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I Think I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Probiotics May Help Some With Chronic Fatigue

I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Anne Harding, Reuters Health

3 Min Read

NEW YORK â Supplements containing good bacteria can help some people with chronic fatigue syndrome feel better, but they may make others feel worse, report Swedish researchers who conducted a small study.

I think that its worth trying, Dr. Birgitta Evengard of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, study co-author, told Reuters Health. Evengard said she recommends her patients with chronic fatigue syndrome try taking the probiotics tested in her study, and stop if they start feeling worse, but stick with it for 3 weeks if they feel better or if they dont notice an immediate effect.

Evidence is increasingly pointing toward the need for individualized treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, the researcher noted. The cause of this condition, characterized by debilitating fatigue that doesnt get better with rest and may be worsened by physical or mental activity, remains unclear, although there is evidence that dysfunction in the neurohormonal system or the immune system could be involved.

Given that there is a close connection between the gut and the immune system, as well as the central nervous system, Evengard and her colleagues decided to test whether probiotics â which can restore the normal balance of bacteria in the digestive system â might help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

None of the authors reported any competing interests.

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What Can You Do

My opinion is that the root cause is a static microbiome dysfunction and thus correcting the microbiome is the ideal long term approach . According to the US National Library of Medicine studies:

  • Jerusalem Artichoke

A reader asked me to put together a list of test that could/should be done. I divide the tests into two categories:

  • Actionable the results lead immediately to an accepted treatment with high possibility of success
  • Informational this shows that there is a problem, there may be treatment of a sort typically symptom mitigations

Is There Any Treatment

There is currently no cure for CFS. The therapies for this disorder are directed at symptom relief. It is important to maintain good health by eating a balanced diet and getting adequate rest, exercising regularly without causing more fatigue, and pacing oneself because too much stress can aggravate the symptoms of CFS. Working with a physician to develop a program that provides the greatest benefits also will help in reducing frustration with the illness.

Non-pharmacological therapies include acupuncture, aquatic therapy, chiropractic, cranial-sacral, light exercise, massage, self-hypnosis, stretching, tai chi, therapeutic touch and yoga. Certain psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy also have shown promise for facilitating patient coping and for alleviating some of the distress associated with CFS.

In pharmacological therapy there is a variety of medications that can relieve specific symptoms. It is important to begin with low doses and to escalate the dosage gradually as necessary.

Some CFS patients may also find it therapeutic to meet with other people who have this illness, and this can be accomplished by joining a local CFS support group. Support groups are not appropriate for everyone, and may actually add to their stress rather than relieving it.

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What Are The Symptoms/warning Signs Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

In order to be diagnosed with CFS a patient must satisfy two criteria. Severe chronic fatigue must have lasted at least six months with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnoses. Also, a person must concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration sore throat tender lymph nodes muscle pain multi-joint pain without swelling or redness headaches of a new type, pattern or severity unrefreshing sleep and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours. The symptoms must have persisted or recurred during six or more consecutive months and must not have predated the fatigue.

Diagnosis And Treatment For Me/cfs

What It

Currently, there is no single test to diagnose ME/CFS. Doctors make a diagnosis by excluding all other illnesses that might be causing symptoms and following accepted diagnostic criteria. The persons results from routine medical tests will often be normal, but additional tests may show abnormalities.

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How Will Me/cfs Affect My Quality Of Life

Not everyone will experience the same symptoms so itâs important not to compare people with ME/CFS. People with ME/CFS can have very different experiences of the condition and how long their symptoms last.

The impact of symptoms can be:

As symptoms change over time so does the impact they have on peopleâs lives.

Where Can I Get Support

ME/CFS can have a significant emotional and financial impact on your life. A lack of understanding and awareness about ME/CFS means patients can experience disbelief, and even discrimination, from friends, family, health and social care professionals and employers.

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. They also offer resources and services for children and young people affected by ME/CFS and their families.

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Major Study Links Gut Bacteria To Fatigue In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Me/cfs

Led by Cheng Guo and Brent L. Williams this big NIH-funded study from Ian Lipkins Columbia team at the Center for Solutions for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome set out to fix some of the problems found in prior gut studies. The study Deficient butyrate-producing capacity in the gut microbiome of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients is associated with fatigue symptoms was bigger , more rigorous, and used better bacterial sequencing techniques than past studies.

A lactobacillus gut bacteria . This study found a reduced diversity of gut bacteria in ME/CFS.

