You May Have A Stupid Doctor If ...

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she tells you fibromyalgia doesn’t exist.

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she dismisses your fibromyalgia symptoms as nothing more than you being a hypochondriac-someone wanting attention.

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she tells you that more exercise, sleep or losing weight is all you need to do to for your fibromyalgia symptoms-you know the doctor who says “you just need to improve your sex life, take a vacation, lose some weight, your just depressed, it is just PMS…”Give me a break, this doctor doesn’t have a clue!

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she tells you that all your blood work looks normal so you must be a “drug seeker.” It may not occur to this stupid doctor that you never mentioned you wanted pain medication, that in fact you have repeatedly declined to take pain meds in the past. What you are really seeking is to have a doctor listen, understand and help you feel better.

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she fails to order the proper tests, especially but not limited to thyroid tests. Simply following the herd and only ordering routine tests, including “the normal” thyroid tests, stimulating hormone (TSH) and a T4 (Thyroxine) is similar to trying to critique The Sound of Music after only watching the first 20 minutes of the movie/play. Your synopsis is-Julie Andrews was a quirky nun. Ok, what about the Captain, his children, the Nazi party, the wedding, and the escape? My point is stupid doctors are happy to stay stupid. They don’t care to practice the art of doctoring, being a detective, investigating anything outside the routine.

They’re happy to follow the herd, not make any waves and dispatch the drugs the pharmaceutical rep asks them to based on “this is how we’ve always done it.”

Sorry but it burns me up that patients go to their doctor with all the symptoms of low thyroid-fatigue, depression, anxiety, elevated cholesterol, brain fog, weight gain, cold hands, cold feet, swelling, tingling pains, constipation, hair loss-only to be told their blood work looks fine.

They totally miss the diagnosis because they don’t go the extra mile (“this is how we’ve always done it”). They are then only too happy to promote life draining drugs to cover up the hypothyroid symptoms-Ritalin for low energy, Lipitor for elevated cholesterol, Zoloft for depression, Lyrica for tingling pain…it just goes on and on.

The patient’s symptoms and poor health continue to grow year after year when all the stupid doctor needed to do was run the right tests, or think outside the box and recommend prescription or over the counter thyroid hormone therapy. Correct the cause, low thyroid and all the symptoms go away!

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she dismisses the very real condition known as adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue occurs when your stress coping glands, the adrenals become to stressed to perform properly. Stress is definitely the catalyst for disease! They will tell you your symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue, low energy, brain fog, low immune function, depression, poor sleep, weight gain, etc. are from getting older or all in your head.

Why? Because doctors are evaluating blood work for disease not function. They don’t care that your adrenals aren’t functioning at optimal levels (to allow you to deal with and rebound from stress). They only care if you have TOTAL adrenal failure, Addison’s disease. Blood tests won’t show adrenal fatigue but a four-sample, 16-hour saliva test will.

Guess what else stupid doctors don’t believe in, saliva tests. This despite they’ve been proven valid and are recognized by insurance companies, accredited labs, Harvard Medical School, and other leading organizations.

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she has you taking two different SSRI or SSNRI antidepressant medications. These drugs, including Savella, Cymbalta, Effexor, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Pristiq, and Prozac are supposed to help your brain re-uptake the happy hormones serotonin and or norepinephrine. It makes no sense to be on more than one of these drugs at the same time-you only increase the risk of more side effects (including poor sleep, depression, anxiety, muscle pain, etc.).

If you stop to get gas why would you mix 89% with 91% unleaded fuel? You wouldn’t. If you need more fuel you simply increase the cars intake, you don’t mix them. Mixing these drugs is a sign of a lazy and stupid doctor!

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she has you taking a stimulant drug or drugs and a relaxant or tranquilizing drug. Examples include-taking Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, Intuniv, Vyvanse, Wellbutren, Effexor, Cymbalta, Savella, or Pristiq and a benzodiazepine drug for anxiety including Ativan, Xanax, Seroquel, Klonpin, Valium or Busbar. One drug is revving you up the other is making you a zombie.

