Hello,
Although this study was first published in 2013 i have recently come across it and see it as valuable so thought i would share!
Well worth a read of the summary at the below link!
If you have been given a diagnosis of CFS or CFS/ME this certainly doesn't necessarily mean you don't have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis..
Currently in the UK CFS, CFS/ME and ME are used synonymously by most doctors as if they are the same illness.
There are a number of criteria worldwide for diagnosing ME and CFS, some of which are more specific to classic ME than the broader CFS. But in the UK a very broad non-specific criteria is currently used which results in a lot more people being given the diagnosis of CFS than it is thought would be If the criteria for ME exclusively were separate.
Most doctors think CFS is just another name for ME and don't realise any of the differences.
Research aims to improve the situation to clarify the differences which is important to help ensure that future research results are more conclusive, definitive and relevant.
Whilst these different conditions are researched as if they are the same illness, research results will continue to produce inconclusive, nonspecific and often conflicting results.
CFS is increasingly recognised to be not a distinct diagnosis but an umbrella term under which a number of fatiguing illnesses are currently housed, all of which are of different causes, and just one of these is myalgic encephalomyelitis, but the other conditions have yet to be individually classified. Research efforts are ongoing to try to identify sub-groups of CFS which have characteristic clinical presentations, symptoms - and in some cases at least biomarkers - to eventually classify these as separate conditions.
Hopefully myalgic encephalomyelitis will be the first to be fully recognised as distinct from CFS and classified separately, as ME already has distinctive clinical features, specific biomedical abnormalities, and actually used to be known as a distinct disease entity before it was very unfortunately subsumed under the CFS umbrella which has made research very difficult and not helped patients.
Anyone with a diagnosis of CFS, CFS/ME or ME should be encouraged by any efforts to differentiate these conditions, as this is what will ultimately lead to conclusive, repeatable, clinically helpful research findings which will help lead the way to proper universal recognition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis as a distinct multi system disease and to most importantly of all effective medical treatments aimed at the underlying disease process! The same applies to the other conditions currently mixed under the CFS umbrella - yet to be fully sub-grouped and researched individually - which an understanding of as distinct clinical entities will also lead to more useful research and treatments.
This study is one small step, but it's one that i for one am very glad is being taken, alongside other related studies with similar aims!......
"Contrasting chronic fatigue syndrome versus myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
Leonard A. Jason, Abigail Brown, Meredyth Evans, Madison Sunnquist, Julia L. Newton
Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior
Vol. 1, Iss. 3, 2013"
ABSTRACT IS AVAILABLE AT BELOW LINK AND YOU DON'T NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE OF READING RESEARCH RESULTS TO UNDERSTAND:
dx.doi.org/10.1080/21641846...
Just before I go - anyone who has read this please do follow this brand new community, to help us get on our feet, and if you can write a post too, even better! Even a simple hello is fine! Or if you'd rather just follow us and not post at first that's fine too!
We'd love to see anyone here with a diagnosis of ME or CFS, an interest in or question about ME or CFS, or who's looking for support or chat, friendship!
Best wishes,
Starbys 
What was your experience at the doctor on diagnosis?
Feel shaky when or just after had some energy
At my wits end with CFS
CFS Clinics, Gluten, Thyroid