5 Signs your Chronic Fatigue Might Actually be CIRS!
You’re Tired — But This Isn’t Normal Fatigue
You wake up tired. You go to bed tired. And somewhere in between, you ask yourself:
“Am I just getting older? Stressed out? Or… lazy?”
Your bloodwork is flawless. Your doctor says you’re the picture of health — maybe even suggests antidepressants or more sleep. But deep down, you know something’s not right. This isn’t normal tired. And you’re not imagining it.
You might be dealing with something your doctor never tested for:
Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
It’s a little-known condition that affects up to 1 in 4 people — those with a genetic vulnerability — and it’s often misdiagnosed as depression, adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
In this article, we’ll reveal five key signs chronic fatigue might be CIRS — not just burnout. And we’ll unpack why asking, “Could chronic fatigue really be CIRS?” might be the turning point in your health journey.
The First Sign your Chronic Fatigue might be CIRS:
You Don’t Recover — Even With Rest, Vacation, or Sleep
One of the clearest signs that your fatigue is more than just tiredness is that rest doesn’t help.
You can:
- Sleep for 9+ hours
- Take a long weekend
- Spend time in nature or on vacation
…and still feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.
This isn’t typical exhaustion. This is a cellular level of exhaustion that goes right to your mitochondria (remember them? They are the power generators in your cells). In many people with CIRS, their mitochondria – can’t produce enough ATP. When there isn’t enough ATP, every system in your body can be affected.
Why?
Because every system in your body relies on your mitochondria to produce ATP. However, certain biotoxins prevent your mitochondria from effectively producing ATP. Biotoxins like:
- Mold (especially from water-damaged buildings)
- Lyme disease or post-Lyme syndrome
- Dinoflagellates or cyanobacteria from water exposure
- Beta Glucans
- Actinomycetes
- Endotoxins
You usually can’t see or smell these biotoxins. But for genetically susceptible individuals, they trigger a cascade of immune confusion, hormone disruption, and neurological dysfunction that no amount of sleep can resolve.
If you feel like you’re constantly running on empty, even when life slows down, CIRS may be the reason why.
The Second Sign your Chronic Fatigue might be CIRS:
Your Brain Is Foggy, Slow, or Glitching
Another signature feature of CIRS? Neuroinflammation.
If you’re struggling with:
- Trouble finding words
- Forgetting tasks or conversations
- Poor focus and attention
- Getting lost mid-sentence
…then your brain may be inflamed.
This isn’t something you can push through with more coffee or better sleep hygiene. CIRS affects grey matter in the brain and can cause visible changes on neuroquant MRIs.
This brain fog is often misdiagnosed as ADHD, perimenopause, or stress. But if you’re noticing mental fatigue alongside physical exhaustion, it’s time to dig deeper.
The Third Sign your Chronic Fatigue might be CIRS:
You Have Symptoms in Multiple Body Systems — With No Clear Diagnosis
Perhaps the most frustrating part of CIRS is its wide range of symptoms. It doesn’t just affect one area of the body. Instead, it creates dysfunction across multiple systems, making it hard to diagnose.
Common CIRS-related symptoms include:
- Unrelenting fatigue
- Brain fog or confusion
- Digestive issues (IBS, food intolerances)
- Hormonal disruption (low DHEA, low MSH)
- Sensitivity to light, sound, chemicals, or smells
- Mood changes (anxiety, irritability, depression)
- Muscle pain, joint pain, and skin sensitivity
If you have symptoms in three or more systems, and no one can tell you why, it’s time to consider CIRS.
The Shoemaker criteria define 13 symptom clusters associated with CIRS. If you identify with 8 or more, the likelihood that you have CIRS is extremely high.
The Fourth Sign your Chronic Fatigue might be CIRS:
You Feel Better in Certain Places — Then Crash When You Return Home
Do you feel noticeably better:
- At the beach?
- In the mountains?
- On vacation?
- After leaving your house or office for a few days?
And do you crash again once you’re back in your normal environment?
This is a classic sign that biotoxins are behind your symptoms.
CIRS patients often describe a stark contrast in how they feel in different environments. The improvement isn’t in your head. Your symptoms follow exposure. And even buildings that look clean and well-maintained can harbor dangerous levels of mold spores, actinomycetes, or endotoxins.
The key isn’t just what you’re doing, it’s where you’re doing it.
The Fifth Sign your Chronic Fatigue might be CIRS:
You’ve Tried Everything — and Nothing Sticks
Most people with CIRS are not new to the world of health and healing.
You may have already tried:
- Paleo, keto, vegan, or anti-inflammatory diets
- Detox supplements, binders, saunas
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Antidepressants or antianxiety medications
- Adrenal supports and adaptogens
- Every kind of lab test you can imagine
And maybe some of these helped — briefly.
But nothing sticks. The fatigue returns. The fog comes back. You still crash when exposed to certain environments. That’s because CIRS is a chronic, immune-driven condition. Until you remove exposure and correct the underlying immune dysfunction, your symptoms will keep rebounding.
The only research-based, peer-reviewed method for reversing CIRS is the Shoemaker Protocol, which includes:
- Removing biotoxin exposure
- Binding toxins with specific agents (like cholestyramine)
- Correcting immune markers like MMP-9, C4a, TGF-β1, and VEGF
Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Actually CIRS?
This is one of the most common questions we hear at Flourish Clinic.
Many of our patients arrive with a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). They’ve been told there is no cure. No answer. Just rest and pacing. But for a significant percentage, what they actually have is biotoxin illness. And once we identify and treat CIRS, their fatigue improves. Their brain fog clears. Their lives begin to return.
CFS and CIRS share symptoms — but they are not the same condition. If your fatigue started after a known exposure (flood, moldy house, damp basement, or infection) and you match the symptom clusters, it’s essential to rule out CIRS.
How to Test for CIRS Today
You don’t have to guess. You can test.
If you have at least 8 symptom clusters and a failed VCS test, there’s a 98.5% likelihood of your blood tests coming back positive for CIRS.
Click here to take the CIRS Self-Check now.
You’re Not Lazy. You’re Not Broken. But your mitochondria may be stuck in a hibernation state.
If you resonate with these signs, don’t let your symptoms be dismissed or misdiagnosed.
At Flourish Clinic, we specialize in identifying and treating CIRS using the Shoemaker Protocol — and helping patients recover from fatigue, brain fog, and unexplained illness.
There is a path forward. And it starts with one step.
What if your chronic fatigue has a name — and a treatment? Wouldn’t you want to know?
Mark Volmer has attained the highest level of Shoemaker Protocol certification, and is one of only two of Canada’s Shoemaker Protocol practitioners. The Shoemaker Protocol is the only scientifically proven method of treating CIRS.
