Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Is There Help?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an often debilitating illness causing persistent (longer than 6 months) fatigue which is not caused by another known disease or condition. This extreme fatigue is unrelenting, and not relieved by rest. It often prevents sufferers from working, exercising and living a full life.

Chronic Fatigue affects people from all walks of life and any age, both women and men, though women are two to four times more likely to develop CFS.

CFS is also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) depending on the region in which you live.

It is not known what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but it is thought to be triggered by any one of a number, or a combination, of factors. These include: genetic predisposition, viral infection, environmental toxins and immune reactions. For some people trauma, head injury or surgery seem to be the trigger.
In others, it may be the use of certain medications such as beta-blockers, sedatives, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and excessive use of antibiotics that cause fatigue.

It is known that stress and anxiety heightens the effects of Chronic Fatigue and it is thought to be closely related to Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Until recent years, it was not widely recognized as a legitimate condition, but was considered to be a psychological disorder, or a psychosomatic illness. Although great inroads have been made in the past decade or so into understanding both CFS and Fibromyalgia, more research is needed.

The two primary symptoms of Chronic Fatigue are:

- Chronic and severe fatigue lasting longer than six months

- Exhaustion and Low stamina

Other symptoms:
- mild fever
- sore throat
- tender neck with swollen lymph nodes
- headaches
- decreased ability to concentrate
- muscle aches and weakness

Commonly, memory problems and difficulty focusing occur and impair ability to function in many day to day activities. In addition, often reported are gastrointestinal problems, sleep disorders and abnormal body temperatures.

There have been no specific proven traditional treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to date. Treatment has been limited to various anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds, sleeping pills, and anti-inflammatory medication. Often the side effects of these medications can make fatigue and feelings of fogginess worse.

There seems to be a promising protocol which has been developed in recent years for CFS and FMS that examines new evidence relating to these conditions. Treatment involves inexpensive and simple techniques in a daily regime designed to help reverse core damage done to the patients system. It is a drug-free therapy which, if carefully followed, is said to improve symptoms by 50% in the first month with a reversal seen in 6 month to a year.
My understanding is that this involves, at least in part, dietary changes, eliminating toxins and stress in addition to the rest of the regime - all natural. It certainly sounds interesting and well worth trying in light of the fact that there are no real alternatives available.