Chapter Two, Course WB1032
Comorbid Conditions
CFS patients may also present with other medically unexplained conditions, such as fibromyalgia, Gulf War illness, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, orthostatic intolerance, temporomandibular joint disorder and multiple chemical sensitivity. Some authors have proposed that these illnesses are part of the same continuum as CFS (Wessely and White, 2004). Appropriate therapy and rehabilitation of people with CFS and these unexplained conditions should address the cumulative symptom complex and not center on a specific diagnosis.
Patients with CFS may also have other diseases, including hypothyroidism, diabetes, asthma, allergies, heart disease and Lyme disease. These comorbid conditions must be considered when the health care professional is developing a therapeutic plan, since effective treatment must address both CFS and the accompanying illness. Health care professionals responsible for treatment of patients with CFS should also keep in mind that changes in symptoms may represent exacerbation of the comorbid condition rather than CFS.
It is critical that health care professionals are aware that people with CFS can develop other serious illnesses for which there is specific treatment. The symptoms of CFS wax and wane in occurrence and severity; however, changes in symptoms or impairment should not be automatically attributed to the CFS diagnosis.
Content Source: National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED)