My husband it constantly exhausted, with no enthusiasm or interest in anything. At 75 he is turning into an old man. He is only out of bed for a few hours, and he has to go back, and immediately goes to sleep. Could this be chronic fatigue and if so what can we do to get his doctor to acknowledge it? Any advice would be so welcome.
Really hard to say if it’s cfs. How long has he been dealing with this? Was there other symptoms when it started?
There is a difference between chronic fatigue, which can be associated with many illnesses, including depression--and ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), which is a specific illness. The red flag for ME/CFS is post-exertional malaise (PEM), which means that after mental or physical activity, the person gets fatigues way beyond normal. Go to the "solve me/cfs website" to see if the symptoms relate to your father.
Thank you Jackie. He doesn't get post - exertional malaise because he seldom has the energy to do much! I have suspected that it could be ME for some time, and I have looked at the website you recommended, and answered the quiz. It said he had it, but as there is no cure, it seems there is little we can do. Thank you for responding.
Hello Joe, thank you for replying. He has always been a person who needs a rest in the day, but as he has got older it has become progressively worse. He didn't suffer from any symptoms.I have done a quiz recommended by Jackie
As I was saying... apart from the fact that the exhaustion doesn't come on after exercise because he seldom does anything, the website said it could be ME/CFC. Any thoughts?
Usually his diagnosis comes with ruling out a lot of other causes. Have you guys done complete blood work and found no other reason for this fatigue?
Yes You are right- Yes consider a second medical opinion as well
Yes excellent consider if possible blood work every 3-6 months
By the way, I noticed in my last post I said "your father" instead of "your husband." Sorry about that. Has your husband gone to a doctor and had a complete blood workup? I think it's important that he get a diagnosis, at least to rule out other conditions. He may be dealing with something that can be treated. Also, even if he has ME/CFS, a diagnosis is important. Even though there is no cure for this illness, there are things that can be done to treat some of the symptoms, and there are lifestyle recommendations that can help mitigate symptoms.
Thank you Joe, I am very touched by the people who have replied, I will make sure he has more blood tests in a few months.
Thank you Jackie, Do you have any sites that I can look at re: lifestyle recommendations and perhaps treating some of his symptoms?
I think the first step to helping your husband is to do bloodwork, then get a diagnosis. If you live in the U.S., I can give you the names of some doctors specializing in ME/CFS. You can do a Google search on "ME/CFS treatment," but really, you may be dealing with another condition entirely. I know how difficult it can be to sort all this stuff out.
Thank you Jackie, we live in the UK, but I will act on everyones advice.