Lazy or stupid doctors are happy to over medicate you. They don’t take time to study how to naturally reduce your anxiety, which after the fact, you can and should use natural amino acids (which make the happy, calming and or stimulating brain hormones, serotonin and norepinephrine)-no one has a drug deficiency!

You May Have A Stupid Doctor If-

He or she has you taking a potentially stimulating drug while you are complaining of insomnia. It used to surprise me to see doctors recommending their patients take a SSRI or SSNRI at bedtime. Why? Because these drugs can, not only re-uptake the calming hormone serotonin, they can also re-uptake the stimulating hormone adrenaline. Now I may not be “a real doctor,” I’m only a little chiropractor nutritionist, but I know enough about biochemistry and physiology and after 17 years experience of treating fibro I know you don’t do anything to potentially sabotage deep restorative sleep.

Timed-release stimulant drugs including some antidepressants and Ritalin are notorious for causing sleep disorders. AND you should know that these drugs deplete your natural sleep hormone melatonin.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But I’m sure the stupid doctor simply increased your sleep medication or added another potentially dangerous drug to knock you out at night.

Well I could go on and on about stupid doctors but I’ve got to finish up now so I can pack my clothes for my weekend seminar on Functional Medicine. I’ll be learning about more tests that stupid doctors don’t use or even know about. I’m happy not to follow the herd, and strive to be a smart doctor, even though I’m still learning how to work the new TV remote.

May 12th is National Fibromyalgia Day

Should we celebrate National Fibromyalgia Day? Well yes and no. I don’t believe it is appropriate to celebrate a disease or even a day that recognizes a disease.  Wouldn’t it be great if there wasn’t an awareness day because fibromyalgia doesn’t exist anymore?

Wishful thinking I know, but celebrating fibromyalgia doesn’t feel right.

True, those in the fibromyalgia community don’t have anything to celebrate but we can appreciate just how far we have come.

When I first started treating fibromyalgia, some seventeen years ago, the public didn’t know what the illness was or even how to pronounce it. Heck, most doctors didn’t know much of about fibromyalgia.

Fortunately healthcare professionals and the public at large have over the years continued to learn more and more about fibromyalgia-at least at this point most everyone has heard of fibromyalgia.

So while we aren’t celebrating anything on May 12^th we can be appreciative that the skepticism from family, doctors, and the public is thankfully being put to rest.

Unfortunately we still have some STUPID doctors who think that fibromyalgia doesn’t exist-“it’s all in your head.” Clearly ignorance and arrogance is still alive and well as some stupid doctors choose to write fibromyalgia off as another hypochondriac disease.

Wish they could be in your shoes for a few days. I bet they’d change their minds. Let them go 4-5 nights without sleep and battle diffuse achy all over pain day in and day out and I bet they’d be demanding federal dollars for a cure for fibro.

Clearly there is much work to be done so that those with fibromyalgia aren’t made to feel like they are lazy, crazy, or simply depressed.

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is a great way to educate others about a very real disease. We need more research and we need more understanding-the more the better.

We also need to proactive and not wait on “the cure.” Please realize that traditional medicine alone isn’t going to cure fibromyalgia. There will not be a magic pill or combination of magic drugs that will prevent or cure fibro-sorry but it just isn’t possible.

You can read my blog about this topic here-

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/traditional-medicine-offers-little-for.html

I’m not anti-drug-they can be helpful. But drugs don’t make you healthy-they cover up your symptoms and do not correct the problem. Now this can be life saving but covering up symptoms while ignoring the cause can also be dangerous.

You can read more about this topic

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/ill-take-my-chances-with-complementary.html

Unlike type II diabetes in which the symptoms, elevated blood sugar, can be treated and managed with one drug like Metformin, fibromyalgia has several problems, sometimes dozens of symptoms that must be treated in order for the patient to feel dramatically better.

Of course covering up the symptom, elevated blood sugar instead of correcting the cause, being overweight (95% of time) really doesn’t make sense either….

But in fibro patients using one drug after another to treat the various symptoms, insomnia, chronic pain, fatigue, depression, headaches, etc., is a recipe for disaster-one drugs side effects lead to another drug.

The drugs being used for fibromyalgia don’t work, at least long term, and potentially have numerous life draining side effects.

