Is CFS similar to Epstein-Barr, fibromyalgia or other autoimmune diseases?
Many CFS symptoms resemble those of infections, fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases. But these other diseases in their entirety aren’t like CFS. For instance, fatigue, sore throat and painful lymph nodes also occur in mononucleosis, which can be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). But mononucleosis or EBV infections don’t usually cause the other symptoms that can come with CFS. The muscle and joint pain and fatigue can be similar to fibromyalgia and some autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. With fibromyalgia, the joint and muscle pain are the most prominent. In CFS, fatigue is the most severe symptom. 10. What treatments or drugs are available? Since CFS has no known cause, doctors treat the symptoms rather than the illness. For instance, tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitryptilline (Elavil) can help the mood and sleep problems and joint and muscle pain.
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.)?
- What is the link between XMRV and CFS/ME, fibromyalgia and other neuro-immune diseases?
- Does fibromyalgia cause autoimmune diseases or thyroid conditions?
