Symptoms of ME/CFS

What are the symptoms?

There is no predictable pattern to ME/CFS.  The profusion of symptoms can be confusing and alarming and symptoms can fluctuate greatly over short periods of time.

Fatigue: Utter exhaustion, often to the point of collapse, totally different from the normal tiredness healthy people experience.  Fatigue levels fluctuate over the day and are different from patient to patient.  Pallor of the skin may be evident when fatigue is worst.  If standing, some patients may need to sit or lie down very quickly wherever they are.  Many patients experience post-exertional malaise (the delayed onset of fatigue) after too much activity.  Persistent fatigue must be present for a diagnosis to be made but is not always the worst symptom.

Pain: Anywhere in the body but particularly headaches and intense muscle and joint pain, especially in the lower limbs, which is usually difficult to relieve with standard painkillers.  Skin sensations such as skin crawling and pins and needles may be felt.

Cognitive impairment: Poor short- and medium-term memory, mental confusion and mental fatigue; the brain seems to run out of steam.  Difficulty concentrating, word-finding and thinking.  Inability to plan.  These symptoms together are commonly called 'brain fog'.

Other symptoms: Body temperature disturbance, dizziness, vertigo, postural hypotension, sensitivity to light and noise.  Possibility of sleep disturbance, nausea, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disturbance, mood swings, panic and anxiety, acquired sensitivity to food, medication, alcohol and chemicals.  A minority of patients may experience severe symptoms such as blackouts, temporary partial paralysis, loss of speech, loss of swallowing function.  These symptoms are severely disabling.