5. Symptoms

1)** What M.E. is like.  M.E. can be
compared to a Ferrari engine in a Volkswagen
Beetle on rims with no tires - lots of desire to
move (and you can with much effort) but it takes a
great toll on the car.  After some general
discussions, I will develop this chapter into three
sections - common, less common and possible
symptoms.

2)** Every person with M.E. or
F.M. seems to be affected differently.  
Persons suffering from either M.E. or F.M.
experience symptoms which are individualistic and
fluctuate in severity.  Some people suffer from
none of one specific symptom and more of another
particular symptom, while others have more severe
symptoms in a particular area.  The majority of
people have most of the "common symptoms".

3)** You are not the only one with
these symptoms.   Many people start to feel
like they are the only ones who suffer from odd
symptoms (eg burning soles of the feet).  Over the
years, after speaking with many support group
members, I have found that there are many people
with these same seemingly obscure symptoms.

4) I refer to this illness as Myalgic 
Encephalomyelitis , since Canada, Britain,
Europe, New Zealand, Australia and most of the
industrialized nations use this term.  The United
States refers to this illness as "Chronic Fatigue
Immune Dysfunction  Syndrome" (CFIDS). The
term  "CFIDS" is used by the largest non-profit
organization for M.E. sufferers in the world - the
CFIDS Association.

5)**  Mental or Physical exertion  for
M.E. patients makes symptoms worse - eg you
walk or think too much, then your throat starts to
get sore, your neck glands become tender, and 
you get "brain fogginess".

6) Sometimes M.E. comes on
suddenly  after a flu or a stressful event,
sometimes the symptoms come on slowly.

7)**  Contagious . There have been
documented cases of dozens of small epidemics of
M.E. in the past.  (#950105-75) The CFIDS
Association believes that "the agent(s) that trigger
CFIDS are transmissible" and "that persons with
CFIDS should refrain from donating blood, blood
products or organs"  M.E. appears difficult to
catch and may only be contagious during the first
six months.  F.M. does not appear to be
contagious. #950105-75; #93006-7; #93001.

     a)**  For some reason, the cause of these
     small epidemics has not been discovered. 
     The risk of becoming infected by
     association with an M.E. patient seems to
     be minimal.  As the immune system seems
     to be malfunctioning, and you are not able
     to fight off other illnesses, the M.E.
     patient's main concern should be to avoid
     catching "a bug" from a non-M.E. person. 
     Part of the contagious component is a
     "predisposition to catching M.E."  In other
     words, because of your genetics, you may
     be more prone to catch the illness.

8)** Hereditary.   There is evidence to
suggest that M.E. & F.M. could have a hereditary
factor.  There are cases of several members of the
same family (eg mother & daughter) acquiring
M.E. or F.M. 

     a)** Genetics.  (#940804-4) (#941005-51). 
     A study (95/03) of identical twins is being
     done in Seattle, looking into the hereditary
     component of M.E. & F.M.

9)**  Immune system.   Throughout the
disease with M.E., your immune system seems to
be malfunctioning.  Any illness you get seems to
take a lot longer to get over, or the flu that started
the M.E. seems to never quite go away.  Most
research seems to suggest that your immune
system is  actually over-active with this illness. 
Your body is fighting its own defences rather than
any invading viruses. #93023-14;  #92040.  

10)**  Persistent Viral Infection. 
#941107. Some psychiatrists have wrongly
concluded that M.E. is not an illness but a
psychological condition, as there are no signs of a
persistent viral infection.  (#922055, Video2@
4:38). However, Multiple Sclerosis  has no
evidence of a persistent viral infection, and "M.S.
in its early stages is almost identical to the later
stages of M.E. affecting nerves and muscles. 
M.S. is an illness caused by an auto-immune
disease".   (#92055 Video2@ 4:45) "There are
situations where hyper-sensitivity and
immunological processes produce a disease - in
fact one of the best examples of that is Rheumatic
Fever.  We still define Rheumatic Fever as a
clinical syndrome.  I don't know how many people
are aware of that, but it's a time-honoured disease
that is still defined as a set of signs and symptoms
rather than actually culturing a bacteria or defining
an abnormal laboratory finding.  Rheumatic Fever
is due to an immune response to a streptococcal
protein - strep bacteria causes a minimal invasion,
the immune system responds, and because the
immune system can't differentiate the strep from
your own tissue, that immune response then causes
damage to your own tissues - an auto-immune
disease if you will." 

