Symptom Comparison: CFS vs AF
- Most symptoms are identical
This article compares the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue with Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms.
The symptoms of Chronic Fatigue and Adrenal Fatigue are very similar. In fact, most of the symptoms are identical.
Even the percentage of people that respond Yes
to specific symptoms are very close.
This article contains:
- The Primary and Secondary Symptoms of CFS, as listed by the CDC
- Comparison of survey results of people with CFS, vs those researching Adrenal Fatigue
CDC: Primary Symptoms
The following symptoms are from the CDC (Center for Disease Control). The first group of symptoms are considered Primary Symptoms.
The 2nd column shows the survey results reported in the book ChronicFatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide
, from multiple surveys.
The 3rd column shows the results of a survey on this site, which would be people researching Adrenal Fatigue. So far, it only includes single surveys.
|
Primary
CFS Symptoms (As per CDC) |
CFS Surveys1a | Adrenal Fatigue Survey2a |
| Increased Exhaustion and Sickness following Physical activity or Mental Exertion. |
95-100% |
81.4% |
| Problems with Sleep |
65-100% |
61% |
| Difficulties with memory and concentration |
80-90% |
92.6% |
| persistent muscle pain |
65-95% |
63.6% |
| joint pain (without redness or swelling) |
65-95% |
71.9% |
| headache |
50% |
58.1% |
| tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit |
50-80% |
38.8% |
| Sore Throat (chronic) |
50-90% |
39.8% |
1a. The surveys in the above table for CFS from from the book Verrillo, Erica (2012-09-14). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, 2nd Edition
2a. Surveys indicated in this column were taken on this site.
There are slight differences. But I really don't know the exact wording of the questions used in the CFS surveys noted in
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide
.
Next .... we'll cover some of the Secondary Symptoms
listed by the CDC.
Secondary Symptoms
|
Other CFS Symptoms |
CFS Surveys1a | Adrenal Fatigue Survey2a |
| Brain Fog (feeling like you're in a mental fog) |
75-100% |
90.9% |
| difficulty maintaining an upright position, dizziness, balance problems or fainting |
60-90% |
61.7% |
| irritable bowel |
50-90% |
63.0% |
| chills and night sweats |
60-95% |
67.7% |
| visual disturbances (sensitivity to light, blurring, eye pain) |
45-55% |
74.2% |
| depression or mood problems (irritability, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks) |
70-90% |
93.8% |
Summary
As you can see in the above tables, people researching Adrenal Fatigue have the primary and secondary symptoms of Chronic Fatigue.
And they also report the symptoms at close to the same percentages as people who believe the have CFS.
For more information, see the articles:
- Chronic Fatigue vs Adrenal Fatigue, which covers the on-set of CFS.
- Causes of Chronic Fatigue
References
1. CDC: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)2. Verrillo, Erica (2012-09-14). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, 2nd Edition
