Identify Treatments Youve Tried
In addition to tracking the symptoms you have experienced, keep a list of treatments you have tried. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a medications and supplements list you can use to track your medications, their dosage, how well they help, and if you experienced side effects. Write a separate list of other treatments you have tried beyond medications and supplements, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, acupuncture, or meditation.
Impact And Prognosis Of Me/cfs
Pharmacoecon Open.
BMC Public Health.J Chronic Fatigue Syndr.
Br J Occup Ther.
- Mild: mobile and self-caring may continue working but will have reduced other activities
- Moderate: reduced mobility, restricted in instrumental activities of daily living, needs frequent periods of rest usually not working
- Severe: mostly housebound limited to minimal activities of daily living severe cognitive difficulties may be wheelchair dependent
- Very severe: mostly bedridden unable to independently carry out most activities of daily living often experience extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and other sensory input
Am J Epidemiol.Chronic Illn.
Qual Life Res.Disabil Rehabil.Occup Med .
Rehabil Psychol.Front Pediatr.Fatigue.
What Is The Treatment For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A treatment plan for CFS aims to relieve your symptoms to improve your quality of life. The plan should include:
- a plan for how to manage stress
- a very gentle exercise plan
- a nutritious diet, with regular meals/snacks to keep up your energy
- supplements if your diet lacks a good balance or if your blood tests indicate deficiencies
- a sleep management plan, which may include medication
- physiotherapy to help with pain and good breathing techniques
- medication for pain
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia: New Leads
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are two of the most difficult diseases to diagnose. When you go to the doctor with a variety of bothersome symptoms, you hope for an answera definitive diagnosis, so that you can begin whatever treatment is necessary to feel better. The good news is that most illnesses and diseases can be pretty easily diagnosed with a lab workup or other testing methods.
Unfortunately, though, there are some conditions that are outliers in this regard. Their symptoms are vague or could be signs of dozens of disorders. There are no reliable tests to diagnose them. Most are misdiagnosed multiple times before an accurate finding is made. And sadly, many patients are blown off, told their symptoms are psychological or all in their head.
Some of the most frustrating of these diseases are chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. And science has recently identified a common link that just might pave the way for new treatments.
Me / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- AXA1125 targets cell power plants that may be dysfunctional in long Covid patients with severe fatiguePublished: 3 Nov 2021
- Advocating for behavioural approaches means condition has been relegated to a psychological problem, campaigners sayPublished: 30 Aug 2021
- Long Covid is highlighting conditions that have been around much longer than the pandemic. Ten readers share their experiencesPublished: 29 Jun 2021
- Other lives: Feminist, environmentalist and campaigner for social justicePublished: 25 May 2021
- Letter: Dr Dominic Salisbury says poor-quality evidence lies behind some treatments such as CBT Published: 29 Apr 2021
- Letters: There is a greater need than ever for measured, up-to-date information about this condition, writes Prof Michael Sharpe. Plus letters from Robin Davies and Prof Paul GarnerPublished: 16 Apr 2021
- Letters: Graded exercise therapy is not the right way to treat people with ME or long Covid, argue Dr Charles Shepherd and Rachel HardingPublished: 14 Mar 2021
- Letters: No trials of graded exercise have shown to harm patients, say Dr Alastair Miller, Prof Paul Garner and Prof Peter White, so those with post-Covid fatigue syndrome should not be discouraged from trying itPublished: 11 Mar 2021
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome May Hold Keys To Understanding Post
The draft represents a welcome repudiation of a deeply flawed body of research that had been conducted by a prominent group of British psychiatrists and other mental health experts. Members of this group first developed the psychological and behavioral treatment approach for ME/CFS in the late 1980s. They have single-mindedly insisted on it ever since, disparaging critics who raised legitimate concerns about their research as anti-science zealots. In developing its draft, NICE reviewed the science and assessed the evidence from studies promoting graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to be of low or very low quality.
The NICE draft will undergo a six-week public comment period and further review, with a final version to be published in April. While revisions are possible, the draft itself has already been hailed as a major advance by ME/CFS patients and advocates in the U.K. and across the U.S. Since history shows that old habits die hard in primary care medicine, every new report based on an accurate evaluation of the science represents an important step toward educating well-meaning but poorly informed physicians.
Ironically, it has taken a pandemic to shine a brighter spotlight on ME/CFS.
New Research To Explore Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Jason Murphy is a freelance journalist and economist who began his career in the Federal Department of Treasury before moving onto journalism. Now Jason’s work can be found all over the internet in the Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, The Advertiser and many other Australian news outlets. Jason excels in taking complex information and breaking it down for readers to give a better understanding of intricate systems to the public.
Chronic FatigueAugust 18, 2021
We are currently recruiting for the Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome Research Study. Find more information here
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex and disabling disease that affects many parts of the body, including the brain and muscles, as well as the digestive, immune and cardiac systems, among others.
