Pain Medications Used to Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Because of the name, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the other symptoms besides fatigue that make up this illness are often downplayed by the medical community. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a distressing disease that affects the entire body and widespread pain is a common symptom experienced by these patients.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disease that has baffled physicians for years and to be honest, I can understand why. As a CFS patient for almost 20 years, I live with the illness daily and can see why physicians find it difficult to diagnose and treat. The symptoms are complex and unlike many other illnesses in that there is no set pattern. The fatigue is not relieved by sleep and the cognitive dysfunctions and short-term memory loss are hard to explain.

The pain is such that normally prescribed pain medications are not effective and physicians can't physically or diagnostically find a reason for the pain. The type of pain and pain levels can also vary from day to day making the pain hard to control. This can be frustrating for both the doctor and the patient. One day a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient may experience a burning, stabbing pain throughout their body. The next day the patient may experience deep bone pain that is excruciating. Then another day the pain may be a dull ache, like a toothache, throughout the body. Some patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome experience a lot of muscle cramps.

Headaches of a new pattern or headaches that become more severe are common with CFS. I have headaches 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I have to take pain medication every four hours to keep the pain at a controllable level in order for me to function. The lymph node tenderness is another symptom that can cause great pain. When I experience lymph node pain under my armpits, the pain is so bad I can't put my arms down. I have to keep them out away from touching my body it hurts so much.