12th-18th May ME Awareness Week

Myalgic encephalomyelitis, also called chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, is a long-term condition with a wide range of symptoms. The most common symptom is extreme tiredness.

ME/CFS can affect anyone, including children. It’s more common in women, and tends to develop between your mid-20s and mid-40s.

Symptoms of ME/CFS

Common symptoms of ME/CFS include

• feeling extremely tired all the time – you may find it very hard to do daily activities
• still feeling tired after resting or sleeping
• taking a long time to recover after physical activity
• problems sleeping, such as waking up often during the night
• problems with thinking, memory and concentration

Some people with ME/CFS may also have other symptoms, including:

• muscle or joint pain
• headaches
• a sore throat
• flu-like symptoms
• feeling dizzy or sick
• fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations)

The severity of symptoms can vary from day to day, or even within a day.

The symptoms of ME/CFS are similar to the symptoms of some other illnesses, so it’s important to see a GP to get a correct diagnosis.

Find out more about the symptoms of ME/CFS