Ian Lipkins team involved seemingly everyone possible in this big NIH-funded study. The study was not just big it was long as well. Study participants provided stool samples 4xs over a year and completed a multidimensional fatigue inventory each time to boot.

Plus, following past studies from this group the study assessed the effect irritable bowel syndrome a common but certainly not universal comorbid condition found in ME/CFS has on gut flora. Finally, as it did in a past study, this new study added metabolomics to the mix as well.

The study also used a technique that appears to be new to ME/CFS gut studies called shotgun metagenomics sequencing which allows researchers to comprehensively sample all the genes in all the organisms found in a complex environment. This technique allows researchers to detect bacterial species that other methods are likely to miss.

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Connection

Solving the mystery of chronic fatigue syndrome

Both our current and prior fecal shotgun metagenomic study support the notion that IBS morbidity must be carefully considered in future ME/CFS microbiome studies. The authors

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by symptoms like abdominal pain, cramping or bloating usually associated with a bowel movement, changes in the appearance of bowel movements , and changes in how often youre having a bowel movement. About a third of the ME/CFS patients in the study had IBS.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Similar Disorders

Chronic fatigue syndrome encompasses a wide range of symptoms that affect most systems in the body, so doctors may easily confuse it for another disorder. Examples of the many conditions that may cause similar symptoms include anemia, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cancer, celiac disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Chronic fatigue syndrome may look especially similar to hypersomnia, narcolepsy, fibromyalgia, depression, and obstructive sleep apnea.

How Probiotics Help Chronic Fatigue

Leaky Gut and probiotics

Intestinal permeability is the medical term for the condition you know as leaky gut. To determine whether your gut is leaking, a blood test will measure something called lipopolysaccharides . Lipopolysaccharides are large molecules that consist of a lipid and a polysaccharide they are found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. If LPS are found in your blood, your gut is leaking the lipopolysaccharides found on bacteria should only be in your gut. Not in your blood!

Whats so bad about bacteria in your blood?

Elevated LPS indicates inflammation. And not just any type of inflammation, but chronic inflammation. Im sure you wont be surprised to learn that elevated levels of LPS are connected to chronic fatigue syndrome. When researchers combined LPS markers with the types of bacteria found in patients guts, they were able to accurately predict the likelihood of chronic fatigue.

The simple addition of a probiotic supplement decreases LPS levels and improves the tight junctions of your intestinal tract. By improving the tight junctions, you are healing your leaky gut making it much less leaky! All this is done by simply adding a probiotic supplement.

IBS-related symptoms and probiotics

The bacteria in your gut can influence emotions like anxiety and depression.

Inflammation and probiotics

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Sleep Rest And Relaxation

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 it’s going regularly. If your sleep does not improve after making changes, you may have an underlying sleep problem that will need to be addressed.

It’s likely you’ll 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.

If you have severe ME/CFS and need to spend much of your time in bed, it can cause problems, including pressure sores and blood clots. These problems, and how to avoid them, should be explained to you and your carers.

Continued Research Should Lead To Better Understanding And Treatments

Pin by Joyce Hermosillo on Health Awareness

A great deal more is known about ME/CFS today than 35 years ago. With continued and expanded support from the NIH, CDC, and private foundations dedicated to ME/CFS, I expect a lot of progress in the coming decade. Instead of doctors saying, The tests came back normal, there is nothing wrong, they will say, Tests showed us what was wrong, and we have treatments to fix it.

And doctors will recognize the wisdom of the wise advice we all learned in medical school: Listen to your patient. The patient is telling you the diagnosis.

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Case Of The Week: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Case of the Week: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A woman came to us in June of 2021. She was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome . She had been denied disability benefits by Social Security. As many of you know, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a terrible systematic disorder with complex symptoms that may vary in frequency, duration, and severity. The condition is misunderstood, and sometimes even family and friends believe that it is all in your head. This lack of understanding often extends to decision-makers at Social Security. In order to help their decision-makers, the Administration issued a policy ruling in 1999 and updated it in 2014 on how to properly evaluate CFS cases. Despite this guidance, because of a general lack of understanding and skepticism about the condition, CFS cases are extremely hard to win.

We came on board at the hearing level, updated the medical reports, and secured opinions from our clients doctors in a format that Social Security understands. We then drafted a comprehensive brief summarizing the evidence that explained why the claimant was entitled to disability benefits. In the brief, we asked the Administrative Law Judge to grant the case an On the Record without the need for a hearing. I am happy to report that the client recently received a Fully Favorable On the Record decision, and she is now getting the monthly benefits she deserves.