You can read more about these drugs at the links below

Savella-Cymbalta

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/fibromyalgia-drug-savella-another.html

Lyrica

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Neurontin

http://drmurphree.blogspot.com/2010/10/neurontin-for-everything.html

The only way to beat fibromyalgia, and you can beat fibromyalgia, is to get healthy.

Drugs don’t make you healthy.

Using the essential, natural vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and supplements the body needs to repair itself, replenish serotonin, norepinephrine, cortisol, melatonin, thyroid, etc. is the best long term approach for treating and reversing fibromyalgia.

Using the right supplements along with losing inflammation storing fat, slowly building up to exercising on a daily basis, reducing or eliminating potentially dangerous drugs, and managing stress, allows your body to repair itself.

If you are tired of being sick and tired, tired of seeing doctor after doctor who continue offer more and more mind numbing drugs, going year after year stuck in a medical paradigm that treats symptoms, not causes, then I challenge you to be proactive and take a different course of action-get healthy.

Are you willing to be proactive and get healthy? Change your diet? Start the RIGHT (go easy) exercise program for you? Are you ready to start eliminate those bad health habits you know aren’t good for you-smoking, excessive sugar, etc?

New Patient Phone and In Clinic Appointments Are Available

Normally $399 still only $129

I’m committed to helping any many folks as I can beat fibromyalgia. I’ve helped thousands get their life back. Are you next?

Call 205-879-2383

The History of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

In 1993, Tom Hennessy, the founder of RESCIND, INC.  (Repeal Existing Stereotypes about Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases) designated May 12 as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND).

The date was chosen to memorialize the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse who inspired the founding of the International Red Cross.  Nightingale contracted a paralyzing, CIND-like illness in her mid-thirties and spent the last 50 years of her life virtually bedridden.  Despite her illness, she managed to found the first ever School of Nursing.

Today, National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day activities take place worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of this chronic pain illness. Awareness Day seeks to help patients and organizations educate the general public, healthcare professionals, government officials, and legislative bodies.

National fibromyalgia and chronic pain organizations, as well as local support groups around the country, host events in or around May 12 to create awareness and generate media interest in their cause.

Don't be Fooled by the Low Fat Propaganda

 

Fat provides energy, produces certain hormones, insulates
us from cold, and makes up cellular membranes. It is the primary source of fuel for the muscles, including the heart.

Fats have gotten a bad rap in our society. Low-fat diets have been the rage for years, promising weight-loss and improved health. But this line of thinking has contributed to yo-yo dieting, heart disease, fibromyagia, chronic fatigue, and type-2 diabetes. 

In fact, researchers at the National Institute of Health have recently shown that while our consumption of fat and cholesterol have drastically declined over the last several years, we've actually gained an average of ten pounds per person. 

Statistics show that during the years between 1960 and 1980, one-quarter of the population was overweight. But that number has grown to 60% of the population. Researchers and health officials are still scratching their heads over these statistics. It is now estimated that , over 80% of the U.S. population will be overweight in the near future. The "fat-free" mantra has proven to be the most misguided medical blunder since bloodletting.

The fear of fat and its derivative, cholesterol, has spawned a multibillion dollar industry of low-fat foods, but it's not turning the tide. We trust medical intervention, but drugs that lower fats and cholesterol have been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers. Dieters dutifully avoid fat, but hidden sugars in our processed foods are being turned into fat right under our noses (and our belts!).

The truth is that fat is in all natural foods. It is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in our overall health. We can't live without fat in our diet. Fat provides over twice the amount of energy of carbohydrates and 70% of the energy needed just to keep the body warm. Fats make up 70% of the brain. The fat insulates the brain cells and allows the neurotransmitters to communicate with one another.

Cholesterol and fats make up each and every cell. Cholesterol helps keep cell membranes permeable, and this permeability allows good nutrients in and toxic waste products out. Over 8% of the brain's solid matter is made up of cholesterol, and cholesterol is essential for proper brain function and normalized neurotransmitters such as serotonin. 

A deficiency in cholesterol can result in mood disorders including depression, anxiety, irritability, and fibro-fog. Cholesterol is also involved in the production of such essential hormones as DHEA, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol. 

Because it is essential to our very survival, cholesterol is manufactured by the body on a daily basis. Eliminating cholesterol from our diet only triggers the body to make more!

What about cholesterol and heart disease?

Believe it or not, your body needs cholesterol. It's not some foreign element to be avoided. It's a valuable nutrient.

Consider these facts about cholesterol, taken from my book Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You.

Cholesterol is so important that the body manufactures 800-1500 mg. each day. This is about twice as much as you take in through diet! Cholesterol and other fats are the very building blocks that make up each and every cell. Cholesterol is an important fat that helps keep cell membranes permeable, allowing good nutrients to get in and toxic waste products to get out. Cholesterol makes the bile salts required for the digestion of fat. 

Cholesterol is the precursor to vitamin D an important hormone in reducing pain associated with fibromyalgia. Cholesterol is essential in proper hormone production. Testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone, estradiol, and cortisol, all essential for optimal health and in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms and are all made from cholesterol. 

Fats make up 70% of the brain, and over 8% of the brain's solid matter is made up of cholesterol. The fat and cholesterol insulates brain cells and allows for proper functioning of neurotransmitters. 

Cholesterol levels have been repeatedly linked to decreased brain function, including depression. Those with low cholesterol are three times more likely to suffer from depression as normal adults. The British Medical Journal has published research showing that the lower the cholesterol, the more severe the depression. 

Low cholesterol levels are also linked to an increased risk of suicide. One study, reported in the British Medical Journal, showed that of the 300 people studied who had committed suicide, all had low cholesterol levels. Another study reveals that men whose cholesterol levels are lowered through the use of prescription lipid-lowering medications double their chances of suicide. Low cholesterol (below 180) has been linked to an increased risk for heart attack. Yes, you read this correctly. Low cholesterol increases the risk of a heart attack.      

Read all the dangerous medical myths associated with heart disease in my book Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You.

If You Have Fibromyalgia or CFS-Avoid NutraSweet

The Health Dangers of NutraSweet-Fibromyalgia and Aspartame

Aspartame can be found in most diet sodas and in other artificially sweetened food products. Commonly known as NutraSweet or Equal, it is broken down by the body into methanol and formaldehyde. 

Toxic levels of methanol are linked to systemic lupus and now Alzheimer’s disease. 

Methanol toxicity can cause depression, brain fog, mood changes, insomnia, seizures, and similar symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. 

As for formaldehyde, it is grouped into the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic.

An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.

When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in the product is turned into formaldehyde and then into formic acid. Formic acid is the poison contained in the sting of a fire ant.

There are over 92 documented symptoms from the use of aspartame.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

Could Aspartame be contributing to your fibromyalgia or CFS symptoms?

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage.

One expert, Dr. Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice.)

For more information about the dangers ofAspartame see Aspartame Sweetpoison, written by author Dr. Janet Starr Hull.

Gluten, Low Thyroid and Fibromyalgia

Gluten Intake May Trigger Low Thyroid Function and Lead to Fibromyalgia

I find that 40-50% of my fibromyalga and CFS patients are suffering with low thyroid function. Many of these patients are plagued with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Gluten sensitivity has been implicated in contributing to Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism.

Several studies now show the link between gluten sensitivity and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. 

Gluten sensitivity (also known as "gluten intolerance") (GS) belongs to a spectrum of disorders in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. It can be defined as a non-allergic and non-autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten can lead to symptoms similar to those observed in celiac disease.

Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort, pain or diarrhea; or it may present with a variety of symptoms including headaches and migraines, lethargy and tiredness, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity, autism and schizophrenia, muscular disturbances as well as bone and joint pain.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It is named after the first doctor who described this condition, Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, in 1912. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a condition caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body inappropriately attacks the thyroid gland--as if it was foreign tissue.

Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroididitis include anxiety, depression, fatigue, high cholesterol, weight gain, poor immune function, hair loss, cold hands and feet, and constipation.

According thyroid specialist, Dr. Datis Kharrazian, author of “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal?” it’s rare to find a person with Hashimoto’s who doesn’t have some degree of gluten sensitivity or full-blown celiac disease.

Celiac disease is defined generally as an autoimmune response to intestinal tissues upon gluten exposure, as well as overall activation of the immune system.

The list of inflammation-induced symptoms brought on by a gluten sensitivity goes on and depends upon the person’s genetic makeup. Needless to say such systemic inflammation also flares up an autoimmune condition.

Experience shows a gluten-free diet is a must

Dr. Kharrazian writes that “Hashimoto’s patients fall somewhere between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.  Nevertheless, almost all patients with Hashimoto’s improve on a strict gluten-free diet, even if they do not fit the established criteria of celiac disease. By strict I mean you are 100 percent gluten-free.”

Regular Gluten Testing is Often Inaccurate

Part of the problem with negative gluten antibody tests is improper testing. The general gluten antibody test conducted by most labs today is only testing a small portion of the gluten protein, alpha-gliadin.

In reality, an individual can have an immune response to various parts of the gluten protein, including omega-gliadin, gamma-gliadin, wheat germ agglutinin, and deamidated gliadin.

Both the scientific and clinical evidence linking gluten with Hashimoto’s and autoimmune disease in general is too powerful and abundant to ignore. A strict gluten-free diet is the first and most important step to managing your Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.

Fish Oil for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) for Fibromyalgia and CFS

Essential fatty acids are, as their name implies, essential for our existence.

Essential fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from food.They make up the outer membranes of each cell. These membranes determine which nutrients get into and out of the cells. The membranes of healthy cells can resist entry by viruses and other pathogenic agents and, at the same time, facilitate the entry of nutrients-the “happy hormones” serotonin.

When EFAs are deficient, cell membranes are weakened in their abilities, and the wrong substances are allowed into the cell. A deficiency in EFAs can cause some of the very symptoms associated with fibromyalgia and CFS: fatigue, anxiety, depression, GI disorders, muscle pain, insomnia, poor mental function, and lowered immunity. It’s estimated that at least 40% of the population suffers from some amount of EFA deficiency.

There are several interesting interrelationships between EFA metabolism and viral infections (commonly chronic in those with CFS).  EFA’s have direct antiviral effects and are lethal at surprising low concentrations to many viruses. The antiviral activity of human mother’s milk seems to be largely attributable to its EFA content. 

Interferon is dependant on EFA’s and in their absence will be compromised.

 

Viral infections lower the blood levels EFA’s.  This has been confirmed in the case of the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV).  Of particular interest was the observation that at 8 and 12 months, those who have recovered from EBV showed normal or near normal EFA blood levels.  In contrast, those who were still clinically ill from Epstein-Barr show persistently low EFA levels. 

In a Scottish trial, patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were given EFA supplements with great success.  Placebo controlled trials were held for 70 patients with persistent CFS giving them linolenic acid (flax seed oil) and eicosapentaenoic acid (fish oil).  After 6 months, 84% of the patients in the group receiving EFA supplements, and only 22% of those in the placebo group rated themselves as better or much better. 

In another successful study, 63 adults with CFS were enrolled in a double blind placebo controlled study with essential fatty acid therapy.  The patient’s were ill for an average of 1-3 years after a viral infection. They all suffered from severe fatigue, myalgia (muscle pain), and a variety of psychological symptoms.  After one month, 74% of the patients taking EFA supplements, and 23% of those on placebo, assessed themselves as improved.

Depression

A deficiency of Omega-3 fat is one of the main causes of anxiety, depression and other mental disorders.  Omega-3 fats work to keep us mentally and emotionally strong in three ways: 

1) Omega-3 fats act as precursors for the body’s production of pre-prostaglandins and neurotransmitters (specific hormones). 

2) Omega-3 fats provide the substrate for B vitamins and coenzymes to produce compounds that regulate many vital functions, including neurotransmitters.

Omega-3 fats provide energy and nourishment to our nerve and brain cells. 

Eat to reduce inflammation.

The pro-inflammatory hormone PG-2 is made from arachidonic acid (AA).

AA increases bodily inflammation. Since AA is found in corn, and corn products are used as the prominent foodstuff for westernized livestock, red meat, cheese, eggs, and pork products have a high AA content in the United States.

Several research articles have demonstrated that the more animal fats a human eats, the more AA is in his blood and cell membranes and the more likely he is to have inflammation. So reduce your intake of grains and corn-fed livestock.

If your inflammation is severe, reduce or avoid red meat and dairy as well. Cook with olive oil or canola oil. (Avoid instant coffee, as well. It contains substances that block the receptor sites for endorphins.) Vegetables are fine and are encouraged-avoid vegetable oils not vegetables.

The functional opposite of PG-2, PG-1 and PG-3 are anti-inflammatory hormones. They help reduce and eliminate inflammation and pain. You should increase your intake of these hormones. The best sources of PG-1 and PG-3 are fish oil supplements or a diet high in deep cold-water fish.

I recommend taking 2,000 to 4,000mg of fish oil a day.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome VS. Fibromyalgia

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome VS. Fibromyalgia

Some of the immune disorders associated with CFS are:

• elevated levels of antibodies to various viruses.

• altered helper/suppressor T-cell ratio.

• decreased NK cells or activity.

• decreased levels of circulating immune complexes.

• low or elevated antibody levels.

• increased cytokine levels.

• increased or decreased interferon levels.

• fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivities.5

Chronic Viral Infections and CFS

Individuals who we suspect have chronic fatigue syndrome will have an Epstein Barr Virus EBV and or Cytomegalovirus CMV blood panels drawn. This is to see if there is a virus lingering in the body that is weakening the immune system. These blood tests measure the antibodies immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). A test for IgM antibodies measures the acute (recent infection) phase of the virus. A test for IgG antibodies measures the dormant (inactive) phase of the virus. Our tests also measure Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) antibodies.

►  You don’t have to have a blood test to diagnose CFS. If you’re patient has chronic fatigue (hard to get out of bed each day), achy diffuse pain, and a lowered immune function (chronic infections,) then they either have CFS or they are at high risk of developing the illness.

Due to weakened immunity, individuals with chronic fatigue have terrible problems with energy as well as reoccurring bouts with the flu, colds, sinusitis, and other immune problems.

 As with so many complex chronic illnesses, CFS may be aggravated by a wide variety of environmental and physiological challenges. Food allergies, environmental sensitivities, heavy metal toxicity, yeast overgrowth, intestinal dysbiosis, parasites, and vitamin/mineral deficiencies can all contribute to CFS.

The syndrome’s principal causes are a weakened immune system and a reactivated virus.

All of us have been exposed to mono or the Epstein-Barr virus at one time or another (usually as teenagers), but our bodies are usually strong enough to overcome it. Individuals with CFS have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus or mono from some other source, and it has now returned. Its return has either caused the immune system to be compromised or has taken advantage of already compromised immune system.

How to quickly distinguish between FMS and CFS patients.

►  A quick way to distinguish between the two syndrome. 

A positive EBV panel showing elevated antibodies, especially IgM is clear indicator that someone has CFS.

ŸThe CFS patient usually has chronic infections (sinusitis, upper respiratory, UTI’s, colds, flu, etc.) and is sick several times a year. They get at least 2 or more (bad) infections a year. They will usually have chronic or intermittent sore throats, swollen lymph nodes, and periodic fevers. They usually ache all over. 

FMS patients may ache all over as well but usually have specific areas (neck, low back, etc.) that are the most troublesome. 

ŸCFS patients may not have a low serotonin state (“S” on Brain Function Questionnaire, see my book) and will have no problems falling and staying asleep each night.

ŸNote-some of these individuals have a low body temperature (suggestive of low thyroid). They may have a fever when their temperature is at or below 98.6.

Many of these individuals will have a sluggish liver (higher incidence than those with FMS). Clues that would lead you to suspect someone has a sluggish liver include, funny or negative reactions to medications (take something to put them to sleep and it wakes them up or a little goes a long ways), intolerance to caffeine, alcohol, or odors (longer they’ve had illness more sensitive they become to odors, perfumes, gasoline, smoke, cleaners, etc.), and a history of elevated liver enzymes on past blood work. Of course anyone with hepatitis or fatty liver has a sluggish liver. Long term prescription medication therapies can also create a sluggish liver.

True chronic fatigue syndrome patients are a real challenge. Their biochemistry is usually totally shot by the time they get to the right doctor. They can feel better but it requires hard work and requires a lot of patience by the doctor and the patient. 

Fibromyalgia patients aren't easy either but FMS patients respond rather quickly to restoring serotonin levels. Once FMS patients start going into deep restorative sleep, they usually feel better in a matter of days. 

Do You Have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Both

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) shares many similarities with FMS. Several studies have suggested that they are the same illness. One study comparing 50 CFS patients with 50 FMS patients showed the following symptoms to be the same for both groups: low-grade fever (28%), swollen lymph nodes (33%), rash (47%), cough (40%), and recurrent sore throat (54%). Another study comparing CFS patients with FMS patients showed that brain wave patterns, tender points, pain, and fatigue were virtually identical in both groups.

A 1997 study by Allen N. Tyler, MD, ND, DC, muddies the water even further. Ten patients, all of whom met the ACR criteria for FMS, were selected at random for blood testing. They were tested for influenza type-B antibodies, and three of the ten tested positive. Another randomly selected group of ten FMS patients (meeting all the ACR criteria) were tested for antibodies to influenza type-A. Nine of them tested positive.

Symptoms of CFS include-

mild fever

fatigue

recurrent sore throat

painful lymph nodes

muscle weakness

muscle pain

migratory joint pain

prolonged fatigue after exercise

recurrent headaches

neurological or psychological complaints, such as:

depression

excessive irritability

forgetfulness

sensitivity to bright light

confusion

inability to concentrate

sleep disturbances

Due to weakened immunity, individuals with chronic fatigue have terrible problems with energy as well as recurring bouts with the flu, colds, sinusitis, and other immune problems. As with so many complex chronic illnesses, CFS may be aggravated by a wide variety of environmental and physiological challenges. Food allergies, environmental sensitivities (odors), heavy metal toxicity (mercury, aluminum, etc.), yeast overgrowth, parasites, and vitamin/mineral deficiencies can all contribute to CFS.

All of us have been exposed to mono or the Epstein-Barr virus (or other viruses) at one time or another (usually as teenagers), but our bodies are usually strong enough to overcome the exposure. We develop immunity to the virus. We carry the virus around inside of us until we die. Normally, this dormant virus never causes any more problems. It is kept in check by a healthy immune system.

Individuals with CFS aren’t able to squelch the normally dormant virus (or other bug), and it begins to raise its ugly head once again. Individuals with CFS may feel like they are walking around with the “flu from hell.” They have all the symptoms of a very bad case of the flu. But unlike most cases of the flu, CFS doesn’t disappear after one or two weeks.

HOW TO QUICKLY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FMS AND CFS

A positive EBV panel is a clear indicator that someone has CFS. However, you don’t need a blood test to diagnose CFS. If you have chronic fatigue (hard to get out of bed each day), achy diffuse pain, chronic sore throats, and a lowered immune function (chronic infections), then you either have CFS or you’re at high risk of developing it.

The CFS patient usually has chronic infections (sinusitis, upper respiratory, urinary tract infections colds, flu, etc.) and is sick several times a year. He or she gets at least two bad infections a year. They will usually have chronic or intermittent sore throats, swollen lymph nodes, and periodic fevers. They usually ache all over. FMS patients may ache all over as well, but they usually have specific areas (neck, low back, etc.) that are the most troublesome.

Many CFS patients will also have a sluggish liver (more likely than in those with FMS). Clues that would lead you to suspect a sluggish liver include funny or negative reactions to medications (they take something to put them to sleep, and it wakes them up, or “a little goes a long way”); intolerance to caffeine, alcohol, or odors (the longer they’ve had the illness, the more sensitive they become to odors, perfumes, gasoline, smoke, cleaners, etc.); and a history of elevated liver enzymes on past blood work. Of course, anyone with hepatitis or fatty liver has a sluggish liver. Long-term prescription-medication therapies can also create a sluggish liver.

