Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome
New Treatments
for Chronic Fatigue
Oxygen is
so basic for our every day life, that it is taken for granted. The
medical community is beginning to rediscover how important oxygen is to
our bodily functions. In a recent article, research has indicated a link
between oxygen and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunctional Syndrome (CFIDS).
What does
this have to do with skin care? A person in poor health or suffering
from stress, is reflected in the skin. Proper skin care requires more
than just getting a facial. It requires a healthy body, proper diet and
exercise. The odds are that at least one of your clients is suffering
from CFIDS. The following is an article by Dr. Richard N. Firshein,
which appeared in the MIDTOWN REPORT, December 28, 1992.
"A few
weeks ago I attended an international conference on CFIDS - the epidemic
that has swept the country. I discovered fascinating new information,
much of it still in the pioneering and even theoretical stages, that
reflects what I have found in my own extensive treatment of fatigue
patients. Researchers are indeed learning way to combat this mysterious
viral illness, and are beginning to understand some of its biochemical
markers, the disease's 'footprints,' which help us to chase it down.
Chronic
fatigue is a severe, debilitating disorder which can affect anyone. It
seems to be a viral illness, but nobody has proven that a single virus
is responsible. CFIDS is now such a public health problem that the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta receive 3,000 calls a month
asking for information and referrals. Patients describe their fatigue as
oppressive - a prolonged, pervasive weariness that seems to penetrate
every cell. Patients with CFIDS usually suffer from an entire
constellation of symptoms, including severe fatigue, memory loss,
difficulty concentrating, recurrent flu-like illness, low-grade fever,
severe muscle aches and neurological problems.
Though I
find that at least 80 percent of fatigue patients in my practice improve
with a variety of innovative treatments, the disease can be puzzling and
frustrating for the doctor and devastating for the patient. In a
conference meeting with top chronic fatigue experts, including
pioneering physician Paul Cheney, one of the first doctors to describe
the disease, I discovered that many of us have independently arrived at
similar conclusions.
The Breath of Life
Scientists have long known that oxygen is literally the breath of like,
but only recently have studies begun to reveal how profoundly oxygen
metabolism influences health and illness. Oxygen, indeed, may be a key
to helping overcome chronic fatigue. How can we drench the body with
healthy oxygen? Exercise is one simple way, but regular exercise is an
enormous undertaking for CFIDS patients and often leaves them feeling
much worse. I recommend a special program that allows the chronically
exhausted patients to participate in short bursts of exercise that
oxygenate the cells without requiring sustained effort. Over time the
body builds up more of the precious mitochondria, the energy powerhouses
of every cell. Mitochondria utilize oxygen to produce energy.
Research
presented at the conference revealed some interesting new links between
oxygen and chronic fatigue. One pioneering Japanese study found that a
key amino acid, L-carnitine, which is very important in oxygen
metabolism, is deficient in most chronic fatigue patients. New research
by Dr. Cheney provided yet another link to oxygen. He has found that
giving his patients daily megadoses of intravenous Vitamin B-12(one of
the primary 'energy' vitamins involved in oxygen metabolism) can
significantly improve fatigue. Other vitamins and minerals, used both
orally and intravenously, have proved helpful in my own practice,
including vitamin C and magnesium. Magnesium is extraordinarily helpful
in alleviating muscle aches and calming the nerves.
Other
pioneering research is uncovering new nuggets of information about
immune-enhancing drugs and nutrients. One profoundly helpful anti-viral
drug, called Ampligen, will soon be the subject of pilot studies around
the country, and we may have one here in New York. Half the patients on
Ampligen are significantly improved, and can reduce other medications,
and there seem to be no unpleasant side effects to the drug. The only
caveat: the patient may need to take the drug indefinitely to prevent
relapse.
Yet
another new prescription substance derived from liver extracts, called
Kutapressin has significantly helped approximately 70 percent of chronic
fatigue patients when given over a period of months. I myself have found
that innovative nutritional therapies emphasizing oxygen metabolism and
immune enhancement have helped many of my patients disabled by this
disease. Recently I treated a 35-year-old construction worker so
exhausted he couldn't work. He suffered headaches, fatigue, lack of
appetite and sleep disturbances. Treatment for food allergies, as well
as intravenous therapy with Vitamin B-12 and magnesium improved him so
quickly that he was back to work in a month. Make Sure It's CFIDS
A final
thought: often patients come to me convinced they are suffering from
CFIDS, when in fact the source of their fatigue is something entirely
different. Even though they have many symptoms of the disease, there are
other significant causes of unremitting fatigue, from allergies to Lyme
Disease, parasites and nutritional deficiencies. Often several of these
disorders co-exists in a single patient.
A mother
of two came to me last week and thought she had CFIDS. She constantly
felt fatigued and washed out. A routine blood test revealed she was
hyperthyroid - severely deficient in thyroid hormone. Treatment with
thyroid hormone has made her feel better than she has in years.
In
conclusion, CFIDS is becoming more and more treatable. A combination of
new anti-viral drugs, nutrients that enhance oxygen absorption and boost
the immune system, and even intravenous therapy with key vitamins such
as B-12, helps many of my patients. Great strides are being made in this
field, as the biochemistry of chronic fatigue is unraveled, even the
most fatigues patient will have real cause for hope."
Dr.
Richard N. Firshein is a physician in private practice on the Upper East
Side of New York City, and is Board certified in family medicine.
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