Sodium Oxybate in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disabling, unexplained disorder characterized by physical and mental exhaustion. Complaints of disturbed and unrefreshing sleep are very common in CFS patients, however, the relationship between (disturbed) sleep quality and fatigue is still not fully elucidated. To evaluate the effect of sodium oxybate on fatigue and to explore the interdependence of sleep quality and fatigue in CFS, a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled cross-over trial with sodium oxybate is carried out in CFS patients. The aim of this study is to address the issue of the effect of sodium oxybate on fatigue as a presenting symptom in chronic fatigue (CF) and CFS patients, in the absence of underlying medical or psychiatric illness. The answer to this question may shed further light on the enigmatic relationship between sleep and fatigue. We also want to investigate the effect of sodium oxybate on sleepiness and general health in the same target population. Zero-hypothesis: there is no effect.