Where Can I Get Support
Even in its mildest form, chronic fatigue can have a significant emotional and financial impact on your life. A lack of understanding and awareness about CFS/ME means patients can experience disbelief, and even discrimination, from friends, family, health and social care professionals and employers.
People need wider support in order to continue to manage aspects of their life. Information on entitlements to welfare benefits, accessing health and social care and others sources of support for patients and carers are available from Action for M.E.
Action for M.E. has a number of booklets that may be useful for people living with CFS/ME, their families and their health professionals. They also offer resources and services for children and young people affected by chronic fatigue and their families.
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Understanding Your Stress Response System
The stress response system includes three important system:
All three systems must be rebalanced to restore adrenals. But healing Adrenal Fatigue effectively all starts with repairing the damage thats taken place at the brain level.
Eliminate Food Sensitivities And Allergens
More and more research is pointing to a link between food allergies and sensitivities and chronic fatigue syndrome. Allergies to certain foods, pollen, metals and other environmental chemicals may be causing the rising number of individuals with CFS.
According to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, IBS, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are linked, and researchers were surprised. In a study of 84 patients that had been referred for unexplained digestive problems, nearly all patients qualified for a diagnosis of IBS, 85 percent had chronic fatigue syndrome and 71 percent had fibromyalgia. The common denominator, researchers in this study believe, is poor digestion and food sensitivities.
Gluten & Other Common Intolerances
For example, one of todays most common food sensitivities is agluten sensitivity. Lactose intolerance, a casein allergy and an intolerance of other common allergens also may be at the root of chronic fatigue. Other common allergens include tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, soy, shellfish and yeast.
I suggestion is to consider taking an IgG test to help you determine the foods that you are sensitive to then you can eliminate them from your diet. By getting rid of your personal known allergens, symptoms of IBS, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue can potentially be relieved.
Candida Imbalance
Casein
H. Pylori
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Support Your Immune System
Chronic infections may be an underlying cause of chronic fatigue, but they are widely undiagnosed.
What to do: In addition to getting tested for underlying infections, consider blends of Siberian ginseng, samento, sarsaparilla, guaiacum, astragalus, resveratrol, and cat’s claw for their immune-strengthening properties.
Examples Of Common Treatments
High-dose Vitamin C
High-dose Vitamin C therapies can help eliminate cellular waste from an overload of oxidative stress, free-radical damage, and treating infections. To contextualize the potency of IV therapy and high-dose Vitamin C infusions, studies and anecdotes alike have shown high-dose vitamin c therapies helping prevent autoimmune flares.
IV treatment programs are perfect for individuals suffering from chronic fatigue and weight gain because of nutrient deficiencies. Any mineral or vitamin can be added to the infusion to maximize results and get patients feeling better fast.
HCG Injections
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin , a natural peptide hormone, is produced in large amounts by the placenta during early pregnancy.
Definition: The placenta is an organ that develops and attaches to the uterus during pregnancy. It provides the growing baby with oxygen and nutrients and removes waste products from the babys blood. The umbilical cord arises from the placenta.
Scientists believe HCG affects the hypothalamus of the brain, encouraging the body to release abnormal fat, which is stored for fuel. As a peptide hormone itself, HCG helps the body produce more hormones.
Whether its thyroid or aging conditions like menopause and andropause account for weight gain, HCG helps the body lose one pound every day.
Lipotropic Injections
Lipotropic injections, or Lipo-B, are shots containing vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that help boost metabolism:
5-Amino 1MQ
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Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Doctors have narrowed down some of the triggers for chronic fatigue syndrome. Everyone is different, though, and may experience symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome differently, but theCenters for Disease Control and doctors classifychronic fatigue syndrome as having at least four of the following physical symptoms for at least six months:
- Post-exertional malaise
- Unrefreshing sleep
Chronic fatigue syndrome can only be diagnosed when other diseases have been ruled out, but thats the problem: You may experience fatigue as a symptom of other health conditions.
How Do You Fight Chronic Fatigue
One option for treating chronic fatigue naturally is to move your body carefully.
When you have chronic fatigue syndrome, the idea of exercising can be almost incomprehensible. Youre already exhausted. How can you even consider getting exercise into your routine? The good news is that it doesnt take much to begin seeing improvement.
With chronic fatigue syndrome, its important to exercise but its also important to pace yourself. Start very slow. Even taking a five minute walk is enough to give you benefits and it may be all you can do.
After taking a five minute walk every day for a week or two, you can try adding more time to your walk. Even moving up to seven minutes can help you build more strength and stamina.
Youll also want to incorporate strength training and flexibility exercises to tone up your body and reduce inflammation and aches. Lifting five-pound weights is sufficient to help you get started.
You might also want to try stretching to help ease your symptoms. .
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The Sooner You Treat Adrenal Fatigue The Better
The longer your chronic stress response is off-balance, the more each of the bodys global operations can be thrown into chaos. Chronic overstimulation of the limbic systemand as a result, the rest of the stress responsehas detrimental effects on the body.
