A chronic condition causing fatigue, widespread pain, and tenderness throughout the body and often co-exists with ME/CFS and/or many of the symptoms of this condition. People with Fibromyalgia generally experience pain in specific points around the body and these points are used as a gauge for diagnosis.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities. Fibromyalgia affects two to four % of the population, mainly women, although men and adolescents can also develop the condition.

Symptoms:

• Chronic Widespread Pain
• Moderate to extreme incapacitating fatigue
• Sleep Disturbances
• Cognitive Difficulties
• Headaches
• Sensitivity to touch/light/sound
• Anxiety and/or depression
• Impaired coordination / balance
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Chemical senstivities
• Orthostatic intolerance

In most straight-forward viral illnesses, recovery takes 2-4 weeks, with symptoms disappearing by six weeks.  However, in a small percentage of patients the duration until recovery can take up to several months. If symptoms remain after 3-6 months with the illness unchanged, a change of name/diagnosis to CFS/ME is appropriate.

A term for a group of diseases that include postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and (OI) Orthostatic Intolerance. In these conditions the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is dysregulated which can lead to blood pressure problems, heart problems, trouble with breathing and swallowing, and erectile dysfunction in men.

Long COVID is a term used to describe the symptoms that continue or develop after your initial COVID-19 illness and cannot be explained by any other condition. Long COVID is usually diagnosed when symptoms continue more than 3 months after the initial diagnosis.

For some people, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or “long COVID”.

The latest research from Professor Tate states that people who develop Long covid develop a chronic inflammatory immune response in the body system. This has strong neurological symptoms like brain fog and sleep dysfunctions.  Inflammation in the brain is called neuro inflammation. The brain is misfunctioning and communicating back to the body that it is in danger and the inflammatory response just keeps going, resulting in a vicious cycle and on-going disease.

General symptoms include:

• fatigue
• fever
• abdominal pain
• joint pain
• muscle pain
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhoea
• weight loss
• reduced appetite
• sleep issues.

Neurological symptoms include:

• loss of concentration or memory issues (cognitive impairment, 'brain fog')
• headache
• sleep disturbance
• pins and needles and numbness
• dizziness
• delirium (in older people)
• lack of strength in arms or legs (mobility impairment)
• visual disturbance.

Ear, nose, and throat, Cardiovascular and Respiratory symptoms.

ANZMES: Preventing Long COVID

Treatment for Long COVID is similar to that of ME/CFS. It is about managing symptoms and pain.

The key to symptom management is pacing.

If PEM (post-exertional malaise) is experienced, you must avoid exercise and activities that cause fatigue or increased symptoms, and conserve your energy.