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.
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.
Home Remedies And Lifestyle
Making lifestyle changes may greatly impact how you feel, and the specific changes you need can depend on the severity of your illness and whether certain activities exacerbate your symptoms. While some people may see the tremendous benefit just from making changes to the way they eat, for example, others may find that more sweeping changessuch as a job changemay be necessary.
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Invisible But Real: Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Although things have begun to improve, women are still too often dismissed and even ridiculed for health complaints such as pain and fatigue. No matter what society says, these feelings should not be a part of everyday life. Two chronic conditions that sometimes underlie lasting pain and tiredness when no other illnesses are present are fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
These are two distinct conditions, even though they sometimes occur at the same time. Fibromyalgia is characterised by widespread, inexplicable pain throughout the body, whereas chronic fatigue syndrome, as its name suggests, causes excessive tiredness. The conditions are similar in that they are both elusivethey present as vague, long-lasting symptoms without a clear causeand they are diagnosed in female patients much more often than in their male counterparts.
Pain and fatigue are extremely common symptoms that accompany most health conditions from common stress to life-threatening cancer. When a symptom becomes chronic the pain stimuli live on in the body even after the physical injury has healed. However, that does not mean its all in your head.
What Other Drugs Will Affect Amantadine
Using amantadine with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.
Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:
-
glaucoma medication or
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medicine that contains sodium bicarbonate .
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with amantadine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
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What To Expect At Your Provider’s Office
There is no laboratory test for chronic fatigue syndrome. But your health care provider may use tests to rule out other illnesses. Your provider will go over your symptoms, check your medical history, and do a physical examination.
If you have CFS, your provider may prescribe drugs to treat your symptoms, or suggest herbs, vitamins, or dietary changes to help you. Get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and learn to pace yourself. Often this combination of treatments will help you get better.
If the usual treatments do not work, your provider may check for other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those of CFS.
How Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Treated
There is no standard treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, clinically known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome . However, there are many options for managing symptoms and improving quality of life, including lifestyle changes, stress management, therapy, and medications. With the help of your healthcare provider and other caregivers, these can be tailored to your specific symptoms.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
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Treatment For Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia Interview Explained In Detail
When we look at chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia in the Allopathic world, they fall under the American Academy of Rheumatology. Rheumatologists are the ones that diagnose and treat rheumatic diseases which are considered joint diseases.
These Rheumatologists deal with autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. They have certain criteria, like a checklist. If a person ticks off x number of the criteria, then they qualify to be treated. What are the items on this checklist or the criteria, they are the symptoms, not the actual problem.
These symptoms involve pain, depression, mood issues, and fatigue.
What is the treatment for chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia from Rheumatologists? They are usually symptomatic. They address only the symptoms and do nothing to address the root cause.
What are chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia conditions? They are conditions that have affected the mitochondria. The mitochondria are the part of the cell that produce energy. They are very efficient.
They take one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen and put them together inside the mitochondria and run them through the electron transport and come out with 36 to 38 ATPs which are energy packages. We have to maintain this energy to function optimally.
I think you can start to see how this is all connected and is simply the body malfunctioning because of our diet, our environment, lack of exercise, poor sleep habits, etc.
Symptoms Of Opiate Overdose
Symptoms of opiate overdose include:
- Depressed level of consciousness
- Slow and/or shallow breathing
- Constricted pupils
- Cold, clammy skin
If you suspect you or someone else has overdosed on opiates, it’s important to get emergency medical help right away.
Addiction is also a risk with opiates. This has gotten a lot of attention from law enforcement and media in recent years, which has made some healthcare providers reluctant to prescribe opiates and makes some people worry about taking them.
However, some studies show that the risk of addiction is lower than commonly thought, and the greatest risk appears to be in people with a history of drug abuse and addiction.
To address healthcare providers’ fears overprescribing potentially addictive drugs, the American Pain Society in 2009 published this paper: Guideline for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain.
