Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health definition for CFS/ME (2004)
| RCPCH definition | Generalised fatigue persisting after routine tests and investigations have failed to identify an obvious underlying “cause”. In CFS/ME the fatigue is likely to be associated with other classical symptoms and is classically exacerbated by effort (both mental and physical) |
| Other classical symptoms | Severe malaise, headaches, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, memory impairment, depressed mood, myalgia/muscle pain at rest and on exercise, nausea, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, abdominal pain and arthralgia/joint pain |
| Symptoms reported less often | Feeling too hot or cold, dizziness, cough, eye pain/increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), vision or hearing disturbances (hyperacusis), weight loss or gain, muscle weakness, lack of energy for usual activities and diarrhoea |