11)**  Too many symptoms .  When
looking at all the symptoms that a patient has, it is
important not to look at what has occurred in
100% of the people over 100% of their illness. 
Symptoms come and go, you need to look at the
most common, less common, and possible
symptoms. {PO}{This is why doctors say it is so
hard to diagnose - there are so many symptoms, all
varying in severity.  When speaking to your
doctor, try to stick to your top 10 symptoms at any
particular time.}

     a)**  I have tried to show which symptoms
     are associated with M.E. or F.M., or both. 
     After each symptom, if both are mentioned
     the more "commonly seen in" will be listed
     first.  There is a lot of grey areas between
     M.E. & F.M. and no listing will fit all
     patients exactly.

12)Common Symptoms : (#92033-14)
95% of patients have 70% of these symptoms.

     a)**  Brain function (M.E.)  is slowed and
     impeded, especially after minor mental or
     physical activity.  Concentration and the
     ability of the brain to function (cognitive
     abilities) feels similar to a moderate
     hangover with no sleep the previous night. 
     It is very difficult to concentrate. 
     #94027-27

     b)**  Chronic Fatigue (M.E. & F.M.),   
     a symptom found in most debilitating
     illnesses such as cancer, Lupus, Lyme
     Disease, AIDS, etc.  This symptom, which
     consists of being very tired, is one
     of the most common symptoms for
     both M.E. & FM.

     c)**  Cold hands & feet (M.E. & F.M.),
     possibly due to reduced oxygen and blood
     flow.

     d)**  Colon problems (F.M. & M.E.) 
     (#940901- 9)

          (1)**constipation

          (2)**diarrhea

          (3)**intestinal cramping

          (4)**nausea

          (5)**intestinal gas

          (6)**Irritable Bowel Syndrome
          (IBS) is more common with F.M.
          patients.  This condition may be
          caused by either food allergies, a
          reduction of water content in the
          bowel, or reduced muscle tone in
          the colon (since F.M. affects the
          muscles).

     e)**  Exercise intolerance (M.E.) -  
     weakness lasting more than 24 hours after
     mild exercise.

     f)**  Fibromyalgia.   This is a common
     symptom for people with M.E.  About
     75% of M.E. patients have Fibromyalgia. 

     g)** Headaches (M.E. & F.M.)  that are
     more frequent and different than previous. 
     Medication seems to help a little.  Strong
     pressure behind the eyes or at the very
     back of the head, like your head is going to
     explode.

     h)** Low-grade fever or chills (M.E.),
     where you are either too hot or too cold,
     and you actually break out in a sweat. This
     symptom is common during sleep,
     producing "night sweats".  Sometimes the
     fever is shown when you use a
     thermometer.

     i)** Muscle and joint pain (F.M. & M.E.) 
      A general overall pain where your arms
     and your legs hurt or are difficult to move
     and become very painful after short periods
     of exercise.

     j)** Nasal Congestion (M.E.) , Rhinitis,
     or Sinusitis. 

     k)** Over/under sensitivity to drugs
     (M.E.). 

     l)** Short-term memory loss (M.E.)   You
     go upstairs 20 times per day, and then
     forget what you went up there for.  An
     example would be "I put my pants on this
     morning, I'm sure I forgot something.  In
     the afternoon I went to the bathroom and I
     realized what I had forgotten - my
     underwear."

     m)**Sleep disorders (M.E. & F.M.)   You
     might have difficulty sleeping, your sleep is
     light, you wake up several times during the
     evening, and you don't get restful sleeps. 
     It has been found that M.E. & F.M.
     sufferers do not get the deep sleep (#92002
     Video1@ 0:09) which is required to
     rejuvenate the body, even though they may
     be in bed for 8-12 hours.

