does not begin to describe their condition. Donna Flowers of Los Gatos, Calif...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I’m so tired of hearing about it!
What about chronic imbecility? Is that a virus or just DNA?
Syndrome: A distinctive or characteristic pattern of behavior...
...or other abnormal condition.
i.e.: lazy...
“People with C.F.S. are as sick and as functionally impaired as someone with AIDS, with breast cancer, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” said Dr. William Reeves, the lead expert on the illness at the C.D.C., who helped expose the centers’ misuse of chronic fatigue financing.
How did we make it past the steam age into the 20th century???
Now if only they’d spend more time investigating and researching all the GI issues. Talk about debilitating misery.
The same people who agree on global warming, I assume. sheesh.
Yes, coffee. Those folks need coffee.
What idiots, CFS is mostly due to parasites, but American coctors no nothing of them ‘cause the west doesn’t have parasites’ LOL. Parasites come in all forms, protozoa, and other categories most do not even know exist. They deny Morgellons exists too, despite proof positive it does ...
I read an account once of how a team from CDC had been flying out to the location of the first major CFS outbreak and they were planning on the plane, before they had even examined a single patient, how they were going to announce that it was an imaginary illness.
I’ve known two people with CFS and both were highly motived, well educated people who are not the typical people you hear about with this. I’m convinced that there is something to it. One of them just died this spring with skin cancer. It wasn’t the cancer that caused the CFS; the cancer came later. But it leads me that think that some people are predisposed to certain type of illnesses and get something that they can’t easily diagnose. The gentleman who died lived out his live in a great deal of pain, but continued to work, support his family and love life.
So that's why they're called "Lymeys" ;)
Hmmm. My Fibro/CFS symptoms started after a terrible case of mono 8 years ago. I acutally turned yellow from a swollen spleen/liver!
After lots of different doctors I finally found one that has managed to keep my symptoms at bay. My regimine includes thyroid and natural progesterone, vitamins, and a yeast-free diet.
Every other doctor wanted to throw anti-depressants at me.
Very interesting. I hadn’t heard that. My daughter, now 22, has been not well off and on for about 4 years now. She seems to be doing better now, but we just can’t get our finger on what’s wrong. I’m concerned about one of these hard-to-diagnose autoimmune diseases. I’ll research this. Thank you.
Ahh... that explains it... Limeys, lyme disease.
My wife has come down with a form of C.F.S., but she calls it pregnancy!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.