Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction

Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction (CFID) is a recently recognized illness characterized by debilitating fatigue as well as immunological and neurological abnormalities. Once thought to be caused by Epstein-Barr virus, it is now thought to have a different but unknown cause. Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome is a curious condition where a person is seriously afflicted by an overwhelming feeling of tiredness that is persistent.  This condition may  persist for several weeks if not months and without any relief in sight.

CFID is normally diagnosed by evaluating symptoms and eliminating other causes of fatigue. Doctors carefully question patients about their symptoms, any other illnesses they have had, and medications they are taking. CFS and FM (chronic fibromyalgia) may be opposite ends of the same disorder, with the emphasis on fatigue in CFS and pain in FM. CFID strikes people of all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Research has shown that CFS is about three times as common in women as men, a rate similar to that of many autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and lupus.

CFID patients are unusually sensitive to drugs and they normally must take doses that are 1/4 or less than standard doses. Some drugs will be a big help to some patients and little or no help to others. CFID can affect people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and economic statuses.

CFID can be treated and cured with medication and supportive therapies. However the cure does not often come about quickly. CFID is not a new phenomenon, with cases documented worldwide for more than 50 years. CFID is a mysterious and debilitating disease. Its cause is unknown.

CFIDS can happen over time or come on suddenly. People who get CFID over time get more and more tired over weeks or months. CFID often resembles the flu and other viral infections, but routine medical tests fail to detect any physical problem. Because of this, it is often misdiagnosed as psychosomatic illness, depression or hypochondria. CFIDS is a debilitating and complex syndrome that is characterized by profound fatigue, which is not improved by bed rest and may be exacerbated by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFIDS most often function at substantially lower levels of activity from their pre-onset capacities.

CFS is better described as an immune system dysfunction. It is believed that a virus attacks the immune system in some way that disrupts the normal behavior of the immune system. 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. CFS occurs mostly in women in their 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s. It is as common among African-Americans and Hispanics as it is Caucasians, and it affects women approximately four times the rate as men.