2021 is an exciting time for ME/CFS science in Australia. Money is flowing. That means in time, research results will also flow. Australian labs are gearing up to do the work to deliver insights into the cause of ME/CFS and, most importantly, possible treatments.
Australias National Health and Medical Research Council last year allocated $3.3 million for ME/CFS research. That money was split three ways, and a third of it went to a man named Ken Walder, Co-Director and Theme Leader of the team at IMPACT.
Its not the most obvious place to conduct cutting-edge research, but Walder likes it.
My motivation is around understanding metabolism, Walder says.
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What Is The Latest Treatment For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Sadly Western medicine continues to seek treatment solutions only for parts of chronic fatigue symptoms. Happily, TCM has solutions based on over 2000 years of experience in treating these symptoms.
I firmly believe that Traditional Chinese Medicine is the only chronic fatigue syndrome treatment I recommend, for several reasons.
In the end, it is about curing not simply managing your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and you will not be able to do that by managing parts of it with Western medicine. Only Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the whole of any persons CFS.
Why Is This Important
The new research finds many CFS/ME patients feel unsupported by health professionals, which can make the illness all the more distressing. Patients want to be listened to, have their symptoms believed and be given realistic support that takes their life circumstances into account. They also want their beliefs about CFS/ME to be acknowledged, even if they are different to current medical theories. However, the study also found that views about the condition are highly polarised. This means it is challenging for professionals to provide the kind of care people want for CFS/ME.
The researchers suggest healthcare professionals should give personalised, empathetic care to their CFS/ME patients, and suggest treatments that minimise the impact on daily life. They say health professionals should provide a sense of safety. This way, patients may feel more able to work through complex issues, such as the mental health implications of CFS/ME, without feeling defensive or dismissed.
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Can Chronic Fatigue Be Treated
Every patient experiences chronic fatigue differently, and it is often accompanied other medical problems. It is essential to understand the root cause of each persons fatigue through a thorough medical history and assessment. Once this is done, a comprehensive holistic treatment plan may combine multiple therapies to address problems such as pain or depression, coupled with lifestyle changes, stress reduction, and other adjunct therapies.
Call us to schedule a consultation today to find out how we can help you.
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Editorial: Current Insights Into Complex Post
- 1Department of Health Studies, Institute of Biomedical Science, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
- 2Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada , Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
- 3Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- 4Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
- 5Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- 6CEAUL – Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Editorial on the Research TopicCurrent Insights Into Complex Post-infection Fatigue Syndromes With Unknown Aetiology: The Case of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Beyond
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Metabolic Changes Seen In Me/cfs
Various metabolic mechanisms are turned on by the damage to the body, and these ongoing metabolic changes can cause lasting fatigue if they are not reprogramed back to the original normal metabolic state. Naviaux et al. suggests that these changes are characteristic of the Dauer state due to the cell danger response . One such metabolic change is the increase in glycolysis in the cytoplasm of the cell. This shift in metabolism was first described by Otto Warburg in the 1930s and has been named the Warburg Effect. Warburg described the metabolic energy shift in relation to cancer cells, and indeed, almost all cancers exhibit this change in energy metabolism. Otto Warburg thought that once the cell changed to this different energy production method, it could not change back into a normal cell. This energy pathway change can lead to pathological fatigue .
The Warburg Effect is not only present in cancer cells but is seen in adaptive immune cells of myeloid and lymphoid lineage, characterized by a shift to aerobic glycolysis . The Warburg Effect is present in the replication of viruses such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 . Clinical work in ME/CFS patients shows this change to Warburg Effect metabolism, thus generating most of the energy currency, ATP, from non-mitochondrial sources .
Table 1 Metabolic Changes That May Affect Fatigue in ME/CFS Patients
Rationale of this study
Aim of this study
Experimental hypothesis of this study
Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Although experts have not yet found a cure for CFS/ME, many people who have the illness are able to make lifestyle changes and find treatments that allow them to reduce or manage their symptoms. Improvement is possible by living within your limits and working with a doctor to find treatments that help you. There are also many CFS/ME support groups both online and in-person. Meeting with such a group might prove to be helpful.
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You may have sleep problems that make your ME/CFS symptoms worse. For example, you may:
- have problems getting to sleep
- have unrefreshing or restless sleep
- need an excessive amount of sleep
- sleep during the day and be awake at night
You should be given advice about how to establish a normal sleeping pattern. Having too much sleep does not usually improve the symptoms of ME/CFS, and sleeping during the day can stop you sleeping at night.
You should change your sleep pattern gradually, and your doctor should review how its going regularly. If your sleep does not improve after making changes, you may have an underlying sleep problem that will need to be addressed.
