Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

People with ME/CFS experience severe pain and fatigue associated with post-exertional malaise (PEM). This is when the body is not able to recover after using even small amounts of energy. This fatigue feels very different from ordinary tiredness. It might take a day or 2 to kick in after physical, mental, or emotional exertion.

ME/CFS affects more women than men, can affect children and adults of all ages and from all social and ethnic groups. It doesn’t go away with sleep or rest and affects everyday life. It can sometimes be diagnosed as post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS).


ME/CFS affects more women than men, can affect children and adults of all ages and from all social and ethnic groups. It doesn’t go away with sleep or rest and affects everyday life. It can sometimes be diagnosed as post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS).

Symptoms

The symptoms of the condition vary from person to person. There may be times when your symptoms improve and you’ll be able to do some normal everyday activities. At other times, symptoms may get worse, affecting your daily life.

If you experience new symptoms, talk to your GP or specialist as the new symptoms may be unrelated to ME/CFS. Women often find that symptoms worsen at different times in their menstrual cycle. Not everyone will experience all of the symptoms.

Post-exertional malaise

People with ME/CFS experience severe pain, fatigue and a range of other symptoms associated with PEM. This is the body and brain’s inability to recover after using even small amounts of energy.

Simple physical or mental activities, or combinations of activities, can leave people with ME/CFS feeling completely exhausted. It can also lead to an increase in other symptoms.

Other symptoms of ME/CFS include:

feeling generally unwell pain broken sleep problems with concentration, thinking and memory (‘brain fog’) speech and language problems, including word-finding difficulties poor temperature control dizziness being very sensitive to light and sound nausea loss of appetite muscle pain (myalgia)

For more information on the symptoms of ME/CFS visit the Action for M.E. website.

Frustration, anxiety, low mood and depression are sometimes experienced by people with ME/CFS because of the impact of the condition and its symptoms on their lives. This does not mean that ME/CFS is a mental health condition.