CFS AND LIVER DYSFUNCTION

CFS patients are more likely than FMS patients to have a sluggish liver. Clues that would lead you to suspect you may have a sluggish liver include:

chemical sensitivities (see below)

funny or negative reactions to medications (you take something to put you to sleep but it wakes you up, or a little goes a long way)

intolerance of caffeine

intolerance of alcohol

intolerance of odors (the longer patients have had the illness, the more sensitive they become to odors, perfumes, gasoline, smoke, cleaners, etc.)

a history of elevated liver enzymes on past blood work.

CFS patients may have severe chemical sensitivities and may not be able to tolerate nutritional supplements. They may have allergic reactions to even the purest multivitamins. This complicates things. It is best to start slow, especially with individuals who have severe chemical sensitivities.

Individuals with fibromyalgia have a lot of similar symptoms of CFS but in general their immune system is not compromised-they don’t get chronic sore throats, and infections. A person can be a true fibromyalgia patient-poor sleep, chronic pain, etc. but intact immune function or a true CFS patient fatigue, achy pain, and KEY poor immune function. However patients can share symptoms of both of these illnesses and have both.

You can read more about fibromyalgia and CFS on my website www.treatingandbeating.com

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Stress

The majority of patients report some preceding moderate to serious physical stress (such as a chronic viral infection) or emotional event (often an episode of depression or chronic mental stress). Some experts theorize that such events, especially in people with certain neurological and genetic abnormalities, may overwhelm a person’s ability to regulate her own homeostatic self-regulating systems. I believe there is a great deal of truth to this idea (though admitting so may not endear me to those who believe that CFS is the result entirely of an infectious agent). I do believe that infectious agents can and do trigger CFS, but stress and infection go hand in hand. Stress weakens the body’s immune system, and an overtaxed immune system is quite stressful.

HPA-Axis Dysfunction 

Some researchers are investigating abnormalities in CFS patients of the brain system known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. This system produces or regulates hormones and brain chemicals that control important functions, including sleep, response to stress, and depression. It’s our self-regulating, homeostatic system. The HPA axis is a major part of the neuroendocrine system, which controls reactions to stress. It regulates various body processes such as digestion, the immune system, and metabolism, and it’s generally suppressed in CFS patients.

Low Cortisol Levels 

A number of studies on CFS patients have observed deficiencies in cortisol levels, a stress hormone produced in the hypothalamus. Cortisol suppresses inflammation, increases stamina, boosts mental and physical energy, and coordinates cellular immune activation. Cortisol deficiency may be why CFS patients consistently demonstrate a severely compromised resiliency to stress. (Although stress is commonly thought of as resulting from emotional or psychological causes, certain infections may cause severe unrelenting internal biochemical stress.) As a diagnostic marker for CFS, however, individual cortisol levels aren’t useful. 

Typically, the altered cortisol levels noted in CFS cases fall within the accepted range of normal, and only the average between cases and controls reveals a distinction.

Oxidative Stress 

Some of the symptoms of CFS, such as impaired cognition, may result from brain abnormalities. Several studies have reported significantly more abnormalities on MRI among CFS subjects relative to controls. Other studies have revealed lesions within the brains of CFS patients, and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scanning has repeatedly demonstrated a decrease of blood flow in the brain. In one study, decreased regional cerebral blood flow throughout the brain was observed in 80% of CFS patients! These observations may explain the “brain fog,” poor mental clarity, and fatigue associated with CFS. They might also demonstrate CFS’s association with oxidative (free radical) stress. Oxidative stress is a general term used to describe the level of damage to a cell, tissue, or organ caused by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) These very small, highly reactive molecules can affect any cell or system, including the brain. Most ROS come from normal internal bodily reactions, but external sources include first- and secondhand cigaret smoke, environmental pollutants, excess alcohol, asbestos, ionizing radiation, and bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. Supporting this oxidative-stress theory is the fact that antioxidant therapy has been proven helpful in the treatment of CFS. In one study involving CFS patients who required bed rest following mild exercise, 80% were deficient in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a potent antioxidant. After three months of supplementing with 100 mg. of CoQ10, 90% of the patients had a reduction or disappearance of clinically measured symptoms, and 85% had decreased post-exercise fatigue. 

You can read more about CFS on my www.treatingandbeating.com site.