          (1)** Insomnia

          (2)** Hypersomnia (sleeping too
          much)

          (3)** Non-restorative sleep, waking
          up just as tired, or more tired, than
          when you went to bed.

          (4)** Night sweats

          (5)** Waking up frequently
          throughout the night

     n)**  Sore throat (M.E.), similar to a
     medium case of strep throat. 

     o)**  Swollen (or tender) glands (M.E.) 
     in your neck, lymph nodes and underarm.

     p)**  Weight change (M.E. & F.M.)  -
     usually gain.

13)Less Common Symptoms:  80% of
patients have 30% of these symptoms:

     a)**  Allergies (M.E. & F.M.)  to foods
     that you were not allergic to before, or
     chemical allergies such as wool, soaps, or
     pollutants.  Since the body's immune
     system is not working properly, your
     ability to fight against normally tolerated
     substances is reduced.

          (1)** The allergies may become as
          severe as M.C.S. (Multiple
          Chemical Sensitivity).

     b)**  Anxiety attacks (M.E.)  that come on
     suddenly for no reason.

     c)**  Burning skin (F.M.)   Some people
     develop burning skin or burning of the
     soles of their feet.

     d)**  Bursts of energy (M.E.)  during part
     of the day followed by total exhaustion for
     a longer period of time.

     e)**  Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (F.M.)  
     This appears to be more common in F.M.
     people, and is caused by painful muscles in
     your wrists.  Usually a hand brace is
     prescribed to correct the problem.  Surgery
     rarely helps.

     f)**  Depression (M.E. & F.M.)  either a
     type of "wave depression" that comes on
     for no apparent reason, similar to the
     effects of hormonal changes in post-partum
     depression, or a reactive depression that
     comes from being "sick and tired of being
     sick and tired".

     g)**  Dryness of mouth, eyes, or skin 
     (M.E.) Studies have shown that the amount
     of saliva produced by an M.E. patient is
     reduced, in some cases substantially. 
     Various medications may also cause a
     reduction in the saliva production.  Saliva
     is necessary in the prevention of cavities. 
     If there is less saliva, your teeth may
     become softer and you have more dental
     problems.  I am aware of one M.E. patient
     who had this symptom and was able to
     receive better dental coverage through
     GAIN.  {PO}{There is also a reduction in
     overall body fluids, eg drier stools or
     vaginal fluids.  The dryness of eyes could
     cause problems for persons wearing contact
     lenses, where the contacts start to "stick to
     the eye"}.

     h)**  Eye problems (M.E. & F.M.)   
     Various problems that occur: #950202-5;
     #940805-25

          (1)**Reading - you have difficulty
          reading, similar to holding a book
          l-inch from your eyes and trying to
          read for « hour. 

          (2)**Blurring of vision

          (3)**Photophobia - some people
          have an increase in their symptoms
          after being exposed to bright lights
          or sunlight.  

          (4)**Intolerance of moving lights
          (strobe light effect)

          (5)**Aching, burning or redness of
          the eyes.

     i)**  Handwriting (M.E.)   Your
     handwriting seems to be created by another
     person, or you mix the words in a
     sentence, or the letters in a word, similar to
     dyslexia.

     j)**  Heart palpitations (M.E.). 

     k)** Muscle twitching (F.M. & M.E.) -
     random muscles seem to twitch for no
     apparent reason (#92002 Video1@ 0:28). 
     One form of this is sometimes referred to
     as "Restless Leg Syndrome".  These
     twitches usually occur during sleep.

     l)**  Numbness or tingling in extremities
     (F.M. & M.E.)   

     m)** PMS  (M.E. & F.M.)  seems to
     show up or get worse for female patients
     (#91022 Video1@ 3:34)  Endometriosis
     may occur more often.