What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Scientists have been researching chronic fatigue syndrome for many years, but they still aren’t sure what causes it.

There may be more than one cause. And the different causes may interact with each other to bring on different symptoms in different people. Experts are studying potential triggers, which include:

  • infections: Experts have wondered if infections like measles or Epstein-Barr virus might increase the risk for CFS. The role Epstein-Barr plays in CFS is not clear because studies have not confirmed it as a cause.
  • emotional stress
  • low blood pressure

Chronic fatigue syndrome can affect people of all ethnicities and ages, but it’s most common in people in their forties or fifties. It’s very rare in kids. A few teens do get CFS, and it affects more girls than guys.

Sometimes different people in the same family get CFS. This may be because the tendency to develop CFS is genetic, but more research is needed to see if this is true.

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Children Young People And Me/cfs

ME/CFS can affect people of all ages, including the very young. Young people with ME/CFS, especially children under the age of ten, might have trouble knowing or articulating that something is wrong. They may not realise that their loss of stamina, or other symptoms they are experiencing, are not normal. Alternatively, they may not have the words to describe what they are feeling.

For both younger children and teenagers, schooling can be affected but ME/CFS is not school refusal. While school refusal can often be accompanied by physical complaints , and these complaints may tend to disappear when the young person stays home, the pattern is different with ME/CFS. In a young person with ME/CFS, some symptoms never ease and symptom exacerbation is triggered by activity. In ME/CFS, symptoms are likely to be worse after school attendance, and can reduce with pacing and rest, which includes time away from school or during holidays.

Some young people with ME/CFS can continue to attend school, and others may be too unwell for regular classroom attendance. Parents, healthcare providers, schools and the child or teenager need to work together to come up with a plan for the young persons continued education. This plan needs to take into account the energy limits of ME/CFS. Being creative and flexible is key and might include things like fewer subjects or school from home.

Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue, M.E/CFS & Fibromyalgia Explained

Most people who have chronic fatigue syndrome are successful and function at a high level until the disorder begins, usually abruptly, often following a stressful event. The main symptom is fatigue that usually lasts at least 6 months and is severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Severe fatigue is present even on awakening and persists throughout the day. The fatigue often worsens with physical exertion or during periods of psychologic stress. However, physical evidence of muscle weakness or of joint or nerve abnormalities is absent. Extreme fatigue may begin during or after recovery from an illness that resembles a viral infection, with a fever, runny nose, and tender or painful lymph nodes. However, in many people, fatigue begins without any such preceding illness.

Other symptoms that may occur are difficulty concentrating and sleeping, sore throat, headache, joint pains, muscle pains, and abdominal pain. Depression is common, particularly when symptoms are severe or worsening. Symptoms often overlap with those of fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is characterized by poor sleep, fatigue, mental cloudiness, and widespread aching and stiffness in soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Poor sleep, stress, strains… read more , a possibly related disorder.

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Talking With Your Healthcare Provider About Your Symptoms

Since chronic fatigue syndrome can be difficult to diagnose, it is helpful to come prepared to your doctors appointment. Think back to when your symptoms first started, and whether they may be linked to a stressful event or an illness. Make a note of all the symptoms you have experienced, even if they do not seem directly related to chronic fatigue syndrome. This can help your doctor rule out other conditions.

You may also want to prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor. Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome tends to focus on managing symptoms through medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Tell your doctor about your preferences regarding activity levels, so they can help establish a treatment plan that works for you. They may need to refer you to specialists for more targeted treatment of certain symptoms.

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How Is Cfs Treated

Theres currently no specific cure for CFS.

Each person has different symptoms and therefore may require different types of treatment to manage the disorder and relieve their symptoms.

Work with your team of healthcare providers to create the best treatment plan for you. They can go over the possible benefits and side effects of the therapies with you.

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They May Help Improve Energy And Physical Activity In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Due to excessive fatigue, patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have low levels of physical activity and this is associated with increased symptom severity in ME/CFS.

Though no research has been done on this exclusively in chronic fatigue syndrome, studies in individuals who have received physical training suggest that probiotics may lower fatigue caused by strenuous physical activity.

These healthy bacterial strains possibly enhance immune function and lower inflammation and thus indirectly improve energy levels and physical activity.

Adding probiotics to diet may help individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome to cope with daily activities.

Quick Gist: Under conditions of high physical activity, probiotics are found to improve energy levels, attenuate fatigue and support recovery. This property of probiotics may help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and help improve physical activity.

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