"So what does myalgic encephalitis mean?" Choua asked.
"Well..well, literally it means... or should mean something about muscles that has something to do with inflammation of the brain," I answered tentatively.
"Good! Now tell me what is encephalomyelitis?" Choua continued.
"Is this thing going to take us anywhere, Choua?" I asked with annoyance.
"Nowhere! That's the point." Choua smiled. "Put it this way in your fatigue book, so people know how absurd this diagnosis is for those who suffer chronic fatigue."
The Canary and Chronic Fatigue by Majid Ali, M.D. - page 125
There are plenty of names for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The following have many symptoms in common and all have the same "unknown cause". Some of the names seem absurd. But it is important to have a good quality name for a disease. Without it, sufferers are often treated with derision.
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Partial source: The Disease of a Thousand Names by David S. Bell MD, FAAP |
Widespread and prolonged
"There are differences between some of these other outbreaks and CFS, however. Most of the earlier miniepidemics shared these traits: They were usually confined to small geographic areas, and the symptoms eventually disappeared on their own, often within months. By contrast, the CFS of our time knows no geographic boundary and is usually much more prolonged in duration."
Chronic Fatigue Your Complete Exercise Guide, The Cooper Clinic and Research Institute Fitness Series by Neil F. Gordon MD, PhD, MPH