I can certainly relate to what you're saying. I had all of the tests and one doctor in particular was certain my fatigue was caused by depression. (Several months of attending a psychologist eventually disproved that.) One or two others simply thought I was a hypochondriac. I have to sleep 10 hrs a night but I don't have the joint pain either.

The diagnosis of CFS is basically a process of elimination. It sounds like you're well along that road. The biggest problem is that some doctors don't believe it's a real condition. (The second biggest problem is that many doctors still believe you have to 'push through' the fatigue to get better when if it really is CFS, that only makes it worse.)

Have you spoken to your doctor about the possibility? It can be that they simply don't think of it, many having never seen another patient with it.

Good luck.

Hi, dear. First of all, let me say I am so sorry you have gone to doctors and everyone just attributes it to depression. I can't tell you how many of us have had that experience. Like Cmiat said, it's a process of elimination, but there are some doctors who will never arrive at a CFS diagnosis because they are so unfamiliar with the illness. You need to find a doctor who is CFS literate, who knows something about fatigue-based illnesses. I got my diagnosis at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. I don't know if it is possible for you to go out there, but they are doing research out there. I send you all my best. Many blessings on you.

I bounced around through various specialists for years with no diagnosis of anything. They told me to go all-out in exercise and hard work, which proved disastrous.

Finally I conned a board-certified neurologist into checking me out by giving him a phony referral. He diagnosed me with CFS after various tests, including an MRI. Then he passed me off to an internal medicine doctor for "maintenance". He blew through a lot more cash with more tests and concurred with the first diagnosis.

I was out of money then, so he dumped me. The doctors I've seen since then have all been skeptical. They told me that a CFS diagnosis is just a catch-all category for undiagnosed diseases. I guess they have a problem where they avoid reading anything to do with the practice of Medicine...and just coast on what they remember from med school. Maybe it's easier that way.

Cmiat: I really appreciate hearing from someone who has a similar problem - all of the symptoms minus the joint pain. I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear that I'm not alone in that.

Triunfadora: Thank you so much. It's a tremendous relief just knowing that other people have had the experience of being told CFS is "just depression." I'm going to do what I can to find a specialist, and your words of encouragement mean the world to me.

RichieD: I understand your frustration. I'll continue to hope that we can both find capable doctors who will be able to provide us with the care we need.

Hi Kathryn, Most people don't have all the symptoms listed. Just like when they list the possible side effects of a medication, people won't have all those side effects. It's all just possibles. I had a sore throat for 3 yrs, then not for 25 yrs. One thing about CFS, it often (always) changes. Symptoms roll in for a while, then disappear, then something else appears.
I was diagnosed by a neurologist after many years of doctor's either not believing me or chalking it up to depression, and normal tests. I now see a concierge doctor. That is a doctor that does not accept insurance, you pay a monthly fee each month. She meets w me every 6 weeks for 45 min, Lots more attention than a regular doctor, and she pays minute attention to every detail. She has been the most help of any doctor by far.
Good luck on tihs journey.

No advice unfortunately. Just saying my story is same as yours. Doctors labeling me with depression and treating me like an hypochondriac. I wish I knew how to find a Dr in my area that wouldn't just pass me over. Just sending you hugs and courage

Linda: That's a great analogy. (Comparing the side effects of medication to the symptoms of CFS.) I wish you well, and it sounds like I should look into a concierge doctor.

Maggie: Thank you. Hugs and courage to you too.

I had the opposite experience. I was dx and given a second opinion dx within 3 months. My Primary care physician was great she said is sounded like Fibro and possibly CFS. She sent me to a Rheumy and he said yep. I was a classic case. During that time I had every test under the sun from simple blood tests to Mri and a Sleep Study. None of my Drs. have never treated me like I'm crazy or that it was all in my head. I know I'm blessed to find a good medical support teams. My Rhumey and PCP have been exceptional. They listen to my symptoms and send me on to specialists to deal with it if needed. I live in So. California I wonder if that makes the difference?

Gkneez: Thanks for the reminder that it's SO important to find the right doctor. I know there are good ones out there, and I'm optimistic that I can find one who understands what I'm going through and helps me find the right treatment. (Just like your doctors have done for you.)

My doctor dxed me about 3 months after I was dxed w/ RA. She has lupus herself... and I think she just recognized it after all the blood work. She sent me to a rheumatologist to get the RA diag, but she dxed the CFS.

gknees: I think the region of the country DOES make a big difference in the quality of the medical care. Here in Southwest Florida, we keep hearing stories on the news of doctors being indicted for drug trafficking, Medicare fraud, even for raping patients in their treatment rooms.

It's appalling what goes on here, I was seeing a dermatologist for my skin cancer and then I heard he lost his medical license for starting a hepatitis B outbreak by using filthy surgical instruments. He didn't even bother to rinse his scalpel off before using it on the next patient.

I got a really bad infection from him, but thankfully not hepatitis B.

Sunvalleygal: Thanks. Was there any blood work you had done that's out of the norm? I've had a bunch of tests, but they were all pretty standard, and I wonder if there' one I haven't tried yet that could confirm my diagnosis of CFS.

hi kathryn
i was dx with the epstein barr virus 20 years ago. then 10 years into that i got CFS. same symptoms as you but also hypo thyroid & chronic muscle & joint pain. i sleep 14-16 hours in the cold winter. its not a fun way too live but at least you found people who can support or help you.
lori

I think a lot of doctors are predisposed to thinking that fatigue and excessive sleeping are byproducts of mental illness. My own doctor pointed at my bipolar disorder for months and kept referring me to talk the problem over with my psychiatrist. It took me a good three months to get it through her head that I wasn't having a depressive episode.

Once I convinced her that I'm mentally stable, she glommed onto the fact that I'm taking a ton of different meds and said it was likely an interaction that was causing my excessive sleeping and fatigue. So we went the rounds, taking me off of medications, changing things around, tweaking doses, and none of that helped.

Finally, after many months and tests for everything under the sun, she diagnosed me with CFS just this last week. She put in a referral to a local sleep clinic to rule out sleep apnea, but she doesn't expect me to have that.

As for getting your doctor on board, I would print out the list of CFS symptoms from a reputable site like the Mayo Clinic, and put a check mark by each symptom you have. Take that with you to show your doctor. That was how I originally got my doctor to do a screening for fibromyalgia, which has a lot of symptoms in common with CFS.

Good luck!