- Details
- Last Updated: 29 November 2015 29 November 2015
1. Most Common Symptoms of ME/CFS
- Exhaustion, made worse by physical exercise (100%)
- Low-grade fever in early stages (60-95%)
- Recurrent flu-like illness (75%)
- Frequent pharyngitis (sore throats) (50-75%)
- Joint and muscle pain (65%)
- Severe muscle weakness (40-70%)
- Stiffness (50-60%)
- Post-exertional fatigue & flu-like symptoms (50-60%)
- Multiple sensitivities to medicines, foods, and chemicals (40-60%)
- Severe nasal & other allergies (often with worsening of previous mild allergies) (40-60%)
- Frequently recurring, difficult to treat respiratory infections (40-60%)
- Dyspnea (labored breathing or hunger for air) on exertion
- Painful lymph nodes (especially on neck and under arms) (30-40%)
2. Neurological Symptoms
- Sleep disorders & unrefreshing sleep (50-90%)
- Headaches (35-85%)
- Visual blurring (50-60%)
- Intolerance of bright lights
- Parasthesias (numbness or tingling feelings) (30-50%)
- Dizziness/ Lightheadedness (30-50%)
- Ringing in the ears
- Impaired cognition (50-85%)
- Attentional difficulties
- Calculation difficulties
- Memory disturbance
- Spatial disorientation
- Saying the wrong word
3. Other Symptoms
- Worsening of premenstrual symptoms (70% of women)
- Nocturia (excessive urination during the night) (50-60%)
- Tachycardia (abnormal rapid heart action) (40-50%)
- Chest pain (25-40%)
- Cough (30-40%)
- Weight gain (50-70%)
- Nausea, especially in earlier stages (50-60%)
- Diarrhea, intestinal gas or irritable bowel (50%)
- Intolerance of alcohol
- Night sweats (30-50%)
- Dry eyes (30-40%)
- Dry mouth (30-40%)
- Rash (30-40%)
- Frequent cancer sores (30-40%)
- Herpes simplex or shingles (20%)
- Symptoms worsened by extremes in temperature
4. Less Common Symptoms
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Paralysis
- Seizures
- Blackouts
5. Psychological symptoms
- Depression (reactive or secondary depression)
- Anxiety (including panic attacks and personality changes)
- Emotional lability (mood swings)
- Psychosis
The above information was compiled by Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association from data by Drs. Paul R. Cheney, Jay A. Goldstein, Anthony L. Komaroff, Charles Lapp, and Daniel Peterson.