Nielk
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http://www.oprah.com/health/do-you-have-an-autoimmune-disease-mystery-illness
The illness that's ready for a makeover.
What you feel: After any type of physical or mental exertion (like taking a brisk walk or giving a presentation), you feel utterly spent for a full day; you often wake up tired even after a good night's rest; your memory is spotty; your muscles are achy.
What you did: You had your thyroid checked, and it's normal. You talked to a therapist, but you don't feel depressed.
What it might be: **Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis), a complex illness that affects between 1 million and 4 million Americans (more than 80 percent of them women). It's such an enigma that the Institute of Medicine is currently evaluating the diagnostic criteria to come up with an official definition—and possibly change the name to something more legit-sounding than "chronic fatigue syndrome." Because roughly half of the patients with CFS/ME developed it after getting struck by something like mono or Epstein-Barr, experts once suspected it was another type of virus, explains Nancy Klimas, MD, chair of Clinical Immunology at Nova Southeastern University. But they've recently noticed an autoimmune component, as well, says Klimas.
What to do:Find a specialist who will take your symptoms seriously. There's no cure, and full recovery is rare, but research shows that the majority of patients who seek help do feel better over time.
**The explanation for your discomfort could be any number of things, but this is one to bring up with your doctor, who is, of course, the person you should be talking to.