Is this the change chronic fatigue syndrome advocates have long awaited? According to the CFIDS Association, as of Feb. 14 Dr. William Reeves will step down as head of the CDC’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Program.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
In the past, when people thought about TCM, they imagined a long-bearded doctor doing pulse diagnosis and prescribing foul tasting concoctions. It was difficult for a modern person to take the image seriously.
Whether stress comes from work, family, health or circumstances, the results are the same: less enjoyment and more tension. We now know many health conditions are stress-related, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heart disease, cancer, asthma and chronic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Based on the work of yoga therapy pioneer Michael Lee, a new program that combines yoga, mindfulness and dialog is coming to Evanston.
When doctors who don’t believe in FMS or ME/CFS are quoted in articles, they frequently lean heavily on the distinction. The word “syndrome” itself has been so misused in the popular media that it sounds a bit silly and overblown. But really, what’s the difference?
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
At the age of 11, Kate Charles was a promising schoolgirl. Her aptitude for English was such that her teachers said she was ready to sit her GCSE five years early. Then, after a routine tonsil removal, a downward spiral of debilitating symptoms slowly turned this bright energetic child into a bedbound and despairing sufferer of chronic ME.
One popular supplement is carnitine. About 6 months ago, I wrote about starting it and have a noticeable increase in energy. A reader suggested an update down the road to see if it continued to work for me, because so many of us see effects drop off over time. I thought it was a great idea.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
I recently heard from a Living Single reader who has so much stacked against her, I don’t know how she gets up in the morning. She asked me for suggestions for how to be happy under her difficult circumstances (which I’ll tell you about shortly). I was reluctant to take this on for two reasons. First, given the same challenges, I don’t think I could cope nearly as well as she already has. Second, although I’ve read and critiqued boatloads of studies about marital status and happiness, I’m not a happiness researcher. That’s not my area of expertise, so I’m not as well-versed as I’d like to be on suggestions that follow from scientific research.
http://www.psychologytoday.com
Here are ten strategies that have helped me shore up mymental health with hope, over the course of my marathon with CFS.
Danielle Gayden of Oakland, Calif., had to stick her face in front of a fan for almost an hour to cool down. Second to her intolerance for heat was the anxiety, which caused her heart to beat 200 times a minute and sent her to the emergency room a dozen times in six months.
Osteoarthritis is a good-news, bad-news scenario.
The good news? People are staying healthier and living longer than they did in the past, says Henry Ford Macomb rheumatologist Dr. Samir Yahia.
The bad news?
“Cartilage wears as we age, leading to osteoarthritis, which affects people’s lifestyles as they get older,” Yahia adds.
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com
There were days Jyotsna would just rise and shine. On other, not-so-exceptional days, she could barely manage to drag herself out of the bed. Her low level of stamina frustrated her, as did the inability to see any pattern emerging from the erratic energy levels. “Has the viral fever relapsed because I didn’t take as much rest as I should have? Or is it just mental stress manifesting itself in the physical form?” the 36-year-old sales manager kept contemplating. On most days she would be just dead tired. Her performance at work began to suffer as errors started creeping in the reports she prepared.
http://www.financialexpress.com
They had trouble waking up in the morning, needed caffeine to get through the day, and felt a drop in energy mid-afternoon. Their second wind came at 11 p.m., revving them up for three hours.
Their deepest sleep, work permitting, was between 7 and 9 in the morning. They felt tired and unable to concentrate.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like nutrient that is present in virtually every cell of the body and is an essential component of each cell’s ability to produce energy. It is also a powerful antioxidant – a chemical that “mops up” potentially harmful substances.
Many patients and carers have been frustrated by what they see as delays in improving the service for people with ME and the related chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) after the region’s only specialist consultant left almost four years ago.
I recently got to test a product designed to help with that. The makers of In Balance sheets say the special fabric in these sheets is aimed at “balancing temperature swings” to make you sleep more comfortably.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Imagine you are a thirtysomething woman, with a family, a career and a busy lifestyle. Despite your best efforts to eat well and be active, you constantly feel run down. At your annual physical, your doctor mentions that your iron is low, a condition not uncommon for a woman your age, so you pop some iron pills and pledge to make roast beef for dinner this Sunday. You suffer from migraine headaches from time to time, and you’ve had a long-standing battle with bloating and constipation, but you tell yourself that stress, hormones and eating on the run are probably the culprits.
The Mayo Clinic is currently conducting a pilot study of the Gupta Amygdala Retraining™ Programme for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS). The study is by invitation only and only current patients of the Mayo Clinic are being considered. If the pilot study goes well, the Mayo Clinic will be applying for an NIH grant to widen the study to a larger group. The study will be using the same Gupta Amygdala Retraining™ Programme available for purchase by Ashok Gupta, but will also include regular phone support. The study is 6 months in length, will include an estimated 30 patients, and results will be released in Fall 2010.
