The US uses the label CFS, the UK and other places uses the label ME - for the same thing. In the drive for a name change it has been proposed to call it CFS/ME, among other things.

I would call it, "The most underappreciated illness in the medical community."

"I would call it, "The most underappreciated illness in the medical community."
So true!

It does depend on what site you're on, for example "foggy friends" there are a few people on there who get VERY legalistic about the differences etc, to the point where most topics about it get locked! Some people can get very high and mighty - normally the ones who got ill before CFS was used as a term in the UK. which annoyis the hell out of me!

I like to think they're the same to be honest, otherwise it kinda turns into "mine's worse than yours!" which doesn't help anyone. Unfortunately though CFS is often used as another term for the fatigue that comes with other things, like depression, which obviously doesn't help our case!! In general here in the UK most health professionals will call it CFS, though the neurologist who diagnosed me, called it ME to begin with. More often than not it's given the umbrella term CFS/ME.

I've read and heard that the "immune dysfunction" is being dropped because it's NOT an autoimmune disease. If it were our ANA's and set rates would be higher. What we have is a neurological/brain defect.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an artificial construct created in the US in 1988 for the benefit of various political and financial interest groups. It is a mere diagnosis of exclusion (or wastebasket diagnosis) based on the presence of gradual or acute onset fatigue lasting 6 months. If tests show serious abnormalities, a person no longer qualifies for the diagnosis, as CFS is medically unexplained. A diagnosis of CFS does not mean that a person has any distinct disease (including M.E.). The patient population diagnosed with CFS is made up of people with a vast array of unrelated illnesses, or with no detectable illness. According to the latest CDC estimates, 2.54% of the population qualify for a CFS (mis)diagnosis. Every diagnosis of CFS can only ever be a misdiagnosis.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is a debilitating neurological disease which has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 1969 as a distinct organic neurological disorder with the code G.93.3. It can occur in both epidemic and sporadic forms, over 60 outbreaks of M.E. have been recorded worldwide since 1934. M.E. is a systemic neurological disease initiated by a viral infection. M.E. is characterised by (scientifically measurable) damage to the brain, and particularly to the brain stem which results in dysfunctions and damage to almost all vital bodily systems and a loss of normal internal homeostasis. Substantial evidence suggests that M.E. is caused by an enterovirus. The onset of M.E. is always acute and M.E. can be diagnosed within just a few weeks. M.E. is an easily recognisable distinct organic neurological disease which can be verified by objective testing. If all tests are normal, then a diagnosis of M.E. is incorrect.

The distinct neurological disease known since 1956 as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis has a similar strike rate to multiple sclerosis. M.E. can be extremely disabling, or sometimes fatal. M.E. is a chronic/lifelong disease that has existed for centuries. It shares significant similarities with multiple sclerosis (MS), Lupus and polio. There are more than 60 different neurological, cognitive, cardiac, metabolic, immunological, and other M.E. symptoms. Fatigue is not a defining or even essential symptom of M.E. People with M.E. would give anything to be only severely fatigued instead of having M.E.

If a patient or a family member has tried to search the internet for an understanding of either Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), they will have been overwhelmed by the multitude of technical descriptions and the numerous overlapping medical conditions. Both M.E. and CFS represent a complex, multi-system group of afflictions, adversely affecting the brain, heart, neuro-endocrine, immune and circulatory systems in our bodies and are two separate illnesses. At times, this has led to M.E. and CFS symptoms being confused with the symptoms for neurasthenia, multiple chemical sensitivities, fibromyalgia syndrome and chronic mononucleosis.

i found this too but i dont think cfs is an illness at all i think it was made to mask an alredy existing disease

My humble opinion is that both terms are used to describe the same illness. While there are huge arguements about this, ie whether it is the same illness, or that one term is better than the other, it is my feeling that both are very inaccurate. If anyone wants to argue with me, please feel free, but I will not argue back. I couldn't care less about the name: I want a cause and a cure. The only thing I would argue, is that we should argue about more important things - like maintaining our dignity, or income, our lives.

Amen, sleepyDenise!!

Thanks ToriB I've wondered the same thing. Now I know :-)