LIVING WITH ME

There is no clear consensus that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a distinct disease. This condition is characterized by debilitating fatigue and weakness that lasts for many years, and it impacts about 1% of the world’s population. CFS is currently recognized by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC lists the following symptoms as part of this condition.

http://www.examiner.com

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been a label many doctors will put on a person when they can’t find anything wrong with a person or if they are just tired of the person complaining. The syndrome is very very real and should not be taken lightly.

http://www.examiner.com

Dr. Oz did a great job introducing the new research showing the presence of XMRV viral infections in CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). As the earlier show I appeared on focused on general fatigue, I have been encouraging Dr. Oz to do a segment focusing on CFS, and on XMRV in particular, and I think he did an excellent and compassionate job!

http://www.psychologytoday.com

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE #1 LOW-CARB PODCAST! The best thing you can do to tell people about the work I am doing with my “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show” podcast is by posting your own personal review of it at the iTunes page. I’m honored that so many people enjoy this twice-weekly interview-based show and it has quickly climbed up the most-listened to charts of the “Fitness and Nutrition” category. Your support means the world to me and I’d love to have your honest feedback! Share your thoughts here and tell everyone you know who needs to heed the message of healthy low-carb living. Thanks so much!

http://www.carbwire.com

Nothing about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is easy, and that even includes getting better. While being in recovery is a heck of a lot better than dealing with the full-blown, lay-in-bed-and-suffer stage, it comes with its own challenges.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

While doctors prescribe a lot of different medications as chronic fatigue syndrome treatments, none of them is FDA-approved for the condition.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

Everybody loves eating chocolates, specially at this time of the year. Does it have any health benefits?

http://northern-district-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/chocolate-heaven/

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are not psychological illnesses, contrary to the misconceptions and even accusations of many. Because a lot of us have been told we’re “just depressed” or that we’re hypochondriacs, whiners, or lunatics, it’s normal to bristle at the very thought of seeing a psychiatrist. In my opinion, that’s something we, as individuals and a community, need to get over.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) affects at least 4 million people in the United States, yet only 16% of people with CFS have received a diagnosis or medical care for their illness. Educating health care professionals about the diagnosis and management of CFS may help to reduce population morbidity associated with CFS.

http://7thspace.com/

Being sick can be depressing, especially if you’re watching the world around you celebrate while you’re isolated – either physically or emotionally – because of your illness. A lot of us who have fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) battle depression anyway, especially during the winter months.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

We’re getting close to Christmas, and (as usual), I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I still need to do lots of wrapping, a bit of baking, and stocking-stuffer shopping. I’m tracking the packages I’ve shipping to far-off family and hoping no freak storms disrupt their delivery (like they did last year.)

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

Chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) can really set us apart socially. When we are able to be around other people, we’re presented with some potentially awkward situations. One of the ones we’re sure to face in just about any social setting is the dreaded question, “How are you?”

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

The Fieldhouse in the Sunrise Center has started a new hydrotherapy program for individuals suffering from degenerative issues and diseases, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or who have had surgery and need therapy.

“If I could tell anyone one thing about warm-water hydrotherapy is that exercise or therapy is not fun or easy, but it can be easier on your mind, body and spirit if you’re rehabbing and totally immersing yourself in a relaxing, warm, buoyant environment,” owner Mick Amicone said.

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

What is the holiday season like for someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Different. Really different. Everyone could stand to reduce the stress this time of year, but for the chronically ill, it’s essential.

Do you suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Or do you know someone who is ill? Then lend an ear to some suggestions not on the standard wish list.

http://www.empowher.com

Denise Grady, a science writer for The New York Times, recently explored the link between a recently discovered virus called XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome, in “Is a Virus the Cause of Fatigue Syndrome?” Here, Dr. Nancy G. Klimas, who serves on the board of the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, responds to readers’ questions. Dr. Klimas is a director of the department of immunology of the University of Miami School of Medicine and director of research for clinical AIDS/H.I.V. research at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center. See her earlier responses in “Readers Ask: A Virus Linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” and Fred Friedberg’s responses to behavior-related questions in “Behavioral Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com

Bloating and indigestion, eczema, poor circulation and easy bruising are just some of the many symptoms of an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a natural yeast that occurs in the body.

Surprisingly most of us – including our very own doctors – often fail to recognise the symptoms.

Our guts are home to some 1.8kg of weight in live micro-organisms, say doctors, comprising both friendly and unfriendly bacteria. Candida albicans is one of the unfriendly ones – and, left to grow uncontrolled, it can wreak havoc on the body.

http://www.business24-7.ae

New research suggests that most cases of chronic fatigue syndrome may be linked to a virus known as XMRV. The study, by Dr Judy Mikovits and her colleagues at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Nevada, found that XMRV was present in two-thirds of patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as ME, or myalgic encephalomyelitis). This news received a rapturous welcome from the millions of people across the globe suffering from a syndrome that continues to provoke fierce controversy among medical experts. Many refuse to acknowledge it even exists, dismissing it and similar illnesses as “yuppie flu”.

http://www.thenational.ae

I’ve wanted to be a lot of things in my life, and chief among them was always “independent.” I had achieved that, and had really proved it to myself when I got divorced 10 years ago — I was able to move into my own place, quickly pay my way out from under a mountain of debt, and put my life back together largely on my own. After I re-married, I was proud of knowing that I was a capable person and would be able to fend for myself if need be. Fibromyalgia changed that for me, and that’s been hard to accept.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

A DVD and booklet were developed to help people with chronic fatigue syndrome to achieve a balance between rest and activity through pacing

http://www.nursingtimes.net

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) studies from our laboratory and others have described cytokine abnormalities. Other studies reported no difference between CFS and controls.

http://7thspace.com

Crash. The most dreaded word in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome lexicon. A crash is a CFS relapse that can happen at any stage of illness or recovery.

I’m dealing with the aftermath of a crash myself. In September I felt pretty darned good. Then old CFS symptoms reappeared.

First reaction? Disbelief. I’d forgotten just how bad this feels and how hard it is to live with.

First step? Go to bed. I spent a few days there. As I became less seasick and more clear-headed, I thought about what I wanted to hang on to and what I was willing to let go. Because crashing decrees that it’s time to conserve energy, so it can be re-routed for healing. Trying to carry on ensures a worse relapse. To begin to economize is to begin to climb back up.

http://www.empowher.com

I recently came across a poll on the impact fibromyalgia (FMS) has on marriage, and I asked if I could share the results here (thanks, Ray!). It’s not a scientific poll, but it shows some interesting trends, so I wanted to ask some of the same questions here, and also broaden it to include chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

Let me preface this post by stating that I am not an MD. I dont care, particularly, about whether CFS is a ‘real’ disease or psychosomatic or a catch-all category for people MDs dont know how to treat. Sorry. So if you want to bitch about CFS, pro or con, dont do it in this post.

http://scienceblogs.com

Fifty-four year old Kim Hwa-suk always feels tired – it is hard for her to wake up in the morning and she dozes off from time to time during her waking hours.

Kim gets enough sleep – seven to eight hours a day – but still finds it hard to get up feeling fresh. Kim is a housewife in Seoul and spoke of her symptoms during an interview.

Initially, she thought she had caught a cold or was simply suffering from muscle pain. But the condition has persisted for months. “I was recently informed that it could be chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),” she said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr

Dr. Daniel Peterson, one of the researchers involved in the possibly groundbreaking XMRV findings, testified before the NIH’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee Oct. 29. Among the many things he presented was an updated theory of how chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) develops. (Thanks to Dr. David S. Bell and his newsletter, Lyndonville News for putting this into language that was easier to understand!)

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

A lot of us with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) have jaw pain, and in many cases it’s not a symptom but a co-morbid condition — temporomandibular joint disorder, better known as TMJ.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one million to four million people in the United States have chronic fatigue syndrome, with approximately 80 percent of these cases undiagnosed. Furthermore, the C.D.C. has indicated that chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating illness with a yearly economic impact of at least $9.1 billion.

http://www.nytimes.com

Our panel of experts answers your questions on everything from chronic fatigue to keeping mobile and how to look after a pet ferret .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

This week, Fred Friedberg, a clinical psychologist and behavioral research scientist who is an assistant professor at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, joined the Consults blog to answer readers’ questions about chronic fatigue syndrome. Here, Dr. Friedberg will be responding to behavior oriented questions about chronic fatigue syndrome. He is president of the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an international society of 500 biomedical and behavioral professionals dedicated to scientific advocacy and improved patient care in the area of chronic fatigue syndrome. Scientists and doctors from that group will be responding to biomedical questions later in the week.

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com

Unremitting fatigue and unrefreshing sleep, hallmark traits of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), are also pathognomonic of sleep disorders. Yet, no reproducible perturbations of sleep architecture, multiple sleep latency times or Epworth Sleepiness Scores are found to be associated consistently with CFS.

http://7thspace.com

On Friday, October 23, Dr. Mehmet Oz re-opened the discussion on Chronicle Fatigue Syndrome, one of those fitness discussions that frequently get swept aside by fitness and health professionals.  Many sufferers complain that when they ask for advice about effective treatment, there is an air of “Just get over it already.”

http://www.examiner.com

Are you looking for a holiday gift for someone with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS)? Here are some ideas for a thoughtful present.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2008/11/25/gift-ideas-for-someone-with-fibromyalgia-or-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htm

Dr. Judy Mikovits (principle investigator) and the Whittemore-Peterson Institute, with collaborator Dr. Jonathan Kerr, have been awarded a 5-year, $1.6 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support ongoing research into the disease mechanisms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Kerr is associated with St. George’s College in London.

http://www.prohealth.com

Dr Nancy Klimas, from the University of Miami, talked about the XMRV retrovirus link with ME/CFS when she was interviewed yesterday on the South Florida Today news programme.

http://www.meassociation.org.uk

The Medical Research Council’s Expert Group Workshop on ME/CFS Research took place on Thursday 19 November and Friday 20 November at Heythrop Park, Oxford. Around 30 researchers and clinicians from various disciplines, plus MRC staff, took part.

Besides those with existing expertise in this area, there were others present who were new to the subject and consequently brought fresh thinking to the issues and questions being discussed.

http://www.meassociation.org.uk

There is little consensus in the medical community on whether chronic fatigue syndrome is a distinct disease. As its name implies, the condition is characterized by debilitating fatigue persisting for many years, and it affects as much as 1% of the world’s population.

http://www.sciencemag.org

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome hands each sufferer a unique grab-bag of symptoms. But one thing we all share is post-exertional malaise. It’s the phantom that we healthier ones glimpse over our shoulder, on days of good energy and clear heads. For those more grievously afflicted by CFS, it’s the heavy arm that crushes them into their beds, denying them even the ability to struggle.

http://www.empowher.com

After months of tests I have finally been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Why did it take so long to be told this was the problem?

Unfortunately, it can take a while before people can be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This is because there is no specific test available for this condition. Doctors have to rule out other treatable illnesses that are hard to distinguish from it.

http://www.herald.ie

ME Research UK and the Irish ME Trust have this afternoon announced that they are co-funding a study in Sweden which will explore the relationship between ME/CFS and the XMRV retrovirus.

http://www.meassociation.org.uk