Body system: Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional DeficienciesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.88bDBQ: DBQ RHEUM Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complex condition that causes overwhelming exhaustion that doesn't improve with rest, along with other symptoms like brain fog and muscle pain. The VA rates CFS from 10% to 100% based on how much your symptoms restrict your daily activities compared to before you got sick, or how many weeks per year you're essentially bedridden or unable to function. Higher ratings reflect more severe limitations in your ability to work, maintain relationships, and take care of yourself.
Rating levels
- 100% — Your chronic fatigue symptoms are so severe and persistent that they prevent you from doing almost all normal daily activities like working, shopping, cooking, or cleaning house. The exhaustion and other symptoms are with you nearly all the time, and they're so debilitating that sometimes you can't even take care of basic personal needs like bathing, dressing, or preparing meals for yourself.
- 60% — Your chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms are either almost always present and limit your ability to do normal daily activities to less than half of what you could do before you got sick, or your symptoms come and go in waves where you have periods of being completely unable to function that add up to at least six weeks total during a year.
- 40% — Your chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms are almost always present and have reduced your ability to do normal daily activities like work, household chores, or social activities to only 25-50% of what you could do before you got sick. Alternatively, your symptoms come and go in waves, but when they flare up badly enough to leave you bedridden or unable to function, these severe episodes (incapacitation periods) last a combined total of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks per year.
- 20% — Your chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms are almost always present and make it harder for you to do your normal daily activities, but you can still do at least 75% of what you could do before you got sick. Or, your symptoms come and go in cycles, and during your worst periods you're completely unable to function for a total of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks per year.
- 10% — Your chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms come and go (wax and wane means they get better and worse over time), but they're severe enough to completely disable you for at least one full week but less than two weeks total during a year. Alternatively, you qualify if you need to take medication every day to keep your symptoms under control.