Other Lifestyle Changes To Manage Me/cfs
Other ways to manage ME/CFS include:
- equipment â some people may need a blue badge for parking, a wheelchair, a stairlift, or other adaptations for their home
- changes in your place of work or study â when youâre ready and well enough to return to work or studies, your doctor should be able to advise you on changes that could ease your return
Thereâs limited or no evidence to recommend:
- resting completely â thereâs no evidence this helps
- complementary medicine â there is not enough evidence that itâs helpful for ME/CFS
You should not take up vigorous unsupervised exercise such as going to the gym or for a run as this may make your symptoms worse.
The Awakened Empath Ebook:
Solution: What time in your day can you make to spend time alone, without stimulation or escapism? What can you do, or not do, in your solitude to get back in touch with your soulful center?
There are many causes of extreme fatigue and all are linked to your physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being as we have seen above.
Beginning the journey of healing really starts with the development of self-awareness and the willingness to be honest with yourself.
Taking self-responsibility was the number one way I learned to overcome my extreme fatigue, and I encourage you to take the same courageous path as well.
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Rule Out Health Problems
Fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, anemia, thyroid disease, and sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor if you feel unusually tired.
Many medications can contribute to fatigue. These include some blood pressure medicines, antihistamines, diuretics, and other drugs. If you begin to experience fatigue after starting a new medication, tell your doctor.
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Facts About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- The CDC estimates up to 2.5 million Americans have ME/CFS.
- Anyone can get it, including children and teens.
- It’s most common in women in their 40s and 50s.
- Women are more likely to develop it than men.
- Most cases are mild or moderate.
- About 1 in 4 people with the condition have severe symptoms.
If you have mild ME/CFS, you can probably manage on your own. Moderate symptoms can make it hard for you to move around. For example, you might need to sleep in the afternoons.
Severe symptoms can impact your quality of life and abilities as badly as if you had lupus, heart disease, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment Options For Me/cfs
There is no cure for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and no FDA-approved treatments. However, there are treatment options available to help ease and manage symptoms, as well as improve quality of life. Treatments are very individualized as each patient experiences different symptoms and severity. There are a variety of different medications and lifestyle changes and strategies that can help reduce the symptoms associated with ME/CFS.
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Severity Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
Symptoms vary widely in severity and people may have some symptoms more severely than others. However, the following definitions are provided by NICE to provide a guide to the level of impact of symptoms on everyday functioning:
Features of mild chronic fatigue syndromeThese include:
- You are able to care for yourself and do some light domestic tasks but may have difficulties with mobility.
- You are usually still able to work or attend education, but to do this you have probably stopped all leisure and social pursuits.
- You often have reduced hours, take days off and use the weekend to cope with the rest of the week.
Features of moderate chronic fatigue syndromeThese include:
- You have reduced mobility and are restricted in all activities of daily living.
- However you may have peaks and troughs in your level of symptoms and ability to do activities.
- You have usually stopped work or education, and need rest periods, often resting in the afternoon for one or two hours.
- Your sleep at night is generally of poor quality and disturbed.
Features of severe chronic fatigue syndromeThese include:
Features of very severe chronic fatigue syndromeThese include:
- You are in bed all day and dependent on care.
- You need help with personal hygiene and eating, and are very sensitive to sensory stimuli.
- Some people with very severe CSF/ME may not be able to swallow and may need to be tube fed.
Got Adrenal Fatigue Do These 6 Things To Help You Sleep
Hey there! Im Laura. I use functional medicine to help women recover Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and get their lives back. A huge factor in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is that whatever factors are contributing to the CFS are also likely contributing to the dysregulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis. The more common name for HPA axis dysregulation is adrenal fatigue.
HPA axis dysregulation happens when theres a chronic stress response happening in the body. This stress could be caused by emotional, dietary, inflammatory, or environmental factors. Over time, this heightened stress response can lead to lowered levels of DHEA and higher or lower levels of free cortisol production, which can lead to fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, brain fog, dizziness, exercise intolerance, low libido, inability to handle stress, and even lowered immunity in the gut.
The following are my top six sleep guidelines that are specific for resetting the circadian rhythm, re-regulating the HPA axis and ultimately reversing adrenal fatigue.
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I Don’t Have Insurance How Can The Affordable Care Act Help Me
If you’re uninsured or have been denied coverage in the past for ME/CFS, the Health Insurance Marketplace may be able to provide you with access to affordable coverage. With health insurance plans in the Marketplace, you can no longer be refused coverage just because you have a pre-existing health condition. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program also can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more because of a health condition. They also can’t charge women more than men. Learn more about the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace at Healthcare.gov.