Its likely youll need to rest during the day, and your doctor should advise you about the best way to do this. For example, they may suggest limiting each rest period to 30 minutes and teach you relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises.
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Impaired Blood Flows Highlighted
Running low on reserves the authors believe ME/CFS patients cells are straining for energy i.e. theyre attempting to get it however the heck they can.
Theyre certainly not alone in their focus on impaired blood flows. Autoimmune processes that interfere with blood flows play a central role in Wirth and Scheibenbogens now three-part ME/CFS hypothesis.
Systrom has actually found evidence of poor oxygen extraction in ME/CFS.
New Hope For Those With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
As many as four million Americans are thought to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, a disease characterized by symptoms that include persistent lethargy, headaches, muscle pain, mental fogginess, and sleep problems but the illness, once dismissed as the yuppie flu, has long frustrated scientists seeking to explain its etiology. To date, there has been no cure or treatment protocol, or even a way to test for the syndrome, but now a breakthrough by a team of scientists led by Columbia epidemiologist Mady Hornig may provide clinicians with a way to diagnose and treat chronic fatigue in its early stages.
In a study comparing blood samples from hundreds of people with chronic fatigue syndrome to those from healthy counterparts, the scientists found differences that support a popular hypothesis about the syndromes cause: that it occurs when the immune system, in the course of fighting off an acute infection, gets stuck in high gear and eventually wears itself out. The evidence? People in the early stages of chronic fatigue syndrome have elevated levels of immune-system messenger chemicals called cytokines, which indicate an active immunological response, while those who have been ill for three years or longer have unusually low levels of these cytokines.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Study Finds, read the headline in the February 17, 2011 edition of The New York Times. Within a few days Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ranked third on Yahoos Trending Now list. For the misinformed reader its likely these headlines translated that CFS is all in your head.
Until now, Ive told no one except a small inner-circle of family that my mysterious breakdown in health, vitality, and cognition that started the night of May 5, 2007 was not due to an exotic virus I picked up in the Congo while on assignment for National Geographic. The truth? Im actually a textbook case of someone with CFS, a syndrome I sniffed at until it happened to me. For the sufferer CFS means a total health breakdown, like a plane that inexplicably begins tearing itself apart mid-flight. Together, all the various dysfunctions associated with it leave the patient in a state of health more debilitating than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, or multiple sclerosis.
There is no known cause for CFS, and most terrifying from where I sit, no cure. Ive now decided to come out of the closest so to speak because its ultimately self-defeating living a lie. Plus, someone has to start owning this syndrome in public. The more people who fess up to having it and there are many more who have it than let on the better off we all will be in the end.
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Addressing Low Thyroid Hormone Function
In Prolonged Critical Illness
As described above , clinicians began, as early as the 1970s, to suggest thyroid hormone supplementation for critically ill patients. The rationale was to correct what some considered a maladaptive hypo-metabolic state which was preventing recovery following severe infection or injury . Again, this approach remains controversial . Interestingly, there has been little research into pharmacological agents to correct the peripheral mechanisms, which to a large extent underpin the low thyroid hormone function during critical illness: i.e., the alterations in cellular thyroid hormone transporters, receptors, and deiodinases that convert thyroid hormones into their active and inactivated forms. Targeting these deiodinases could theoretically be an avenue for alleviating low thyroid hormone function during prolonged critical illness .
In ME/CFS
As described above, there are accounts of positive effects of thyroid hormone supplementation to address low thyroid hormone function in euthyroid ME/CFS and fibromyalgia . Proponents generally believe that thyroid hormone supplementation serves to compensate for dysfunctions in the conversion of thyroid hormones and/or uptake at cellular level , notably associated with inflammation in ME/CFS or fibromyalgia .
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Coenzyme Q10 Plus Nadh And Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Coenzyme Q10 and NADH are common antioxidant supplements that have been used for several decades as dietary supplements for general maintenanceof health. The benefits of their administration have been extensively evaluated in several conditions . However, several studies have shown that there is a mitochondrial dysfunction, which reduces the ATP production, as an immediate effect primary or secondary to symptoms in most CFS/ME patients .
In the UK, Myhill et al. highlighted the power and usefulness of the ATP profile test as a diagnostic tool for differentiating between patients who have CFS/ME and other symptoms as a result of energy wastage due to stress and psychological factors and those who have insufficient energy due to cellular respiration dysfunction. The biochemical tests should be performed in CFS/ME patients before and after appropriate interventions, and possibly in other disabling fatigue conditions as well .
Relatively few pharmacological or other therapies for CFS/ME have been tested in large RCTs. Overall, a report commissioned by the AHRQ based on a systematic review for a US NIH Pathways to Prevention Workshop concluded that no available pharmacotherapy is of proven benefit in CFS/ME. Table summarizes the current drug therapeutic strategies for CFS/ME.
