Common questions / 12/05/2020

How do I know if I have CFS or fibromyalgia?

Chronic pain and fatigue are common symptoms of both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The difference is that, in fibromyalgia, fatigue often takes a backseat to debilitating muscle pain. In chronic fatigue syndrome, people have an overwhelming lack of energy, but also can experience some pain.

Are there any autoimmune diseases that can cause fibromyalgia?

Up to one-quarter of people with inflammatory autoimmune diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and ankylosing spondylitis —also experience fibromyalgia symptoms. The precise nature of this connection is not yet understood.

How does chronic fatigue syndrome cause autoimmune disease?

In the same study, researchers also list several other methods by which ME/CFS may trigger autoimmunity, including dysfunction of mitochondria, which provide energy to your cells, and cellular damage caused by O&NS that cause your immune system to misidentify them. 8

What kind of inflammation is involved in ME / CFS?

Researchers have long believed ME/CFS involved chronic inflammation. Studies reveal several biomarkers of inflammation and a sustained immune response in the blood of ME/CFS patients. Some researchers now consider ME/CFS to be a neuroimmune or neuroendocrineimmune disease.

What kind of pain is associated with fibromyalgia?

Common conditions associated with fibromyalgia pain include: 1 rheumatoid arthritis. 2 lupus. 3 hypothyroidism. 4 restless leg syndrome. 5 Lyme disease. 6 (more items)

How is ME / CFS similar to autoimmune diseases?

ME/CFS shares some features of autoimmune illnesses (diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues in own body, like in rheumatoid arthritis). For example, both ME/CFS and most autoimmune diseases are more common in women and both are characterized by increased inflammation.

How is the immune system involved in chronic fatigue syndrome?

A 2012 study published in Psychiatry Research attempted to separate chronic fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myalgic encephalitis into different categories. Researchers found that ME patients had higher levels of two specialized immune proteins called cytokines, which promote inflammation.