     n)**  Rashes (M.E. & F.M.)  with
     possible severe itching.

     o)** Seizures.  #91049-7

     p)**  Shocks (M.E.)  where you suddenly
     jump or twitch, or an actual panic attack as
     you jump away or are startled away from
     something.

     q)**  Speech problems (M.E.)  where you
     use the wrong word, or mix up words in a
     sentence, or letters of a word, similar to
     mild dyslexia.

     r)**  Swollen or tender lymph nodes
     (M.E.) 

     s)**  Swollen and tender spleen (M.E.) 

     t)**  Yeast infection  (M.E.)  (#92002
     Video1@ 0:40).  Due to the large amounts
     of antibiotics given by doctors to combat
     the virus that they think you may have, the
     intestinal flora in the colon - needed for
     proper digestion, allergies and stress - is
     greatly reduced, creating an ideal
     environment for a yeast infection.  

14)Possible Symptoms:  60% of patients
have 20% of these symptoms:

     a)**  Balance and co-ordination (M.E. &
     F.M.)   Some people have problems with
     their balance and co-ordination. This may
     be one reason why so many people have
     trouble walking, since it takes so much
     energy to stay balanced while walking. 
     Movement around obstacles is difficult,  
     eg. people misjudge when to turn around a
     corner, turn too soon and hit their shoulder
     on the door jam or corner wall.

     b)** Bruising (M.E. & F.M.).  Bruises
     may appear for no apparent reason.

     c)** Chest Pains (M.E. & F.M.)  - this
     feels similar to a heart attack.  These
     patients are rushed to emergency,
     connected to an EEG machine and found to
     have nothing wrong with their heart. These
     symptoms normally occur during rest, and
     are longer in episode duration than a heart
     attack. 

     d)** Dizziness (M.E. & F.M.) 

     e)** External Influences (F.M. & M.E.) 
     Weather - changes in air pressure,
     temperature or humidity worsen the
     symptoms.

     f)**^ Fingerprint loss (M.E.)  #941005-49 
     Some people find that their fingerprints
     start to become less distinctive and loose
     their ridges.  This symptom first appears
     on the small finger, and happens to
     children more frequently.  A study done on
     fingerprint loss showed that M.E. patients
     between the ages of 30-39 had twice the
     possibility of loosing their fingerprints over
     the control group, and almost twice that
     number to 40% from age 40-49. 

     g)** Hair loss (M.E. & F.M.) 

     h)** Hypoglycemia (M.E.)  (not enough
     sugar in the blood).  

     i)** Irritable Bladder (F.M. & M.E.) 
     uncomfortable and/or frequent urination.

     j)** Microvalve prolapse. 

     k)**^ Migraine headaches (M.E. & F.M.) 
     Phone 1-800-682-6889 

     l)** Mouth/Cold Sores (M.E.)  -  may
     look like white spots of skin in your mouth. 
     This is also a form of yeast infection called
     Candida.

     m)** Muscle Spasms (F.M.)  - stronger,
     longer lasting and more painful than muscle
     twitching.

     n)** Neurological Problems (M.E.)  
     These symptoms sometimes come on so
     severe that some patients have had to rely
     on wheelchairs or canes for mobility.

     o)** Nightmares (M.E.), dreams frequent
     and unusual, some possibly due to
     medication.

     p)** Ringing in the ears (F.M. & M.E.)  

     q)** Shingles (M.E.) 

     r)** Shortness of breath (M.E. & F.M.)  
     Patients tend to routinely breathe slowly for
     20 breathes, then gulp air in.  (#92055
     Video2 @6:22).  

     s)** TMJ - Temporal Mandibular Joint
     Dysfunction (F.M.)   Pain and restriction
     of movement in the jaw that causes
     problems with chewing, talking, sleeping,
     and headaches.  Your dentist can create an
     oral appliance or bite splint to help reduce
     the problem. #950101-5; also #93044.