Adrenal Fatigue is directly related to the burden of chronic stress on the body. It can manifest many ways, but here are some of the most common symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:
- Low energy levels
- Intensified mood swings and irritability
- Slowed digestion and GI dysfunction
- Worsening menopausal symptoms
Functional Medicine Adrenal Stress Profile
In my clinic, I use a saliva test from BioHealth Laboratory to measure stress hormone levels at four different points throughout the day, which provides a more complete picture. You can order your own adrenal profile from My Labs for Life and review your results with a diatitian to help you work on dietary, lifestyle, and supplement changes to support your adrenals.
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Clarifying Terminology: Cfs Me/cfs And Beyond
In the 2015 recommendations of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exclusively uses the term myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome rather than CFS.16 Because exertional fatigue is a defining feature of ME/CFS, the National Academy of Medicine, an independent research body, in a 2015 report recommended the DHHS rename ME/CFS to systemic exertion intolerance disease , a term reflecting one of the illnessâs central characteristics.2
However, the term SEID has not received widespread acceptance, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to use the acronym ME/CFS.17 Therefore, for the purpose of this protocol and in the interest of brevity, we refer to ME/CFS as CFS.
S To Recover From Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Amy Myers, MD
Amy Myers, M.D. is a functional medicine physician, trained and certified by The Institute of Functional Medicine. Dr. Myers earned her Doctor of Medicine at the LSU Health Science Center, and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Myers retired from her functional medicine clinic, Austin UltraHealth, where she served thousands of patients, to empower those who were failed by conventional medicine. Shes a 2x New York Times bestselling author, and the founder and CEO of the health & lifestyle e-commerce brand, Amy Myers MD®.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affects up to 2.5 million Americans and for most is a very debilitating illness. Conventional medicine is just now coming around to recognizing CFS as a real syndrome, and it is generally only as a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning they ruled out other diseases and did not find any reason for the fatigue. Symptoms of CFS can be very broad and vague and often include extreme exhaustion, memory loss, headache, muscle fatigue, weakness, and pain lasting at least six months.
Conventional medicines only treatment for CFS is prescription drugs to manage symptoms, including pain medications, sleep aids, and antidepressants.
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Some Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Manage Chronic Fatigue Include:
- Reduce or remove stressors from your life that lead to a build up of negative influence. This will automatically reduce the feeling of being weighed down and tired all the time
- Drink more water instead of aerated drinks or alcohol
- Consider going into therapy as many instances of chronic fatigue stem from emotional or mental trauma.
- The food you consume affects the way your body fights against chronic fatigue. Eat nutritious food, which is organic and fresh. Switch to green tea instead of caffeine.
- Give your body the rest it needs. And focus on building your health slowly back up.
It is important to remember that chronic fatigue syndrome progresses differently in different people. Therefore, it is advisable to speak to your doctor before you self-diagnose or self-medicate. If you think your symptoms of chronic fatigue are due to your lifestyle, making some of the changes suggested above can help you manage this complex health condition.
Depression Stress And Anxiety
Adjusting to a chronic, debilitating illness sometimes leads to other problems, including depression, stress, and anxiety. Many patients with ME/CFS develop depression during their illness. When present, depression or anxiety should be treated. Although treating depression or anxiety can be helpful, it is not a cure for ME/CFS.
Some people with ME/CFS might benefit from antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. However, doctors should use caution in prescribing these medications. Some drugs used to treat depression have other effects that might worsen other ME/CFS symptoms and cause side effects. When healthcare providers are concerned about patients psychological condition, they may recommend seeing a mental health professional.
Some people with ME/CFS might benefit from trying techniques like deep breathing and muscle relaxation, massage, and movement therapies . These can reduce stress and anxiety, and promote a sense of well-being.
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Adrenal Fatigue Natural Treatment
Dr. Ameet: So I think the mind is a powerful thing and I feel the mind can heal the body. For me I’m on a journey of looking for the emotional causes of almost every single disease and using language to heal, so just healing sentences, naming things so that the stress response changes in our body or we heal the family imbalance through family constellations therapy and emerge out of disease.
So I have a sentence in my email signature I think it’s like, “Healing is an aspect of letting go of perceived self so that the free self can express itself,” or something like that. Because all these perceptions we create upon ourselves, the self-doubt, the self-criticism, the way we relate to our traumatizing mother or our aggressive father affects our physiology, affects our digestion and this creates skin symptoms, digestive issues, chronic headaches and things. So that’s on my mind.
And I’m also reading a course in miracles – very, very powerful piece of work. So hopefully I’m going to integrate that with healing sentences and possibly some homeopathy to heal the trauma so that just using the energetic work in self-empowerment we can come out of chronic suffering and disease.
Interviewer: Fascinating. So I mean, for people that want to find out more about you and your work what’s the best way for them to do that?
Interviewer: And tell us … because I was in your bio, tell us a bit about those. I’m curious.
