List of symptoms in ME CFS

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a multi-systemic illness, so symptoms are commonly grouped according to the bodily system involved, for example neurological system, immune or cardiovascular (circulatory) system symptoms. ME/CFS is the acronym used to describe a set of symptoms that both ME and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have in common and usually the patients' ME or CFS had an onset due to a flu-like illness or mononucleosis, or other infections such as Brucellosis, Epstein-Barr virus, and Meningitis.

However, it is unclear if ME is equivalent to CFS, is a specific form of it, or something entirely different. In ME/CFS research, the terms are often used synonymously, though there is no clear evidence to support either equating them or separating them.

The list of symptoms in ME CFS can be extensive and most patients will not have every symptom possible.

The International Consensus Criteria (ICC) is for diagnosing ME, a neurological disease defined by the World Health Organization in 1969 and encompasses moderately ill to the most severe to very severe diagnosis. The Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC) defines ME/CFS symptoms which diagnoses mostly moderate to severe patients. A minimum list of symptoms can be found for Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID), another ME/CFS definition and meeting this criteria only (not meeting ICC or CCC) will diagnose a patient that is usually mild to moderate in number of symptoms and their severity.

Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) symptom list
Diagnosis requires that the patient have the following three symptoms:

1. A substantial reduction or impairment in the ability to engage in pre-illness levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities, that persists for more than 6 months and is accompanied by fatigue, which is often profound, is of new or definite onset (not lifelong), is not the result of ongoing excessive exertion, and is not substantially alleviated by rest, and

2. Post-exertional malaise,* and

3. Unrefreshing sleep*

At least one of the two following manifestations is also required:

1. Cognitive impairment* or

2. Orthostatic intolerance

Canadian consensus criteria symptom list
The Canadian Consensus Criteria includes a list of recognized signs and symptoms in the appendix. Only some of these symptoms are part of the Canadian Consensus Criteria diagnostic criteria.

Post-exertional Neuroimmune Exhaustion (PENE)
Previously known as Post-exertional malaise.

Neurological
1. Neurocognitive Impairments   2. Pain 

3. Sleep disturbances 

4. Neurosensory, Perceptual and Motor Disturbances 

  </dl>

Immune, Gastro-intestinal and Genitourinary
1. 2.  3.  4.

Energy Metabolism/Ion Transportation
1. 2.  3.  4.

Learn more

 * International Consensus Primer for medical practitioners


 * IOM report - Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome


 * Canadian Consensus Criteria