Fatigue
Separating fatigue from weakness and sleepiness, the causes worth finding, a targeted first-line blood panel, red flags, and current thinking on ME/CFS and post-viral fatigue.
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Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Fatigue is a common reason to see a GP. In primary care, no physical cause is found in most patients, and depression, anxiety, poor sleep and stress account for many of the rest.
- Clarify the complaint first. Fatigue, weakness, sleepiness and breathlessness have different causes.
- A careful history and examination, with a targeted first-line blood panel, finds most treatable organic causes. Broad untargeted testing mainly finds incidental results.
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Sources
- Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management (NG206)National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2021
- Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Tiredness/fatigue in adultsNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence
- ME/CFS clinical practice guideline developmentAU/NZNational Health and Medical Research Council, 2025
- Institute of Medicine. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness. Washington DC: National Academies Press, 2015Institute of Medicine (National Academies), 2015
- Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (the Red Book), 10th editionAU/NZRoyal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Australian Immunisation Handbook: Q feverAU/NZAustralian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Australian Government Department of Health
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy