Medical Encyclopedia

Neurasthenia is a mental disorder. The term is known in psychiatry as chronic fatigue syndrome and is described as a disorder in mental functioning triggered by stress and anxiety. Neurasthenia clearly points to the weakness of the nervous system. The disease is characterized by general lassitude, lack of concentration, worry and hypochondria. Neurasthenia covers a wide spectrum of symptoms including painful sensations or numbness in the body parts, chronic fatigue, anxiety, fainting, cold, clammy hands and feet, abnormally rapid breathing, periodic sighing, sweating for no apparent reason. The aches and pains of neurasthenia affect many of the muscles around the body. The pain is usually worse in the neck and the upper part of the back. The pain is not likely to be relieved by typical painkillers like aspirin and paracetamol. One more diagnostic criterion for neurasthenia include persistent and distressing symptoms of exhaustion after minor mental or physical effort accompanied by a general feeling of malaise with the combination of excitement and depression.

The causes of neurasthenia are not clearly distinguished. But like most disorders certain predisposing factors may play an important role for the disease occurrence. Thus, heredity factors, high stress occupation and age may be mentioned when differentiating the symptoms of neurasthenia.

Neurasthenia falls under the category of mental disorders which are considered to be very difficult to cure. Scientists all over the world are trying to find out drugs and measures to relieve patients of neurasthenic depression by lessening its severity or shortening its duration. The various groups of drugs have been found to be effective for this condition. Among them there are different tranquillizers, anxiolytics and antidepressants. It goes without saying that along with the positive effect they have their own drawbacks.

Geriforte is often applied to for the treatment of neurasthenia. It is an indigenous drug which passes physical and mental restorative qualities. Its components are said to promote healthful vigor and a sense of well-being. Various experiments carried out on patients with neurasthenic depression taking Geriforte have proved that its restorative property help eliminate a feeling of being unwell, tension, dejection and psychomotor retardation in the patients. So it has a specific therapeutic role in depressive disorders which are neurotic in origin like neurasthenia and the therapeutic role is regarded highly significant when treating the disorder.