Try Smaller More Frequent Meals
Many people with chronic fatigue often feel too tired to eat or dont feel hungry. If youre losing weight or struggling to eat enough throughout the day, Groppo recommends trying smaller meals more frequently or adding small snacks between each meal. Eating more frequently may help keep your energy up. Smaller portions may be easier to tolerate as well.
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What Causes Chronic Fatigue And Weight Gain
To understand why there are chronic fatigue and weight gain, its important to understand its causes. :
- Infections can be the cause. Strands of the herpes virus and conditions such as LYuniquee disease can create diagnosable physical manifestations like CFS. Any type of infection can cause much stress on the body. With a body being occupied by trying to fight off an infection, weight gain or even weight loss can occur.
- Another cause of chronic fatigue and weight gain is nutritional deficiency. Essential nutrients like Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Iodine, Folate, Zinc, etc., play important roles in the human body. It seems like the odds are low that people in a developed country would suffer from nutritional deficiencies, but its quite common. As modern society began to evolve, and foods were made more available and affordable, peoples health started to take a turn for the worse. Processed food, readily available food, and junk food contain many harmful ingredients contributing to poor health. The problem with processed foods is many, but one is an imbalance of minerals. Without the proper nutrients, the body does not have fuel.
Note: According to UNICEF, at least half of the children worldwide suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
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What Novel And Emerging Therapies Appear Promising For Cfs
- DHEA replacement therapy in women who had CFS and low DHEA-S levels significantly improved fatigue, pain, memory, and sexual functioning.
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation , a non-invasive brain simulation technique, may be a useful therapeutic approach for helping manage symptoms of CFS.
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Is Adrenal Fatigue Testing Useful
Despite the popularity of this theory, there is no evidence that adrenal fatigue is an actual condition, nor that adrenal fatigue testing results correlate with fatigue symptoms. The Endocrine Society does not recognize adrenal fatigue as a real condition.
A systematic review of 58 studies about adrenal fatigue and cortisol testing was completed in 2016 . The study authors concluded that:
- Cortisol levels arent closely associated with fatigue symptoms 50-80% of the time, no matter the testing method used.
- Salivary cortisol testing is not an accurate way to assess your adrenal glands function.
- Popular questionnaires of adrenal fatigue symptoms are not scientifically validated.
- There is no evidence that adrenal fatigue exists as a medical condition or is a cause of ongoing fatigue.
A separate systematic review of 108 studies concluded that people with post-traumatic stress disorder had cortisol levels and patterns similar to those of healthy individuals . An additional systematic review and meta-analysis found that neither adulthood trauma nor PTSD was associated with variations in cortisol levels. These results suggest the adrenal fatigue hypothesis, that stress affects your adrenal function and cortisol levels, is not real.
Immune Dysregulation And Inflammation
An array of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been elevated in patients withCFS, including interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha .4,52 One study found that increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators correlated with CFS symptom severity.53 A small 2014 brain imaging study found individuals with CFS had significantly more neuroinflammation in many areas of the brain compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, inflammation in different brain regions correlated with depression and cognitive impairment scores.54 Evidence from an animal model suggests induction of an activated, pro-inflammatory state in the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, microglialcells, may be involved in the heightened pain sensitivity observed in CFS.55 Animal models also demonstrate that fatigue arises when a stimulus induces activation of microglial cells and/or there is an increase in inflammatory chemicals within the brain.56 A literature review on the mechanisms underlying depression and CFS concluded that neuroinflammation and activated microglia play a key role in both conditions, and present an important therapeutic target.57
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How To Reverse Adrenal Fatigue: Treatments To Fight Adrenal Fatigue
Are you familiar with the feeling of being so exhaustedto the point you cant do daily activities without getting out of breath?
If you cant trace your chronic exhaustion to any other medical condition, you may be suffering from a condition known as adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue is a collection of symptoms such as body aches and fatigue that is caused by an imbalance in the hormones produced by your adrenal glands.
These adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys, are responsible for releasing a range of hormones in response to stress.
If youre suffering from adrenal fatigue, there are both lifestyle changes as well as medical treatments that can work together to help restore balance to your adrenal glands.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive treatment that involves passing an electromagnetic field through parts of the brain to modulate neural signaling. Although rTMS has been studied for several conditions, including major depression, schizophrenia, recovery in stroke, and CFS,144-146 the number of subjects in these studies was small. A case series in seven patients who underwent a 3-day course of rTMS reported that most of the patients experienced an improvement in fatigue.146 Another trial used rTMS in 22 patients with CFS, divided into two groupsâsevere and mildâand noted significant improvement in fatigue symptoms in both groups.147
In a study of 30 fibromyalgia patients comparing rTMS treatment to sham treatment, pain intensity was significantly reduced from day 5 to week 25 and long-term improvement in fatigue and sleep were noted in the treatment group.148 Similar results in pain improvement and quality of life were observed in another fibromyalgia study with treatment and placebo arms, using high frequency rTMS.149 Although more studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of rTMS in CFS, it has been suggested this modality may be useful in conditions involving multiple types of difficult-to-treat pain.150
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