CFS Revealed - 3 Periods in the History of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Report 2 of 3

(As you begin this report, please note one thing.backs and necks, weakness, pain, insomnia,
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is not a healthimpaired memory, mood swings, and hair loss),
problem located solely within the boundaries ofpatients also suffered with total exhaustion, pain,
the United States. Different forms of the illnesssleep disturbances, cognitive disorder, and
abound all over the world. Often it is called byextensive nervous system abnormalities.
other names, such as ME or MyalgicWhen members of the United States press
Encephalomyelitis, a term coined in Europe.industry began covering the epidemic in the news
Currently in the US, there is a grass roots effortand the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
to change the name of CFS to possibly ME-CFS,checked out what was going on in Nevada, the
short for Myalgic Encephalopathy-Chronic Fatigueterm Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was coined and a
Syndrome.)new era began. Also, because many people
Period #2: In the twentieth century, there weresuffered with a severely dysregulated immune
several outbreaks of something similar to Chronicsystem, the term CFIDS also became popular.
Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) throughout Europe,The term meant Chronic Fatigue Immune
Canada, Iceland, and Japan. (There it's calledDysfunction Syndrome.
autonomic imbalance.)The brave professionals from the 1980s who first
The severe Icelandic outbreak in 1948 and 1949researched the illness and worked diligently to
came on the heels of a Polio epidemic. It wascure people in that outbreak received little
called "Iceland Disease." Sometimes suchrecognition from the medical community. Only the
outbreaks appeared to be restricted to onlypatients and other people scared of "catching it"
health care workers, but not that one. Theappreciated the doctors. These medical
disease spread to the general populace in threeentrepreneurs were joined by Dr. Anthony
rural towns, finally numbering up to 1,000 people.Komaroff of Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Charles
Investigators did wonder if they had a form ofLapp of Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Jacob
polio, however, the illness pattern did not matchTeitelbaum of Annapolis, Maryland, and of course,
the symptoms. In every case, the Icelandersthe long time researcher, Dr. David Bell of
suffered with muscle pain and tenderness,Lyndonville, New York. (There were others
numbness, and twitching. No one developedworking on CFS, but to mention each of them
paralysis.falls outside of the scope of this report.)
CFS began its current day notoriety and evolutionDoctors and researchers suspected the Herpes
into being a "real" illness during a sudden outbreakvirus family as being likely causal triggers: epstein
that occurred at Incline Village, Nevada in 1984. Atbarr, cytomegalovirus, coxsackie and human
first two local physicians, Dr. Daniel Peterson andherpes virus 6. Today we know that these
Dr. Paul Cheney (now of Asheville, North Carolina),illnesses show up routinely in people with CFS, but
did not know what they were dealing with. Theythey are not considered to cause it.
saw patients who exhibited symptoms of aFor the purposes of learning about all three stages
severe and debilitating flu. By mid-1985, theof Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that document its
number of sick people totaled over 100. Alongplace in history, look up all three reports. The
with the illness characteristics previouslymore you know, the better equipped you are to
mentioned in Part 1 of this report (headache, easydeal with it. The other reports are titled, Report 1
fatigability especially after exertion, loss ofand Report 3.
appetite, intestinal problems, sweating, chills, stiff