From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Olafur S. Palsson, PsyD, and Donald Moss, PhD
This information is excerpted with kind permission from a highly rated new educational guide to FM management – Fibromyalgia: The Complete Guide from Medical Experts and Patients (May 2007, Jones and Bartlett), by Dr. Sharon Ostalecki, PhD.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder present in 33% to 77% of individuals with Fibromyalgia.1 This prevalence rate is far higher than the 10% to 15% rate of IBS in the general population.
This chapter reviews the nature, impact, and treatment of IBS. It also discusses the efforts researchers are making to understand the causes and implications of the surprisingly frequent coexistence of IBS and Fibromyalgia in the same individuals.
The Nature of IBS
The diagnosis of IBS is based on a specific cluster of bowel symptoms, primarily recurrent or persistent abdominal pain associated with diarrhea, constipation, or both. Secondary symptoms, such as bloating or the sudden urge to defecate, are also associated with the disorder. Such “supportive symptoms” give doctors more confidence in the diagnosis. A committee of international experts has set criteria (called the “Rome criteria”) for the type and frequency of bowel symptoms that warrant a definite diagnosis of IBS.
IBS is one of several “functional” gastrointestinal disorders. A functional disorder is one in which no structural abnormality can be found, but function is disturbed. Therefore, a confident diagnosis generally requires a careful medical evaluation. Sometimes medical tests, such as blood tests or endoscopy, are also needed to rule out biological problems that could account for the symptoms.
Causes of IBS
The causes of IBS aren’t completely understood; however, there is growing recognition among experts that many causal factors are involved and that different factors...
Read Entire Article:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Concurrent with Fibromyalgia - Surprisingly Frequent
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Food for Mood - The Link Between Diet and Emotional Health
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Blake Graham, B.Sc AACNEM
Blake Graham is a clinical nutritionist specializing in nutritional and environmental treatments for patients with CFS, FM, and other chronic conditions. He is an associate of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (AACNEM) in Perth, Western Australia and a Committee Member of ME/CFS Australia (WA). This article is reproduced with permission from his Nutritional Healing Newsletter at http://www.Nutritional-Healing.com.au
If your emotional state is not what you would like it to be, the answer may lie at least partly in your diet.
At first consideration, this may seem a bizarre idea, but after taking a closer look, it makes perfect sense. Our emotional response is strongly related to our brain health and chemistry. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood, are made from amino acids. These chemical pathways also require vitamins and minerals as cofactors for their normal function.
The brain is made largely of fatty acids and requires a healthy supply of other nutrients to function normally. Almost every vitamin or mineral deficiency can cause psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, low stress tolerance, etc. A large array of other dietary factors such as caffeine, allergies, alcohol and blood sugar also influence our mood.
A growing number of health professionals are now utilizing this information to improve the mood of their patients.
Nutrient deficiencies are not an all or nothing issue, as varying degrees of severity exist.
For example, while full blown scurvy is now rare, mild vitamin C deficiency is not uncommon. In the nutritional treatment of altered mood states, correcting these nutrient deficiencies is a primary initial consideration. This may consist of dietary changes and ...
Read Entire Article:
Food for Mood - The Link Between Diet and Emotional Health
by Blake Graham, B.Sc AACNEM
Blake Graham is a clinical nutritionist specializing in nutritional and environmental treatments for patients with CFS, FM, and other chronic conditions. He is an associate of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (AACNEM) in Perth, Western Australia and a Committee Member of ME/CFS Australia (WA). This article is reproduced with permission from his Nutritional Healing Newsletter at http://www.Nutritional-Healing.com.au
If your emotional state is not what you would like it to be, the answer may lie at least partly in your diet.
At first consideration, this may seem a bizarre idea, but after taking a closer look, it makes perfect sense. Our emotional response is strongly related to our brain health and chemistry. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood, are made from amino acids. These chemical pathways also require vitamins and minerals as cofactors for their normal function.
The brain is made largely of fatty acids and requires a healthy supply of other nutrients to function normally. Almost every vitamin or mineral deficiency can cause psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, low stress tolerance, etc. A large array of other dietary factors such as caffeine, allergies, alcohol and blood sugar also influence our mood.
A growing number of health professionals are now utilizing this information to improve the mood of their patients.
Nutrient deficiencies are not an all or nothing issue, as varying degrees of severity exist.
For example, while full blown scurvy is now rare, mild vitamin C deficiency is not uncommon. In the nutritional treatment of altered mood states, correcting these nutrient deficiencies is a primary initial consideration. This may consist of dietary changes and ...
Read Entire Article:
Food for Mood - The Link Between Diet and Emotional Health
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Nitric Oxide Cycle Theory: Will It Explain CFS, FM, and Other 'Unexplained' Illnesses? - Q&A with Martin L. Pall, PhD
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Martin L. Pall, PhD, is generating excitement in scientific communities worldwide with his theory that a "stressor-initiated" biochemical mechanism - the nitric oxide/peroxynitrite (NO/ONOO-) cycle - may be responsible for CFS, FM, and other syndromes.
In the following Q&A, Dr. Pall, Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, explains his theory in lay terms. Simply put, Dr. Pall proposes that the complex NO/ONOO- cycle he describes may result in high levels of oxidants, which affect different tissues in different individuals, accounting for a “stunning” variety of symptoms. Dr. Pall also believes a well-chosen regimen of antioxidants and other agents may help the body “downregulate” the NO/ONOO- cycle biochemistry.
Q: Dr. Pall, you suggest that cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may all get started (get "initiated") by similar mechanisms. What led you to that conclusion?
Dr. Pall: Cases of each of these are initiated by certain short-term stressors. These include both bacterial and viral infections in CFS and FM, exposure to three types of pesticides or to organic solvents, in MCS, to physical trauma in FM or PTSD, or to severe psychological stress for PTSD or any of these others. There are others, totaling 12 or 13 such stressors.
Each of these diverse stressors can increase levels of a chemical compound called nitric oxide in the body. So I proposed that nitric oxide is likely to have a role in the initiation of chronic illness.
Q: So how can nitric oxide act to initiate chronic illness?
Dr. Pall: That is a very important question. I proposed that nitric oxide, acting via its product peroxynitrite, a potent oxidant, acts to initiate...
Read Entire Article:
Nitric Oxide Cycle Theory: Will It Explain CFS, FM, and Other 'Unexplained' Illnesses? - Q&A with Martin L. Pall, PhD
Martin L. Pall, PhD, is generating excitement in scientific communities worldwide with his theory that a "stressor-initiated" biochemical mechanism - the nitric oxide/peroxynitrite (NO/ONOO-) cycle - may be responsible for CFS, FM, and other syndromes.
In the following Q&A, Dr. Pall, Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, explains his theory in lay terms. Simply put, Dr. Pall proposes that the complex NO/ONOO- cycle he describes may result in high levels of oxidants, which affect different tissues in different individuals, accounting for a “stunning” variety of symptoms. Dr. Pall also believes a well-chosen regimen of antioxidants and other agents may help the body “downregulate” the NO/ONOO- cycle biochemistry.
Q: Dr. Pall, you suggest that cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may all get started (get "initiated") by similar mechanisms. What led you to that conclusion?
Dr. Pall: Cases of each of these are initiated by certain short-term stressors. These include both bacterial and viral infections in CFS and FM, exposure to three types of pesticides or to organic solvents, in MCS, to physical trauma in FM or PTSD, or to severe psychological stress for PTSD or any of these others. There are others, totaling 12 or 13 such stressors.
Each of these diverse stressors can increase levels of a chemical compound called nitric oxide in the body. So I proposed that nitric oxide is likely to have a role in the initiation of chronic illness.
Q: So how can nitric oxide act to initiate chronic illness?
Dr. Pall: That is a very important question. I proposed that nitric oxide, acting via its product peroxynitrite, a potent oxidant, acts to initiate...
Read Entire Article:
Nitric Oxide Cycle Theory: Will It Explain CFS, FM, and Other 'Unexplained' Illnesses? - Q&A with Martin L. Pall, PhD
Monday, August 13, 2007
Lyme Disease & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A Patient-Researcher's Perspective
From: ImmuneSupport.com
A UK-based patient/researcher offers information on borreliosis (Lyme disease), and a perspective on the difficulty of accurate testing for its presence - particularly for those currently diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and a host of other illnesses Lyme is known to mimic. Though the focus is on issues in the UK, much of the information is of international relevance. The author, diagnosed with ME/CFS several years ago, and recently with borreliosis, "is a highly intelligent anonymous sufferer whose research is endorsed by myself," notes Dr. Sarah Myhill, MD, a CFS specialist who features the article on her website.
Lyme Disease and CFS – The Practical Aspects
Many people in the UK with ME/CFS who are now being tested privately are finding they are infected with bacteria from the Borrelia species that cause borreliosis or Lyme disease. It wouldn't be surprising if a very significant percentage of those currently with a diagnosis of ME/CFS are actually infected with Borrelia or similar bacteria. An e-mail group poll showed that 80% of those with a diagnosis of borreliosis or Lyme disease had a previous diagnosis of ME/CFS.
Borreliosis and Lyme Disease
Borrelia is the name of a group of bacteria, of which there are many species, over 300 I believe, some of which are pathogenic. Borreliosis is the name of the disease caused by infection with these bacteria. Lyme disease has a narrower definition and can only be caused by 3 strains of Borrelia, so it can exclude many people with long term illness caused by the other strains of the bacteria.
The terminology used to define infections caused by Borrelia is not clearly defined. Lyme disease and borreliosis are often wrongly used interchangeably in the literature and sometimes the terms "Lyme borreliosis" and "neuroborreliosis" are used. Although the term "borreliosis" would be far more appropriate, it is seldom used in the UK, which is why I often refer to it as "borreliosis/Lyme".
