CFS reaches priority list

Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, better known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, has recently been added to the list of Priority-1 New and Reemerging Infectious Diseases by the Centers for Disease Control officials.

G. Landon Beales, a physician at the McDonald Health Center specializing in internal medicine, said he has diagnosed at least 150 cases so far this year and spends approximately half of each work day dealing with CFS patients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control there are four to 10 cases of CFS per 100,000 adults 18 and older. The majority of these cases are white women between the ages of 25 and 45. Beales described the disease.

"It's like having the flu all the time," he said.

No one knows what causes CFS. Beales said it tends to run in families, and he has seen it show up in three generations of some pedigree charts. It tends to be triggered by viral infections, such as mononucleosis or influenza. It can also be triggered by periods of heavy stress, trauma such as a car accident or exposure to chemicals, he said.

Three out of four CFS patients are women. Beales said health care workers, nurses, teachers and other professions which involve dealing with the public have a higher rate of CFS.

Beales said the major symptom of CFS is persistent, unexplained fatigue with a definite, noticeable onset. It isn't substantially alleviated by rest and results in a noticeable reduction in previous levels of activity.

Other symptoms include a sore throat, light sensitivity, tender lymph nodes, muscle or joint pain without swelling, and headaches. CFS patients also complain of insomnia and have a lack of restful sleep.

One of the most significant symptoms of CFS is "crashing" after being subjected to periods of stress or physical exertion.

According to Beales, physical exertion, mental or emotional stress causes CFS patients to become metabolically imbalanced and leaves them in a state of total exhaustion.

Some of the most disconcerting symptoms many CFS patients have is a lack of concentration and the loss of short-term memory.

Beales said patients find it difficult to judge time and distance relationships. They often have trouble driving a car or even crossing the street.

According to Beales there is no way of diagnosing the disease. It is often diagnosed after months of testing and the absence of any other explainable cause.

"Doctors do routine lab work and nothing is wrong so they tell them they're crazy and send them out the door," Beales said.

Scott Morris, a 23-year-old student at Utah Valley State College, got sick when he was 13 years old and was diagnosed with CFS three years later.

He said during the process of his diagnosis there were three types of doctors. The first type ran tests, said nothing was wrong and referred him to a psychiatrist. The second type ran tests, couldn't find anything wrong and threw up his hands saying there was nothing that could be done. The third type of doctor ran the tests, couldn't find anything, but kept trying new things that might help and wouldn't give up.

Morris said during their diagnosis many CFS sufferers "grasp at straws. You are so tired of being sick and people not believing you because you don't look sick."

He said that after a while sufferers begin to become skeptical of a new diagnosis, or any new treatment. Disbelief among family and friends was difficult, Morris said. "The only friends who know you are sick are the ones around every day, so (many) don't believe you."

Morris said his illness was a considerable trial at first, but has become something he has learned to live with.

"At first I thought it ruined my life until I realized I got a new perspective on life," he said.

Morris has learned to deal with his illness through regulating his diet and exercise. He was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a disease with symptoms similar to CFS. Doctors believe the CFS may have triggered the Fibromyalgia, but Morris has begun medication to reverse the effects. He said a positive attitude has been the most important factor in his recovery.

As soon as CFS patients learn to enjoy life as it is, they seem to get better more quickly, Morris said.

Depression does seem to play a part in the illness because CFS patients often feel totally alone. Morris said this loneliness is the most destructive part of the disease.

"They end up alone even if they have a family," he said. "They still want to do things, but sometimes they can't," Morris said.

"They want to be understood, they want empathy. They don't want sympathy, but someone to be a friend."

Braden Bell, a junior at BYU from Farmington majoring in theater education, has CFS. He said school has been a challenge he has learned to deal with.

Bell said he deals with each semester one at a time, taking the minimum number of hours possible while still maintaining a full-time status. He said he has made it through school relying heavily on faith and prayer.

"I do what I can when I feel well," he said.

Bell said professors often work with him by letting him take tests late or turn in assignments after the deadline. He has also done extra projects to make up for a low test score or some area of a class where he is having trouble.

Paul Cheney has developed a strategic approach to treat the disease. In an article found in the Spring 1995 issue of The CFIDS Chronicle, he said that patients should be careful not to over-exert themselves with too much exercise, which can worsen the disease. Cheney said that limiting fats, simple sugars, red meat and other foods that are hard to digest can also help.

Cheney's approach includes detailed instructions for a patient's eating and exercise habits. He also has a selection of medications and nutritional supplements to be used at specified intervals for optimal results.

[ back to Golden Gater Online September 7, 1995 ]

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