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Query: UMLS:C0015674 (chronic fatigue syndrome)
 2,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Lewis used the diagnosis 'effort syndrome' for subjects whose ability to make and sustain effort had been reduced by homeostatic failure. A major element was depletion of the body's capacity for buffering the acids produced by exercise. In his view this systems disorder was not to be regarded as a specific organ disease, and losing sight of the metabolic element would foster the invention of fanciful, unphysiological diagnoses. His views were dismissed because normal resting plasma bicarbonate levels were considered by others in that era to exclude serious depletion of the body's total capacity for buffering the effects of exertion. Today, effort syndrome is still a useful diagnosis for a condition of exhaustion and failure of performance associated with depletion of the body's buffering systems. Other elements associated with homeostatic failure are now recognised, principally emotional hyperarousal and hyperventilation. Their physiological interrelationships are described. Effort syndrome is amenable to recovery through rehabilitation, and it may be a mistake to treat chronic fatigue syndrome and unspecific illness without including it in the differential diagnosis.
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PMID:The grey area of effort syndrome and hyperventilation: from Thomas Lewis to today. 828 56

A 47-yr-old male was admitted to the Institute for Fatigue and Sleep Medicine complaining of severe fatigue and daytime sleepiness. His medical history included diagnosis of depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. Antidepressant drugs failed to improve his condition. He described a gradual evolvement of an irregular sleep-wake pattern within the past 20 yrs, causing marked distress and severe impairment of daily functioning. He had to change to a part-time position 7 yrs ago, because he was unable to maintain a regular full-time job schedule. A 10-day actigraphic record revealed an irregular sleep-wake pattern with extensive day-to-day variability in sleep onset time and sleep duration, and a 36 h sampling of both melatonin level and oral temperature (12 samples, once every 3 h) showed abnormal patterns, with the melatonin peak around noon and oral temperature peak around dawn. Thus, the patient was diagnosed as suffering from irregular sleep-wake pattern. Treatment with melatonin (5 mg, 2 h before bedtime) did not improve his condition. A further investigation of the patient's daily habits and environmental conditions revealed two important facts. First, his occupation required work under a daylight intensity lamp (professional diamond-grading equipment of more than 8000 lux), and second, since the patient tended to work late, the exposure to bright light occurred mostly at night. To recover his circadian rhythmicity and stabilize his sleep-wake pattern, we recommended combined treatment consisting of evening melatonin ingestion combined with morning (09:00 h) bright light therapy (0800 lux for 1 h) plus the avoidance of bright light in the evening. Another 10-day actigraphic study done only 1 wk after initiating the combined treatment protocol revealed stabilization of the sleep-wake pattern with advancement of sleep phase. In addition, the patient reported profound improvement in maintaining wakefulness during the day. This case study shows that chronic exposure to bright light at the wrong biological time, during the nighttime, may have serious effects on the circadian sleep-wake patterns and circadian time structure. Therefore, night bright light exposure must be considered to be a risk factor of previously unrecognized occupational diseases of altered circadian time structure manifested as irregularity of the 24 h sleep-wake cycle and melancholy.
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PMID:Working under daylight intensity lamp: an occupational risk for developing circadian rhythm sleep disorder? 1607 58

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder that causes general fatigue and chronic widespread pain. A 28-year-old male visited an outpatient department due to general fatigue and pain involving the entire body. He did not suffer from fibromyalgia, but he was diagnosed with CFS. At the initial visit, he complained of lack of concentration, memory decline, frequent urination, insomnia and occasional difficulty of emotional control, as well as general fatigue and pain involving the entire body. Four tablets of Neurotropin per day alone were administered. General fatigue and pain were gradually alleviated one week later. His sleep condition, concentration power, and memory also improved two weeks later. Medication was discontinued from 11 weeks based on the patient's judgment as he felt little general fatigue and pain involving the entire body. Treatment was completed 3 months later. The symptoms disappeared and did not recur five months after the discontinuation of Neurotropin. He was looking for a job without fatigue and pain 8 months later (5 months after the cessation of treatment). The functional mechanisms of Neurotropin in CFS are unknown.
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PMID:Efficacy of neurotropin in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case report. 1659 51