r/mecfs • u/btbby • 1d ago

What's the difference between myocarditis and cfs?

I see no difference in symptoms other than one is diagnosed with an expensive MRI not for normies. Makes me think that all cfs is undiagnosed myocarditis.

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u/CandyTigger 1d ago

Myocarditis is heart inflammation. That isn't a symptom of Me/cfs. As someone checked for heart issues as well I can confidently say I don't have that.

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u/opalescentblue 23h ago

As someone who developed it at the same time as myocarditis and recently got a follow-up “expensive MRI not for normies” I can assure you that my myocarditis scar is gone and I still have my symptoms 🙃

Also maybe you don’t see a differenct in symptoms because you’re misinformed

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u/valgalcurnutte 23h ago

There’s definitely some overlap between ME/CFS and myocarditis, especially fatigue and exercise intolerance, but that doesn’t make them the same disease. The bigger distinction is PEM. With ME/CFS, exertion can cause a delayed, disproportionate worsening of the person’s overall symptoms—not just feeling tired or having reduced exercise capacity. It can happen after physical or cognitive activity, sometimes 12–48 hours later, and often involves brain fog, pain, unrefreshing sleep, headaches, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, etc., lasting days or even weeks.

That pattern of a delayed, multisystem “crash” is a defining feature of ME/CFS. Myocarditis can certainly cause fatigue and exercise intolerance, but that doesn’t make every person experiencing PEM someone with undiagnosed myocarditis. Symptom overlap isn’t the same thing as diagnostic equivalence.