How To Conquer Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia

By Anju Mathur, MD

People who were happy, healthy and vital experience chronic symptoms that put an end to their activity. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seems to take all your energy away and it often lasts for years.

The symptoms include similar symptoms to flu, fatigue that doesn't get better with sleep and actually gets worse with physical or mental activity. The symptoms may appear and then disappear and there seems to be no pattern. Whereas people recover from flu and it goes away in days or weeks, CFS just seems to go on and on.

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) between one and four million Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). They are seriously impaired, at least a quarter are unemployed or on disability because of CFS. Forty percent of people in the general population who report symptoms of CFS have a serious, treatable, previously unrecognized medical condition.

Chronic fatigue syndrome may precipitate after an infection, such as a cold or viral illness or after a time of great stress. It can also come on gradually without a clear starting point or obvious cause. Women are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome far more often than men are.

Conventional medicine favors the idea that it's "all in your head." This leads to no remedy at all as the patient is sent to psychologists who prescribe harmful drugs. Sometimes a physical therapist or sleep therapist or dietitian get involved. But mainly medicos tell the patient to learn to live with it.

However, there are ways to handle this disease that can actually bring about results. You don't have to learn to live with it. The pain, fatigue and depression are not all in your head. They have an underlying cause and a medical doctor trained in this discipline can help you identify and treat CFS. Your condition can be reversed and your energy and vitality restored.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia or CFS, your diet can make your condition worse or better. Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates will make the condition worse, whereas eating slow-burning carbs (rich in fiber) will provide your body with more energy. If you consume a lot of saturated fats and refined vegetable oils, the pain will worsen. If you consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish and flaxseed oil) your pain will lessen. Diet is very important.

Get an evaluation from a doctor for food allergies. These are often overlooked but are a frequent cause of fatigue and pain.

Depression can accompany CFS and figromyalgia. Low levels of a neuro-transmitter, serotonin if often a cause, because this substance in the brain regulates sleep and contributes to the persons mood. Lack of it increases pain. There are supplements that can be prescribed to alleviate pain, regulate mood and ward off depression - such as St. John's wort, SAMe, natural replacement seratonin and 5-HTP. Whereas Prozac and other prescription drugs merely mask symptoms and come with dangerous side effects, natural remedies do not. Many happier patients will attest to this fact. - 30287

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