NEWS: Chronic fatigue not "psychosomatic," says IOM panel
A report by the Institutes of Medicine says chronic fatigue syndrome is a cluster of physical symptoms and that more research is needed.
From the Washington Post, Feb. 10, 2015
By Lenny Bernstein
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a “serious, debilitating” condition with a cluster of clear physical symptoms — not a psychological illness — a panel of experts reported Tuesday as it called for more research into a disease that may affect as many as 2.5 million Americans.
“We just needed to put to rest, once and for all, the idea that this is just psychosomatic or that people were making this up, or that they were just lazy,” said Ellen Wright Clayton, a professor of pediatrics and law at Vanderbilt University, who chaired the committee of the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences.
People in the UK suffering from such symptoms who are diagnosed with CFS are NOT routinely tested for Lyme Borreliosis, yet when they obtain private testing for it, most are indeed found to have LB, which when diagnosed early, is much more treatable. Many of those patients have been labelled as ‘Psychologically ill’ for a number of years (a lazy and neglectful diagnosis), when in fact, they have been neglected and left to deteriorate for so long that their lives have changed beyond all recognition. This is partially due to the erroneous behaviour of the Psychiatric profession having ‘hijacked’ the issue and it is a travesty.
Absolutely agree Deb Collins. My daughter has been ill for 22+ years, and dumped in the “ME/CFS” in the UK, but now diagnosed and being treated in USA for Mould Biotoxin Illness, Chronic Viral Illnesses and Chronic Lyme. The NHS is USELESS!!
I have chronic fatigue. It is horrible but we have to deal with it. I recently started taking Keppra, an epileptic seizure management drug, and no longer walk with a cane. I was a guineapig for so many other meds with horrible side effects. It actually adds to the fatigue but gives back coordination and lessens nerve pain from lymes exponentially. I hope this helps some of you.