Potential Causes of Generalized Fatigue
| Disease Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Infection | HIV, TB, Lyme disease, endocarditis, hepatitis, sinusitis, fungal, EBV, malaria (chronic phase) |
| Inflammatory disease | RA, polymyalgia rheumatica, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sarcoidosis |
| Cancer | Lung, GI, breast, prostate, leukemia, lymphoma, metastases |
| Psychiatric | Depression, alcoholism, chronic anxiety |
| Metabolic | Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, Addison's disease, hyperparathyroidism, hypogonadism, hypopituitarism (TSH, ACTH, growth hormone deficiency), McArdle's disease |
| Electrolyte imbalance | Hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hypomagnesemia |
| Nutrition, vitamin deficiency | Starvation, obesity, iron deficiency, vitamin B12, folic acid deficiency, vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), thiamine deficiency (beriberi) |
| Neurologic | Multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, dementia |
| Cardiac | Heart failure, CAD, valvular disease, cardiomyopathy |
| Pulmonary | COPD, pulmonary hypertension, chronic pulmonary emboli, sarcoidosis |
| Sleep disturbances | Sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome |
| Gastrointestinal | Celiac disease, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis |
| Hematologic | Anemia |
| Renal | Renal failure |
| Medication | Sedatives, antihistamines, narcotics, β blockers, and many other medications |
Abbreviations: ACTH, adrenocorticotropin hormone; CAD, coronary artery disease; COPD; chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone.