Chronic Fatigue, despite its reality remains a mystery to health professionals today

Much research still needs to be done about this often debilitating disease. Meanwhile some natural treatments can help to manage the symptoms

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a debilitating and complex disorder characterised by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity.

People with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness. In addition to these key defining characteristics, patients report various non-specific symptoms, including weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, insomnia, and post-exertional fatigue lasting more than 24 hours.

In some cases, the condition can persist for years. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available. Moreover, since many illnesses have incapacitating fatigue as a symptom, care must be taken to exclude other known and often treatable conditions before a diagnosis is made.

A number of illnesses have been described that have a similar spectrum of symptoms. These include fibromyalgia syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, neurasthenia, multiple chemical sensitivities, and chronic mononucleosis. Although these illnesses may present with a primary symptom other than fatigue, chronic fatigue is commonly associated with all of them.  In addition, there are a large number of clinically defined, frequently treatable illnesses that can result in fatigue.

Diagnosis of any of these conditions would exclude a definition of CFS unless the condition has been treated sufficiently and no longer explains the fatigue and other symptoms. These include hypothyroidism, sleep apnea and narcolepsy, major depressive disorders, chronic mononucleosis, bipolar affective disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, cancer, autoimmune disease, hormonal disorders, subacute infections, obesity, alcohol or substance abuse, and reactions to prescribed medications.

In addition to the eight primary defining symptoms of CFS, a number of other symptoms have been reported by some chronic fatigue patients. The frequencies of occurrence of these symptoms vary from 20% to 50% among patients. They include abdominal pain, alcohol intolerance, bloating, chest pain, chronic cough, diarrhea, dizziness, dry eyes or mouth, earaches, irregular heartbeat, jaw pain, morning stiffness, nausea, night sweats, psychological problems (depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks), shortness of breath, skin sensations, tingling sensations, and weight loss.

People of every age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic group can have CFS. It affects women at four times the rate of men.  Research indicates that it is most common in people in their 40s and 50s.  Although it is much less common in children than in adults, children can develop the illness, particularly during the teen years.  Since there is no known cure, the aim of any treatment is symptom relief and improved function. A combination of drug and non-drug therapies is often recommended.

Natural alternatives include getting a body immune booster through:

• Learning how to laugh for health

• Pain relief with EFT

• Natural pain relief using a herbal product called Eazol

• Healing through deep relaxation

Lifestyle changes, including prevention of overexertion, reduced stress, dietary restrictions, gentle stretching and nutritional supplementation, are frequently recommended in addition to drug therapies used to treat sleep, pain and other specific symptoms.

Carefully supervised physical therapy may also be part of any treatment. However, symptoms can be exacerbated by overly ambitious physical activity. A very moderate approach to exercise and activity management is recommended to avoid overactivity and to prevent deconditioning.

Although health care professionals may hesitate to give patients a diagnosis for various reasons, it’s important to receive an appropriate and accurate diagnosis to guide treatment and further evaluation. CFS affects each individual differently. Some people remain homebound and others improve to the point that they can resume work and other activities, even though they continue to experience symptoms.

Article source: http://www.tenerifenews.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12039:fighting-the-fatigue-of-cfs-&catid=36:health-and-beauty&Itemid=124

Starting a New Treatment Plan

I started a new treatment plan yesterday. It’s the one by Dr. Rich Van Konynenburg that I mentioned in a previous post. The official name of the treatment is “Simplified Treatment Approach Based on the Glutathione Depletion

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, take charge of your symptoms …

Look for simple but effective solutions – Not all CFS treatment may work for you. This is because while there is a general clinical definition of the disorder, there are various levels of severity whereby it occurs.

CFS and B12 – rationale for using vitamin B12

Over the last 22 years of treating over 3000 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, I have developed a programme of treatment which I believe all patients must do as the foundation before proceeding to other treatments.

What is your experience of fatigue and do you know anyone suffering from this debilitating condition?

Please share your experiences by making a comment below

Your sharing is valuable and  appreciated

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Trying to get rid of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is difficult at best because it is after all chronic, a persistent and lasting disease or medical condition.

In this article, I’m going to reveal some psychological, systemic, and economic complications that in some cases lead to alternative remedies.

Take a closer look at this group of chronically ill people, after other illness and disorders are filtered out, and you may discover the shocking reality that this is a group of people who are not mad, are suffering from a serious chronic illness, and are not receiving the help they should.

The medical profession is yet to be held accountable. A significant number of doctors dissociate when patients complain and describe symptoms of CFS. The dark side of a doctor patient relationship is uncovered when a scenario like -
‘If I cannot find anything physically wrong with this patient, then there is not anything physically wrong, therefore the patient is crazy. Go away’.

Some CFS patients do not help their own cause especially if they become anti-doctor. By refusing to co-operate, even with doctors who are sympathetic and who are trying to help, the situation is complicated even more by fueling the fire of stigma for all parties.

Consistent with an undisclosed and obscured policy of dissociation, some doctors tend to distance themselves from controversy relying on terms like disorder and syndrome and stay away from words like diagnosis and treatment, especially when it comes to writing reports for insurance claims.

Such conduct is not only contrary to the medical reason to be, it also sets the stage for controversy and differing opinions within the medical community itself. Furthermore, some patients suffer unnecessarily when compensation or disability income is improperly withheld due to questionable adjudication and bureaucratic behavior indicated when the least expensive alternative is chosen.

For example, the language of medicine, and legal interpretation of it, tends to feed money into professional and bureaucratic channels of due process of independent medical examinations and protracted appeals. An obvious result is that the diversion of wealth to the wealthy at the expense of the poor, sick and suffering is never stated as part of any common dialogue on the topic.

Notwithstanding any real or perceived confrontational indicators, a severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms or stigma can be attributed to both parties. It exists in the fact of the result. People suffering from a chronic illness not only have to deal with their illness but also the effects of an anti-social self-serving systemic treadmill that denies, obscures, and dismisses any and all attacks on their vested interest.

‘The American Psychiatric Association’s considers symptoms such as depersonalization, derealization, and psychogenic amnesia to be core features of dissociative disorders. However, in the normal population mild dissociative experiences are highly prevalent, with 80% to 90% of the respondents indicating that they have had dissociative experiences at least some of the time.’

Unlike the circumstances of chronic illness like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome where psychological disorders are known to be part of the symptomatic mix, there is no excuse for the medical community to behave in ways that aggravates the condition directly or indirectly.

Effects of improperly withholding diagnosis and treatment by means of differing medical opinions and in turn used by bureaucrats, employers, or insurance adjusters to also improperly withhold payment of claims further aggravates the condition of some patients. And they get away with it because there are few if any options available to CFS patients whose health is their immediate personal priority, doctor or no doctor.

So while the doctors debate, bureaucrats bungle, and adjudicators play anal, not much is left for many CFS patients to do except seek relief and help elsewhere from those who claim to have a cure or at least brought the illness under better control.

To this end the internet has become a source of hope to some who seek to know how others have discovered successful relief or cure for their illness. However buyers must beware that there is no warranty or guarantee that the information available online meets medical or scientific standards.

Alternatively, it is equally true that while opposition in the medical community is improperly used to withhold treatment and financial support, there is not much else a person with CFS can do while waiting other than explore the alternatives.

I hope my insight into some of the psychological, systemic, and economic complications that may lead to alternative remedies will also be reason to unite the medical and administrative communities to realize that there is no right way to do the wrong thing, especially to persons suffering from an illness like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Author: Brian Hack

Brian Hack founded the Chemical Injury Relief Foundation in 1995 and has had extensive personal experience with CFS, dissenting doctors, and silly servants. Did you find the insights on CFS complications useful? You can learn a lot more about Chronic Fatigue Cures and Curses by reading how others have overcome their illness at the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Review, a blog set up at http://www.cfs-review.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Hack

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Mitochondrial dysfunction is getting more and more attention as an underlying mechanism of chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Sarah Myhill, a UK doctor who was an early proponent of this theory and has a treatment protocol based on it

Chronic Fatigue: Introducing the Multiple Reasons

All of these conditions, regardless of the disease name, have similar symptom patterns. The most common names are fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and Gulf War Syndrome. 

Chronic Fatigue Treatment Options

Because the origins of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are not yet fully understood, treatment options are more directed to managing the symptoms and not really in curing the disorder. 

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