List of tests for diagnosis and treatment

The following is a list of possible tests to diagnose or help manage the symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia and mast cell activation syndrome. Many of these tests have not been established as the standard of care and are thus in the research phase.

Test	Type	Lab(s)	ME/CFS	EDS	POTS	MCAS
Red blood cell magnesium	Blood (intracellular)	US: Quest	A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that patients with CFS had lower rbc magnesium than controls. Treatment with magnesium sulphate via intramuscular injection improved symptoms.
Carnitine	Serum
Acetylcholine autoantibodies
Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Natural killer cell function
VO2 Max Test
2-day cardiopulmonary exercise test

See also

• Diagnostic biomarker
• List of abnormal findings in chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

See postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) - A form of orthostatic intolerance where the cardinal symptom is excessive tachycardia due to changing position (e.g. from lying down to sitting up).

double blinded trial A clinical trial is double blinded if neither the participants nor the researchers know which treatment group they are allocated to until after the results are interpreted. This reduces bias. (Learn more: www.nottingham.ac.uk)

serum The clear yellowish fluid that remains from blood plasma after clotting factors have been removed by clot formation. (Blood plasma is simply blood that has had its blood cells removed.)

two-day cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) - A diagnostic test which involves testing an ME/CFS patient exercising on an exercise machine, while monitoring their respiration, especially oxygen consumption. This test is repeated the following day in order to confirm the patient's inability to replicate the first-day performance. This test is thought to be the most objective way to detect post-exertional malaise.