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2.1: What can a person with "fatigue" or "tiredness" be describing?In most instances the symptoms of CFS can be distinguished from the closely related phenomena of somnolence, muscle weakness, neuromuscular fatigability, depressed mood or anhedonia |
| Person describes: | Interpretation |
| Reduced muscle power at rest Difficulty walking or lifting weights | Muscle weakness (e.g., myopathy; polymyositis) |
| Loss of muscle power over time with activity | Neuromuscular fatigability (e.g., myasthenia gravis) |
| Physical and mental fatigue at rest | Central fatigue (e.g., multiple sclerosis) |
| Lack of motivation to commence tasks Lack of pleasure from tasks undertaken | Anhedonia (e.g., major depression) |
| Daytime sleepiness Short sleep latency | Somnolence (e.g., sleep apnoea, narcolepsy) |
| Breathlessness at rest or on exercise | Dyspnoea Weakness (e.g., airflow limitation; cardiac failure; anaemia) |
| Muscle pain, joint pain Fever, malaise | Inflammation (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus) Infection (e.g., influenza) |
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| Chronic fatigue syndrome: | Title page | Contents | Send feedback | |