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Re:Analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome study casts doubt on... by philipkglass on Thursday September 22, 2016 @01:47AM (#12554682)
I shouldn't have put "it's all in your head" in quotation marks, because I wasn't there in person and I too doubt that a doctor uttered those literal words. There was however an attitude of skepticism/annoyance conveyed through a combination of words and actions.

One example: sibling had become dangerously underweight due to difficulty eating/swallowing. There was eventually a barium swallow test. One of the nurses excitedly told sibling after the test revealed clear abnormalities something like "wow, I am sorry, there is something clearly wrong here." The previous attitude having revealed (even if not in so many words) that she believed sibling to be a faker wasting time.

I don't know if CFS was even the right label for the cluster of symptoms. Even in infancy there were many more problems with getting sick than the other kids in the household experienced. Infections and a cluster of other symptoms that ended up labeled CFS grew really severe in adolescence through mid 20s, then seemed to (mostly) go away as mysteriously as it had come. It was nearly a decade of misery that never had any clear diagnosis.

I've also seen a friend with lingering complications from third degree burns suffered 10+ years ago be treated pretty shabbily as she tries to keep her pain under control. Modern medicine in the US seems pretty darn good at treating acute problems with obvious causes and fixes. It seems to be pretty crappy at treating chronic issues, especially ones that don't have good diagnostic markers. If I ever end up in the hospital again I hope it's for a nice obvious problem like a broken leg.

Re:Analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome study casts doubt on... by rendaw on Thursday September 22, 2016 @02:07AM (#12554774)
I have an unidentified repetitive stress injury (RSI) and doctors have universally tried some treatment, failed, then told me I'm simply working too much. This happened after I stopped all my hobbies and took a 30h/week job (flex time, with frequent breaks). The identifier RSI lends itself to this diagnosis.

When the symptoms show signs of improving, the doctors immediately conclude "Well, you're getting better now, so just continue as you are now and we'll consider this resolved." An acquaintance suggested I overwork myself before going to the hospital so I don't risk being dismissed by a temporary improvement in my symptoms.

I've had several sprains and a broken wrist that were resolved quickly and without complications.

This article and your comments resonated with me.

Re:Analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome study casts doubt on... by muraiki on Thursday September 22, 2016 @06:51AM (#12555901)
I have a friend who has struggled with increasingly severe "RSI", for lack of a better diagnosis. He even had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands. In the end he went to Mayo Clinic and they diagnosed him as having fibromyalgia. This was pretty recent so he hasn't had much time to experience the effects of the recommended treatment program, but it may be something for you to look into.
Re:Analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome study casts doubt on... by dredmorbius on Wednesday September 28, 2016 @06:51AM (#12596703)
NB, but AFAIU fibromyalgia is a condition that's not ruled in, but is made by exclusion -- symptoms not otherwise explained. Mayo's site gives "widespread pain for more than three months -- with no underlying medical condition that could cause pain".

Several of the general / vague symptom conditions are similarly diagnosed.