The Difference of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome From Fibromyalgia

There are doctors who treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS and Fibromyalgia or FMS separately. Meanwhile, there are other medical practitioners who actually think that these two conditions are one and the same - or at least they are variations of a similar condition.

Based on the research made by the Arthritis Foundation, there are about 50 to 70% of people with one diagnosis which fits the criteria for the other condition.

Actually there are glaring similarities between chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Here are several symptoms that are common in both:

- Fatigue

- Pain

- Sleep Disorders

- Irritable bowel syndrome

- Memory or cognitive impairment

- Chronic headaches

- Association with Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome or TMJ

- Coordination impairment

- Dizziness

However, even with these common symptoms, there is one key difference between these two conditions. When it comes to diagnosing between this two, it must be noted which is worst, the pain or the fatigue? Diagnosis can also be influenced depending to your doctor's familiarity with the American College of Rheumatology's criteria for FMS or the CDC's guidelines for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Experts have found other significant differences:

1. Chronic fatigue syndrome has a tendency to begin after a patient suffers from flu-like signs or symptoms and may also be linked to a certain virus.

2. CFS patients usually have higher level of RNase L., a cellular antiviral enzyme from FMS patients, which are usually normal.

3. The CFS has diagnostic criteria of sore throat and low - grade fever while FMS criteria do not have this on the list.

4. The beginning of FMS is usually traced back to an emotional or physical trauma of the patient while in CFS, there are no explainable reasons for its onset.

5. Heat and massage usually eases out the pain brought about by fibromyalgia while the pain brought on by chronic fatigue syndrome does not.

6. FMS patients have some tender points in their body. And they appear to have abnormal levels of substance P, a certain cellular chemical which sends out pain signals. On the other hand, CFS patients appear to have normal levels of this substance.

Now, if this is the case, the question that needs to be answered is this: does it really matter that fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome be differentiated from one another or not? Some say it does not matter while some say it does matter.

What's the true score?

Well, nowadays, the FDA has approved fibromyalgia drugs Lyrica (pregabalin) and Cymbalta (duloxetine). They are also considering milnacipran, a New Drug Application, for fibromyalgia treatment. For chronic fatigue syndrome treatment, they are looking into Ampligen (poly I: poly C12U). These drugs have certain indications which are good only for those suffering the particular condition they are supposed to treat. It could really be dangerous for a CFS patient to be given drugs supposedly for FMS patients due to the inability of distinguishing what particular condition he really has - FMS or CFS.

Thus, it does matter that these 2 quite similar medical conditions be distinguished as 2 different conditions and not one and the same.