Treatment plan

A treatment plan for CFS must first address treating the symptoms to improve the patient's quality of life.

Symptoms which can often be well-managed by standard approaches include:

• Pain
• Allergy
• Sleep disturbances
• Fatigue, by helping the patient achieve a balance of rest and activities

Specific investigational therapies (if available) may include:

• Anti-viral
• Immunoglobulin
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-cytokine

Finally, it is important to structure a Long-term Care Plan, based on a chronic illness model of care. Important items to include are:

• Reasoned laboratory evaluations
• Reassurance
• School or workplace accommodations such as
  • Individualized attendance and start times
  • Increased time for assignments and exams
  • Access to home study or work
  • Adjusted physical activities
  • Accommodation for physical limitations
  • Flexibility of course or work requirements
  • Sympathetic administration/educators/managers. Not sympathetic in the sense of feeling sorry for the patient, but in the sense of working toward effective means of improving the patient's quality of life and ability to function.