How does CFS relate to other similar illnesses such as fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities, Gulf War syndrome, neurally mediated hypotension, Lyme disease, candida, etc.)?
There are several conditions whose symptoms and patterns are so similar that many believe there must be a common mechanism involved. Some research has suggested that dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be implicated in several or all of these conditions. This axis controls stress response and many other bodily functions. If HPA dysfunction is truly involved in many of these conditions, it would be little surprise since the neuroendocrine mechanisms of the HPA axis are both complex and delicate, and thus minor variations in such a dysfunction might well produce the variants we are seeing in these similar illnesses. The similarities and differences between CFS and other conditions are discussed in the article by Calabrese et al. — see Appendix 2. There are many network resources available that provide discussion and information about these related conditions. See the CFS Network Help file, described under question 5.04.
Related Questions
- How does CFS relate to other similar illnesses such as fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities, Gulf War syndrome, neurally mediated hypotension, Lyme disease, candida, etc.)?
- Is CFS similar to Epstein-Barr, fibromyalgia or other autoimmune diseases?
- Can a veteran be compensated for illnesses related to Gulf War service?