Allergies Hay Fever And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue, headache, itchiness, nasal congestion, and drainage
Allergic rhinitis is a common cause of chronic fatigue. But allergic rhinitis often can be easily treated and self-managed. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will assess your symptoms. The doctor will also find out, through a detailed history or testing, whether your allergies are triggered by pollens, insects , animal dander, molds and mildew, weather changes, or something else.
One way to reduce symptoms of allergic rhinitis — including fatigue — is to take steps to avoid the offending allergen. In addition, proper medication can help with symptoms. Drugs that might help include:
- Leukotriene modifiers
- Mast cell stabilizers
Allergy shots — immunotherapy — may help in severe cases. This treatment involves weekly shots of increasingly higher solutions of the offending allergens. Allergy shots take time to be effective and are usually administered over a period of 3 to 5 years.
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What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex and disabling disease. It has been classified as a neurological disorder by the World Health Organization, though it affects many parts of the body, including the brain and muscles, digestive, immune and cardiac systems.
The term myalgic encephalomyelitis means pain in the muscles, and inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Scientists are starting to understand some of the biological changes in the bodies of people with ME/CFS, although they have not yet found how to prevent, or cure it.
Research has found that ME/CFS is associated with problems involving:
- The bodys ability to produce energy at a cellular level
- Immune, neurological and hormonal systems
- Blood pressure and heart rate regulation
- Cognition how quickly information is processed
ME/CFS affects men, women and children of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 75-80% of people with the disease are female. It is estimated that up to 600,000 Victorians may be living with ME/CFS, and as many as 90% are undiagnosed.
Why Viral Infections Become Chronic
Ari Whitten: Okay. Having said that there is a link between some of these viral infections and chronic fatigue syndrome and that you can see certain results on blood tests that paralleled with severity of symptoms, what is it, what do you think is really going on there? Let me phrase this a little differently, because when I was in my mid-20s, I got mononucleosis from Epstein-Barr virus, and I was severely chronically fatigued for several months after that, but then I got better over the course of, not instantly, but after six months, a year, I was mostly back to normal, and I havent had chronic Epstein-Barr virus since then, or chronic fatigue syndrome since then. Why is it that in some people this becomes chronic?
Ari Whitten: Mm-hmm.
Dr. J.E. Williams, OMD: But not always. The inflammation thats causing it is from a group of subcellular chemicals called cytokines. We can measure those, and we have profiles of those, interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 17, 13, we can measure those. Even seven years ago, there was just experimental, but now theyre available and not super expensive testing.
Sometimes they have bacterial infections like you said and sometimes they dont. Sometimes they have autoimmune, and sometimes they dont.
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Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Shift work can wreak havoc on your body’s 24-hour internal clock, or circadian rhythm. When you work nights or rotate shifts, your body doesn’t know when to be awake and when to sleep, which causes fatigue.
Daylight is often a cue to be awake. If you must sleep during the day, try to make your sleeping area as dark, cool, and quiet as possible. If you must work at night, keep your workplace brightly lit. Try to work night shifts all in a row and avoid frequently rotating shifts. Stay away from caffeine, and stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule as much as possible on days off.
What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor
- Take along a list of all the symptoms you are experiencing in case you forget some of them during your talk with the doctor or nurse.
- Talk about how much you can do at work or school and around the house.
- Ask if there are any financial supports or services you could apply for.
- Ask for help with pain, sleep and remaining active if these are problems for you.
- Ask about what you should be eating.
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How Can I Help My Child
To help your child cope with the emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome:
- Encourage your child to keep a daily diary to identify times when he or she has the most energy and help plan activities for these times.
- Have your doctor plan an exercise program to maintain strength at whatever level is possible. This can help your child feel better physically and emotionally.
- Help your child to recognize and express feelings, such as sadness, anger, and frustration. Its OK to grieve the loss of energy.
- Get support from family and friends because emotional health is important when coping with a chronic health problem.
- Allow more time for your child to do things, especially activities that take concentration or physical exertion.
What Else Should I Know
- Strong emotions can be a part of the illness, so it’s important to recognize and express your feelings. Feelings like sadness, anger, and frustration are completely normal and it’s important to acknowledge how you feel and recognize that it’s not your fault. Recognizing emotions can help you figure out what’s behind your feelings and help you manage problems.