With opiate abuse, overdose, and death rising across the country, the CDC in 2016 issued Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to address the problems.
It’s also possible that, over time, opiates may heighten pain. Some research suggests that opioid medications may lead to an increased sensitivity of some types of pain, similar to the way FMS amplifies pain signals. This effect is called opioid-induced hyperalgesia.
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How To Fight Fibromyalgia Fatigue
Besides pain, anxiety and mental fog, fibromyalgia patients may also suffer from chronic fatigue symptoms. But natural remedies can go a long way toward restoring lost energy. Heres an expert guide to what really works for fibromyalgia fatigue…On bad days, Holly Scott can barely drag herself out of bed, shuffle to the couch and sit down. Ordinary activities seem virtually impossible.When my fibromyalgia flares up, I miss my daughters soccer games and dance recitals, says the 39-year-old Tucson mother of two. Im too tired even to sit through a movie with my husband. Scotts exhaustion is typical of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness, and can often bring about debilitating fatigue.Thats the result of the body trying to fight chronic pain both physically and mentally, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! and a leading expert on both fibromyalgia support and chronic fatigue. After a flare-up, women with fibromyalgia find themselves with lagging energy levels because theyve spent a great deal of battling the depression and emotional anguish associated with the disease, Dr. Teitelbaum says.
For optimum fibromyalgia support, meditate at least once a day for a minimum of 10 minutes, Dr. Yee suggests.Build up to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.Heres how to get started:
Medications For Treating Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Learn about medications used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms and how they can help reduce pain and fatigue and improve sleep.
The most helpful treatment approach for fibromyalgia is a combination of self-care, physical activity and cognitive-behavioral therapy. But medication may also be needed. Many drugs prescribed for fibromyalgia work to turn down pain volume in the central nervous system . They can also help reduce fatigue, improve mood, promote sleep and ease other problems associated with fibromyalgia, including irritable bowel and restless legs syndromes. Drugs such as NSAIDs, opioids and corticosteroids have not been found to be effective for fibromyalgia pain.
Common Medications for FibromyalgiaDuloxetine , milnacipran and pregabalin are FDA-approved to specifically treat fibromyalgia. Others are used off-label meaning, theyre used by doctors because of observed benefits but are not FDA-approved for fibromyalgia. Some of those drugs are antidepressants but that doesnt mean that getting a prescription for your fibromyalgia means you are depressed.
The risks, side effects, and warnings listed below are not complete and you may experience more than these effects. Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking, including over-the-counter drugs. Always read the full prescribing information when starting a new medication.
Common Medications
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Side Effects And Interactions
You can have side effects to opiates even while taking them as directed. Some side effects are the same as overdose symptoms. Common opiate side effects include:
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Medications for depression, anxiety or other mental health problems
- Alcohol
Again, these may vary by drug.
It’s important for you to notify your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all drugs you’re taking, including over-the-counter ones, so they can help you avoid dangerous interactions.
Memory And Concentration Problems
Memory aids, like organizers and calendars, can help with memory problems. For people with ME/CFS who have concentration problems, some doctors have prescribed stimulant medications, like those typically used to treat Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder . While stimulants might help improve concentration for some patients with ME/CFS, they might lead to the push-and-crash cycle and worsen symptoms. Push-and-crash cycles are when someone with ME/CFS is having a good day and tries to push to do more than they would normally attempt .
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Stage : Gut Dysbiosis
Stage 2 begins addressing the health of the gut . This is important because often poor gut health and increased intestinal permeability are associated with a variety of diseases including pain, fatigue, and emotional issues.
In this stage, heavy pains start to get addressed. Brain fog, abdominal fullness and bloating, bowel problems and morning fatigue all fall into this stage as well. Read More
Stimulating The Central Nervous System For More Energy Alertness And Even Calmness In Me/cfs And Fm
Most of the pharmaceuticals used to increase energy in chronic fatigue syndrome are amphetamines or have amphetamine-like structures. Amphetamines have been used in the past to elevate mood, reduce feelings of fatigue and increase alertness, concentration and motivation.
