Why 'CFS' is a wastebasket diagnosis

This video explains why every diagnosis of 'CFS' based on any of the CFS definitions is ALWAYS a misdiagnosis and why the bogus disease category of 'CFS' must be abandoned.

For the benefit of all of the patient groups involved, doctors must return to the age-old medical principals of correct diagnosis (a) careful history, (b) detailed physical examination and (c) appropriate investigation. As Dr Byron Hyde MD explains:

'Although the authors of these definitions have repeatedly stated that they are defining a syndrome and not a specific disease, patient, physician, and insurer alike have tended to treat this syndrome as a specific disease or illness, with at times a potentially specific treatment and a specific outcome. This has resulted in much confusion. Thirty years ago when a patient presented to a hospital clinic with unexplained fatigue, any medical school physician would have told the students to search for an occult malignancy, cardiac or other organ disease, or chronic infection. The concept that there is an entity called chronic fatigue syndrome has totally altered that essential medical guideline. Patients are now being diagnosed with CFS as though it were a disease. It is not. It is a patchwork of symptoms that could mean anything.' It is important to be aware that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and 'CFS' are not synonymous terms and should not be used interchangeably, and that 'fatigue' is not a defining feature of M.E. nor even an essential symptom of M.E.

CFS was created in the 1980s in the US in response to an outbreak of what was unmistakably M.E., but this new name and definition did not describe the known signs, symptoms, history and pathology of M.E. It described a disease process that did not, and could not exist. The fact that a person qualifies for a diagnosis of 'CFS' (a) does not mean that the patient has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), and (b) does not mean that the patient has any other distinct and specific illness named 'CFS.' Every diagnosis of CFS -- based on any of the CFS definitions -- can only ever be a misdiagnosis.

The bogus disease category of 'CFS' has undoubtedly been used to impose a false psychiatric paradigm of M.E. by allying it with various psychiatric fatigue states and various unrelated fatigue syndromes for the benefit of insurance companies and various other organisations and corporations which have a vested financial interest in how these patients are treated, including the government.

The distinction must be made between terminology and definitions.

For more information on all aspects of M.E. see:

http://www.ahummingbirdsguide.com/whatisme.htm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Myalgic
• Encephalomyelitis
• CFS
• CFIDS
• CFS/ME
• ME/CFS
• activism
• advocacy
• severe

[GBCTwo]

I've been to two meetings and one conference in the last week regarding M.E. and the one thing that screams out at me from them is that this is a dustbin diagnosis. Even the clinicians that spoke said it. The term CFS and its criteria has made the problem much worse. It's almost as if certain parts of the medical profession have indulged in self-preservation.

[AHummingbirdsGuide]

Yes, CFS is a dustbin diagnosis and sadly some doctors are wrongly referring to 'CFS' using the term ME.

ME however, is a distinct neuro disease as is MS. Since the creation of CFS, the aim has been to oinfuse CFS with the distinct disease M.E., for financial gain, sadly. Nightmare!

ME as per WHO must be renewed, and we must stop defending CFS too. Sigh!

[megawatti007]

Good on you hummingbird, I agree! It's a joke diagnosis...imagine if they did all this bull diagnosis for a broken leg!

[DysautonomiaMD]

There is still much to be learned, and the medical community officers sitting in responsible places should seize the opportunity to make a positive contribution. Highest Personal Regards, Dr M

[davidbmason]

sounds great. Now try and get a grant to start researching 1% of the work that needs to be done. Let's draw up a cost analysis for this research and then go to the government and ask for the money. Mind you, we will have to stand at the back of the line after cancer, heart, blood pressure, psychiatric, weight loss researchers. We should get the lion's share for this type of research. And don't forget that the tax payers will be funding it, so there should be no problems. I'll go and get ready!

[SharkBateNait]

Dr Bruce Carruthers, our local specialist here in Canada, has just retired and is writing a couple of books, one of which is about what you wrote: "doctors must return to the age-old medical principals of correct diagnosis (a) careful history, (b) detailed physical examination and (c) appropriate investigation". You may want to keep en eye out for it, he's quite passionate about this subject. Cheers

[SharkBateNait]

Alright, you talked me into it, I'll check out your hummingbird website properly, looks like I've got some reading to do... I like reading but my brain does not...

[OneGirlArmy]

A+ video.

[DreamLewis]

so true.

[GBCOne]

Good video. Like the visual metaphor.