RENO, NV – In October 2009, together with the Cleveland Clinic and National Cancer Institute, the Whittemore Peterson Institute published findings in Science regarding the discovery of XMRV in the blood of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients. The testing method, validated in multiple other labs using positive control samples, uses a unique process that was extensively peer reviewed before publication and provides the most accurate results available.
Complaints about knee pain can be all too familiar when you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. The condition often keeps sufferers from participating in many activities—sometimes even just standing.
In 1971 a journalist introduced acupuncture to the United States through the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times and on Monday night, the FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness in Rockingham, introduced acupuncture to Richmond County.
http://www.yourdailyjournal.com
Researchers at the nonprofit Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease at the University of Nevada, Reno made headlines worldwide last October when they reported discovering a new infectious human retrovirus, XMRV, in the blood of 68 of 101 people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Buddhas levitating on lotus flowers, ageing hippies traversing the path to enlightenment, celebrities citing it as the secret of their svelte bodies; yoga has had so many different proponents over the years, it’s hard to know what to actually believe about the 4000-year-old Indian practice.
http://quest-news.whereilive.com.au
Researchers have discovered a protein in blood that can be used to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, a breakthrough that could help detect the ailment during physical checkups.
CFS and mental health. This is a subject full of landmines. Does CFS affect my mental health? Oh yeah. Unfortunately, when I say this, some mistakenly assume that CFS equals depression. Or that it is a psychosomatic condition. That I’m mentally ill. That I can’t cut it in normal life and am in hiding.
About a year ago, I started to really worry about some gastrointestinal symptoms that had been getting steadily worse for about 4-5 months. I also had intense fatigue, couldn’t stay awake, and couldn’t move when I woke up in the morning.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
On January 22, Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD, director of research for the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease, conducted a 2½-hour XMRV seminar in Santa Barbara, CA.
The patient-oriented event was sponsored by the HHV-6 Foundation & ProHealth.com
The highly informative presentation and Q&A covered a multitude of intriguing details, clarifications, insights, and plans that patients and researchers worldwide have been speculating about for months – since discovery of the XMRV retrovirus in ME/CFS patients’ blood was reported last October in the journal Science, and a later paper by UK researchers in PLoS One reported finding none.
For many years, scientists have been looking for an explanation to characterize a condition that they termed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Basically, people suffering from it are very tired all the time, and also exhibit a host of other symptoms for which doctors can find no biological explanation. Last year, a research group proposed that the condition might be linked to a viral agent, but now a new study shows that the link does not hold up against rigorous, scientific scrutiny, ScienceNow reports.
HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about this controversial approach to treating fibromyalgia, and it’s being prescribed by a North Carolina dermatologist.
British scientists have not been successful in finding the link that connects a new kind of retrovirus and chronic fatigue syndrome in a study which contradicts earlier findings by American researchers claiming that they have found a possible viral cause of the debilitating condition.
There’s a long list of reasons why Brenton Brown’s latest album – the staggeringly good ‘Adoration’ – will capture hearts and minds.
Two studies recently published in Neuroendocrinology Letters suggest underlying factors of the cardiovascular irregularities some research has linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), it affects around 250,000 people in the UK.Women are more likely than men to develop ME but the illness has long baffled the medical profession as there is no diagnostic test and no “cure”, aside from rest.
As the trial of Kay Gilderdale puts ME back in the spotlight, we ask why more is not being done to help sufferers
It says a lot about the public perception of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) that it is a surprise to find that Nicola Warner is lively, positive and talks a lot. That’s the initial impression anyway. It’s only when you spend a little time in her company that you notice a certain stillness or perhaps sadness in her face and it becomes obvious that she is not entirely well.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article6998742.ece
A DETERMINED mum-of-six has gone from being stuck in bed with a debilitating illness to winning races and helping orphans.
Kazy Vincent-Janes, 42, banished her ME and fybromyalgia through a healing programme known as the Lightning Process and is now passing on her knowledge to cure others.
As students from across all year groups bustled in confidently for the induction lunch at the University of Derby, Lauren braced herself to begin meeting people again. She was entering her second year of drama studies at Derby, having complAdd Neweted her first at the University of Worcester. Lauren suffers from ME, arthritis and endometriosis, which causes her constant pain, and recent ill health had forced her to transfer universities to be closer to home.
THESE are extracts from a letter sent to the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, appealing to him to think about ME before his retirement in May 2010:
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk
The next meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on ME will be held 1.30-3pm, Wednesday 10 March 2010, Committee Room 18, House of Commons. The agenda will follow in due course.
The theory that chronic fatigue syndrome could be caused by a virus that jumped from mice to people has been dealt a blow by a British study that has found no evidence of the virus in people diagnosed with CFS.
Scientists are also warning people with the condition of the dangers of dosing themselves with antiretroviral drugs.
http://www.newscientist.com
The ME Association is continually updating its website information and guidance for people with ME/CFS in relation to swine flu, Tamiflu and swine flu vaccination.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
The perennial problem of trials such as this from ICL and those funded by the Medical Research Council is that they do not use well defined patient cohorts which can negate the research results.
To replicate a research study the patient samples used and the methodology have to be the same and in this case it appears that there are differences in both compared to the study published online 8 October, 2009 by the Science magazine.
The organisations in USA who discovered the XMRV retrovirus used the Canadian Guidelines to select patients for their research and Invest in ME feel the Canadian Guidelines should be used for all research.
Those who portray ME as a somatoform illness are fully aware that using patients who do not fit strict selection criteria will obviously skew results. We therefore have serious doubts about the the results of the ICL research.
If the correct patient cohorts are not participating in the trials or different methods are used then this will affect the results.
The result of finding no sign of XMRV would point to a different methodology to that used in the research published by the Science magazine 3.7% of controls tested positive.
The work performed by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute (WPI) and the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic is of the highest quality and has been validated by Science magazine.
Much more research is underway and the results from the first XMRV replication trials such as these from ICL prove little.
People with ME and their families should expect these “false” results to be publicised early, especially as ME has been ignored by the government and research organisations for generations. However, the new XMRV research has changed the landscape for good and patients and carers can look forward to a new era of ME/CFS research based on the biomedical basis for the illness.
Proper science is now finally being performed.
Those who have delayed or stopped high quality biomedical research into ME from being performed in the past, and those who continue to downplay the significance of the new research from WPI, will not be in a position to continue this denial for much longer.
The WPI have promised more exciting news which we can expect to hear at the forthcoming 5th Invest in ME International ME/CFS Conference on 24th May in London.
Invest in ME remain convinced that the WPI research is of monumental importance to the future of research into ME and we look forward to the future and the momentum in biomedical research into ME which the XMRV research has generated.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT AND POSSIBLY OFFER SUPPORT
UK scientists say they can find no proof that a particular virus is the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or ME, contrary to recent claims.The Imperial College London team say they want to share the findings as some patients are pinning their hopes on drugs to fight the virus called XMRV.
Open letter to Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer: An appeal to think about ME before he retires in May 2010.
http://www.shetland-news.co.uk
Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by extreme fatigue that makes it difficult to complete life’s daily tasks.
It has no known cause or cure, but the National Women’s Health Information Center says you can take steps to help manage its symptoms:
5th Invest in ME
International ME/CFS Conference 2010
A New Era in ME/CFS Research
in Westminster, London, on 24th May 2010.
This promises to be an interesting conference which will use as its theme the education of healthcare staff regarding ME/CFS.
Following the increased interest in biomedical research into ME brought about by the discovery of the XMRV retrovirus by the Whittemore-Peterson institute, the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic it is important that healthcare staff as well as patients are acquainted with the current biomedical research and are aware of the consequences of ME.
The story in 2009: A team of researchers of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute at the University of Nevada, Reno discovered a new “bug” that can be transmitted via blood and other human fluids.Judy Mikovits and Vince Lombardi, the institute’s two lead researchers, discovered a link between a new infectious human retrovirus dubbed XMRV and people who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
My Health Experience : After a very long, painful battle, Julie McCarthy says she feels very well for the first time in 22 years.
I LIKEN IT now to a silent scream. I was screaming inside, dying for people to understand the desperate sadness, anxiety, fear and pain that were overwhelming me. Everyone around me could see something was wrong, of course – I was disappearing in front of them, emotionally and physically, but they were as helpless as I was. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, depression wasn’t associated with young girls from happy, middle-class families in suburban Dublin. We were all clueless.
We talked here awhile ago about how hard it can be to answer the question, “How are you?” That’s just one of many social situations that become awkward when you’re living with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I wanted to share with you a comment that Laurie made on that blog to start a conversation about another one of “those” questions.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
One of the main and largely unrecognized health problems facing the Western world and people on diets of highly refined, processed and starchy foods, which are often low in or devoid of dietary fiber, is that of constipation. This is a particular issue with Celiacs where the gluten-free flours they use are largely starch based and often low in protein and dietary fiber. Unfortunately, we live in a world where it is often considered normal and acceptable to empty the bowels perhaps 2 -3 times a week, rather than the more desirable 2 – 3 times per day.
Stoneham firefighter Eric Bernat believes there is an alternative way to effectively treat life-long ailments – from autism to arthritis, to cerebral palsy and chronic fatigue syndrome.He sees mini-miracles happen before his eyes everyday as the co-owner of H.O.P.E. (Hyperbaric Oxygen for Physical Excellence) Connections Inc., a privately owned clinic in North Reading that provides hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
There are many causes of memory loss. As we age, we become more prone to having problems with remembering things.
This can lead to a fear of developing dementia. But there is a big difference between becoming forgetful, and dementia.
A physician in town makes a trip to Dan’s Homemade Candies in Joliet every Christmas season to pick up gifts of dark chocolate-covered almonds for his friends, family and co-workers.
Both the chocolate and the almonds are good for the heart and health, he tells staff at the shop.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com
Santa came early this year, and instead of the usual toys, gadgets, and trinkets, he brought hope for those suffering from chemical sensitivity (MCS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, and electrical sensitivity.
It hasn’t escaped notice that the above conditions behave in somewhat the same way, and many people suffer from more than one of these ailments. Without knowledge of a specific cause however, treatment has focused on holistic treatments, and a complete recovery was thought to be impossible.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many survivors of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic of 2003 suffer from persistent mental health problems and chronic fatigue years later, new research from Hong Kong shows.
What’s more, these psychiatric problems seemed to become more common among survivors over time, say Dr. Marco Ho-Bun Lam and colleagues from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, who call the persistence of these problems “alarming.”
We aimed to review systematically the needs for support in managing illness and maintaining social inclusion expressed by people with chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)
Methods: We carried out a systematic review of primary research and personal (‘own’) stories expressing the needs of people with CFS/ME. Structured searches were carried out on Medline, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, ASSIA, CENTRAL, and other health, social and legal databases from inception to November 2007.
Peter A. Kulish, Founder of www.BiomagScience.net:: “BiomagScience is a company devoted to the science and application of magnet therapy. Its findings and use of the proper magnetic fields on the body’s correct energy flow have provided some of the most remarkable and profound results in complementary alternative medicine.
Whether it is the day-to-day aches or pains, carpal, arthritis, extreme back pain, chronic illness or an acute injury, BiomagScience’s advanced placement therapies have helped so many that its alternative therapies have been used by practitioners and medical institutions worldwide for years.”
Few people escape the engines of modern life: a morning cup of coffee to emerge from the daze and a glass of wine at night to return into the fog.
Anna Forkan and Kristen Overlock, the owners of Revitalive Health & Wellness, stay clear of both. They have also bid farewell to meat, fish, dairy and anything else that’s not part of the raw food diet of organic unprocessed and uncooked plant food. A combined 140 pounds lighter and free from ailments that crippled body and spirit, they now share their knowledge to help others adopt new lifestyles one meal at a time.
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus related virus (XMRV) has been implicated in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Because XMRV is a retrovirus, it has been suggested that it might be susceptible to some of the many drugs available for treatment of AIDS. Of ten licensed compounds evaluated for activity against XMRV, just one, AZT (azidothymidine), was found to inhibit viral replication.
http://watchingthewatchers.org
THE northern suburbs are on high alert against mosquitos after a surge in Ross River virus cases in SA.
An above-average 15 cases of mosquito-borne illness a week were reported across the state during November, with an unusually high number of cases in the metropolitan area. UniSA’s Mosquito Research Unit head Craig Williams said most of the cases were of Ross River virus a debilitating condition with symptoms similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome such as joint pains, rash, fever, fatigue or muscle pain.
http://news-review-messenger.whereilive.com.au
The latest from a really helpful ProPublica project that breaks down how health-care reform would affect specific groups illustrates how the bill seeks to standardize state participation in Medicaid programs. The piece profiles a young single woman unable to work because of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, who was forced to move from Maine — where she was only eligible for temporary Medicaid — to Pennsylvania, one of only 15 states in which low-income adults are eligible for Medicaid benefits.
Brain fog (a.k.a. fibro fog, cognitive dysfunction) doesn’t get enough respect and attention from the medical world, in my opinion. I know it’s had a bigger impact on my ability to hold a traditional job and to write from home than any of my other symptoms have had. I can deal with pain — heck, sometimes I write better when I’m really hurting because I have to focus more — but I can’t write through the fog!
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) studies from our laboratory and others have described cytokine abnormalities. Other studies reported no difference between CFS and controls.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our panel of experts answers your questions on everything from chronic fatigue to keeping mobile and how to look after a pet ferret .
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.