They cardiovascular effects have lead them, at times, to be used in orthostatic intolerance as well. In general they constrict the blood vessels and increase blood pressure and heart rates. They may also increase blood glucose levels.
Historically, amphetamines were used to treat everything from asthma to obesity to hyperactivity to neurological disorders, but abuse problems have restricted their use today to conditions such as attention deficit disorder. When taken correctly the risk of addiction is reportedly very low but taking large doses of stimulants over a long period of time can cause addiction. Sleep and energy levels can be negatively effected in ME/CFS and FM in some patients.
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Otc Drugs For Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Over-the-counter pain relievers are pain medications that are available without prescription at your local drugstore. When you visit your pharmacy or drugstore, you will see dozens of different kinds of over-the-counter drugs, so it is important to do your research and find out exactly what you need.
OTC medicine typically falls into two categories: analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Fibromyalgia sufferers commonly use both of these types of medications.
How To Treat Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia
Having had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia , with the medical system having no idea how to help, I understand what you are going through. I also know you can get well!
I came down with what I call the “Drop Dead Flu” in 1975 while in medical school, which triggered my CFS/FMS. As I was working to pay my own way through school, the illness left me homeless and sleeping in parks in Oklahoma. It is exciting, though, to see how life magically brings us what we need. I met many natural health practitioners while homeless, each of whom taught me bits and pieces of what I needed to learn to get well. And I did!
After returning to medical school, I have spent the last 30+ years researching and treating chronic fatigue and chronic pain . Our published research shows 91 percent improve using our “SHINE Protocol,” and hundreds of thousands have been helped. You can be one of them! Let’s do it now.
Ready to Get Well?
What Is Causing These Syndromes?
CFS/FMS acts as a “circuit breaker,” with the hypothalamus decreasing its function to protect the individual in the face of what is perceived to be an overwhelming stress . This center controls sleep, hormones, temperature, blood flow, blood pressure and sweating. In addition, if your muscles do not have enough energy, they will get stuck in the shortened position and you’ll be in pain . This “energy crisis” can be caused by any of a number of infections, stresses or injuries.
Other Helpful Resources:
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Create A Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Fibro fatigue isnt necessarily something that can be fixed with a good nights sleep, but quality sleep can help over time.
A relaxing bedtime routine is an important first step toward getting a good nights rest.
Here are a few tips for a healthy sleep routine:
- go to bed and get up at the same time every day
- avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine
- invest in a good quality mattress
- keep your bedroom cool and dark
- turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime
- keep electronics out of the bedroom
- avoid having a large meal before bedtime
- take a warm bath before bed
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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Opiates For Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
People with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can have dozens of symptoms, including severe pain that’s treatment-resistant. It often takes a combination of several medications to make us feel substantially better. Because each medication carries its own risk, and those risks can increase when taken with other drugs, it pays to know your medications well.
Opiate drugs, also known as opioids or narcotics, are designed to treat pain. They’re often prescribed for chronic pain conditions, including FMS and ME/CFS.
Opiates work by mimicking a pain-relieving chemical your body makes naturally, called an opioid peptide. Like their natural counterparts, opiate drugs bind to specific receptors in your brain and spinal cord and activate your pain-relief system.
Keep Track Of Your Symptoms And Their Onset
Tracking the frequency, timing, and severity of your symptoms might help your doctor better understand what youre experiencing. Tracking your activity level and symptoms can also help you draw connections and learn your limits so that you can reduce flare-ups.
When tracking your symptoms, remember to write down everything ailing you, not just fatigue. People with CFS/ME often also have issues with pain, cognition, such as memory and concentration, and sleep. You might also consider keeping a sleep diary, so your doctor can see how well youre sleeping and determine if sleep might play a role in your symptoms.
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