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Study on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Dr. Jay Adlersberg
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By Dr. Jay Adlersberg

(New York-WABC, January 10, 2007) (WABC) -- It was named as a real clinical illness 20 years ago, but it still remains a puzzling disease. Now the Center for Disease Control has launched a plan to both research the illness and educate patients and doctors about it.

With more on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Seven's On Call with Dr. Jay Adlersberg.

Extreme tiredness that goes on for months, then for years. It's called appropriately Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It strikes in the prime of life, more women than men, but in all ethnic groups. It's hard to diagnose and to treat.

Joe Macdonald is having a good day today, up and walking about. But there are many times that his chronic fatigue gets the better of him.

"You just feel like an elephant in the morning trying to get out of bed," MacDonald said. "You go across the room to make a cup of tea, and it takes all the energy you have and your heart is just bashing away."

Severe fatigue for more than six months is the defining symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Other symptoms include:

Joint and muscle aches

Memory loss and confusion

Non-restorative sleep

The illness can persist for three to four years. For a sufferer's doctor, confusion. Many things cause fatigue, but this illness has no tests to make a diagnosis.

"That's the most frustrating part for primary medical doctors," said Dr. Philip Bialer, of Beth Israel Medical Center. "They can't find a specific medical illness to treat."

And frustrating for patients, who may be exhausted but look normal.

"People just didn't understand. They'd say you look fine, why aren't you working or why can't you come to the party," MacDonald said. "Why can't you engage in life, and of course the immediate implication that you're nuts."

Because there are no tests to prove someone's sick.

Researchers have tried to find specific brain changes with MRI, CT scans and pet scans, and to find specific immue system problems, to no avail.

Dr. Bialer says support from family can make a difference.

"Otherwise you feel like you're in the middle of the Atlantic with no lifeboat around," he said. "It's nice to know that there's people who understand and are sympathetic."

It's often depressing to be so fatigued for years at a time, and depression is often a feature of chronic fatique. Though many drugs have been tried, there's not one that has had success, but research goes on.

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