- It can help to keep a daily diary of feelings and energy highs and lows. This also can let you share information that might help your doctor. You can also track trends for example, if your energy is high at one time of day and low at another that will help you figure out when to exercise or do other activities.
- Give yourself more time to do things, especially activities that take concentration or physical exertion.
- Get support from family, teachers, and friends.
Most important, don’t give up. Having chronic fatigue syndrome can be hard. But for most people, the symptoms are most severe in the beginning. Later, they may come and go. Teens with CFS generally get better faster and recover more completely than adults do. Most teens get partial or full recovery within 5 years after symptoms began.
Try to keep a positive approach to getting well and to not look for the reason why you have CFS. People who take action and stay positive can have a good outcome.
You also can find more information and support online at:
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are conditions that can cause persistent, unexplained fatigue that interferes with daily activities for more than six months.
Both conditions are chronic and there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, but lifestyle changes can often help ease some symptoms of fatigue. Strategies include good sleep habits , relaxation techniques, light exercise, pacing yourself, and eating a balanced diet.
Do I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Unfortunately, reaching a diagnosis can be a complicated and long process for many patients. Because it shares so many symptoms with other conditions, its diagnosed by ruling out similar diseases. However, there is a path to diagnosis.
As HealthLine notes, to be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, you must have at least four major symptoms. In addition: You also must have severe, unexplained fatigue that cant be cured with bed rest. The fatigue and other symptoms must last for six months or longer.
You may have chronic fatigue syndrome if:
- You have severe, unexplained fatigue that is severely impacting your quality of life
- Youre suffering from a combination of post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive impairments, or symptoms that worsen when you stand upright
- Your symptoms rule out another similar condition, like fibromyalgia or Lyme disease
- These symptoms have lasted for six months or more
You may also be more likely to have CFS if youre a middle-aged woman. According to some sources, chronic fatigue syndrome is diagnosed four times more often in women than men.
However, many believe that chronic fatigue syndrome is seriously under-reported and under-diagnosed. You should always talk to your doctor or a pain specialist if you believe that youre suffering from this condition.
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Central Nervous System Abnormalities
Abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain system known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis have been proposed as a cause of CFS. This system controls important functions, including sleep, the stress response, and depression. Some people with CFS appear to have imbalances in hormones controlled by the HPA axis, such as cortisol.
How Would You Describe Fatigue Associated With Pots
People with POTS experience fatigue differently. Many describe it as feeling beyond exhausted. Its as if your energy is completely depleted. The fatigue is probably hundreds of times worse than your worst flu. People with POTS may also have trouble concentrating and thinking straight. Doing simple tasks may feel like youve just run a marathon.
This fatigue might come and go, hitting you without warning daily, weekly or less frequently. For some people, extreme fatigue lasts for days. Others may experience periodic attacks. It can come on at any moment even if you just woke up. And there is no amount of sleep or coffee that can make it go away.
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Can Emotions Cause Fatigue
Are you fearful about the future? Do you worry about your health and who will take care of you? Are you afraid you are no longer needed? Emotional stresses like these can take a toll on your energy. Fatigue can be linked to many conditions, including:
- Stress from financial or personal problems
- Feeling that you no longer have control over your life
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to fatigue. Regular physical activity can improve your sleep. It may also help reduce feelings of depression and stress while improving your mood and overall well-being. Yoga, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy could also help you get more rest. Talk with your doctor if your mental well-being is affecting your sleep or making you tired.
When To See A Medical Provider
One of the most important factors in managing ME/CFS, and maximizing quality of life, is building a strong relationship with an experienced medical provider.
This is a process that starts with getting a diagnosissomething many people with ME/CFS unfortunately never receive.
Talk to your doctor if you begin to experience extended periods of severe fatigue that cannot be improved by rest.
Let your doctor know if you begin to experience memory and concentration problems, or start to have trouble holding your body upright.
If you already have an ME/CFS diagnosis, talk with your doctor before trying any new symptom management tools, medications, supplements, or alternative medicines.
Some supposed cures can do more harm than good, or conflict with an existing course of treatment.
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What You Can Do To Improve Your Energy
Discovering your root cause of chronic fatigue is the first step in improving your energy. By uncovering any imbalance your body may be experiencing, we can develop a plan to get you on the track to full recovery. Through many different testing methods, we can tell exactly whats going on to cause chronic fatigue, and can tailor your individual healing plan.
Detoxing your body, killing parasites, adding vitamin and nutritional support and removing heavy metals are all modalities that can help increase your energy. For example, if testing reveals you are low in iron or certain B vitamins, supplementing with the correct form can be life changing.