Lyme disease was first recognized in the USA in 1975, when an outbreak occurred in Lyme, Connecticut, USA. The Borrelia bacteria were only discovered in 1982, which is one of the reasons why...
Read Entire Article:
Lyme Disease & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A Patient-Researcher's Perspective
A UK-based patient/researcher offers information on borreliosis (Lyme disease), and a perspective on the difficulty of accurate testing for its presence - particularly for those currently diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and a host of other illnesses Lyme is known to mimic. Though the focus is on issues in the UK, much of the information is of international relevance. The author, diagnosed with ME/CFS several years ago, and recently with borreliosis, "is a highly intelligent anonymous sufferer whose research is endorsed by myself," notes Dr. Sarah Myhill, MD, a CFS specialist who features the article on her website.
Lyme Disease and CFS – The Practical Aspects
Many people in the UK with ME/CFS who are now being tested privately are finding they are infected with bacteria from the Borrelia species that cause borreliosis or Lyme disease. It wouldn't be surprising if a very significant percentage of those currently with a diagnosis of ME/CFS are actually infected with Borrelia or similar bacteria. An e-mail group poll showed that 80% of those with a diagnosis of borreliosis or Lyme disease had a previous diagnosis of ME/CFS.
Borreliosis and Lyme Disease
Borrelia is the name of a group of bacteria, of which there are many species, over 300 I believe, some of which are pathogenic. Borreliosis is the name of the disease caused by infection with these bacteria. Lyme disease has a narrower definition and can only be caused by 3 strains of Borrelia, so it can exclude many people with long term illness caused by the other strains of the bacteria.
The terminology used to define infections caused by Borrelia is not clearly defined. Lyme disease and borreliosis are often wrongly used interchangeably in the literature and sometimes the terms "Lyme borreliosis" and "neuroborreliosis" are used. Although the term "borreliosis" would be far more appropriate, it is seldom used in the UK, which is why I often refer to it as "borreliosis/Lyme".
Lyme disease was first recognized in the USA in 1975, when an outbreak occurred in Lyme, Connecticut, USA. The Borrelia bacteria were only discovered in 1982, which is one of the reasons why...
Read Entire Article:
Lyme Disease & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A Patient-Researcher's Perspective
Monday, August 6, 2007
Richard Podell, MD, explains shingles – a herpes virus activation that may affect a significant proportion of FM and CFS patients
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Richard Podell, MD
Did you have chicken pox as a child? If so - and especially if you’re a Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient with immune vulnerabilities - you are at risk for the pain of a shingles attack. FM/CFS specialist Richard Podell, MD,* a clinical professor at New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, explains:
Shingles and Chronic Shingles Pain – The Right Treatment Can Help
Shingles pain is a delayed complication of childhood infection with the chicken pox virus, varicella zoster, a form of herpes virus. After childhood chicken pox, varicella virus remains within nerve cells in the spinal cord in a kind of long-term hibernation. However, among about half of us the hibernating virus can wake up and become active. This is the disease we know as shingles.
Shingles pain begins when the varicella virus "wakes," becomes infectious, and migrates from the spinal cord down through the long filament or axon of a nerve. In addition to shingles pain, we usually see a line of tender vesicles or blebs [blisters] on the skin over the path of the infected nerve.
Shingles treatments can reduce shingles pain if we start an anti herpes virus drug within the first two or three days of symptoms. Such shingles treatment medicines include...
Read Entire Article:
Richard Podell, MD, explains shingles – a herpes virus activation that may affect a significant proportion of FM and CFS patients
by Richard Podell, MD
Did you have chicken pox as a child? If so - and especially if you’re a Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient with immune vulnerabilities - you are at risk for the pain of a shingles attack. FM/CFS specialist Richard Podell, MD,* a clinical professor at New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, explains:
- Acute shingles, chronic shingles pain, and heightened pain sensitivity (allodynia),
- Why it's important to seek treatment immediately,
- The wide range of possible treatments, depending on pain severity and duration – from antivirals to nutrients that may encourage nerve repair.
Shingles and Chronic Shingles Pain – The Right Treatment Can Help
Shingles pain is a delayed complication of childhood infection with the chicken pox virus, varicella zoster, a form of herpes virus. After childhood chicken pox, varicella virus remains within nerve cells in the spinal cord in a kind of long-term hibernation. However, among about half of us the hibernating virus can wake up and become active. This is the disease we know as shingles.
Shingles pain begins when the varicella virus "wakes," becomes infectious, and migrates from the spinal cord down through the long filament or axon of a nerve. In addition to shingles pain, we usually see a line of tender vesicles or blebs [blisters] on the skin over the path of the infected nerve.
Shingles treatments can reduce shingles pain if we start an anti herpes virus drug within the first two or three days of symptoms. Such shingles treatment medicines include...
Read Entire Article:
Richard Podell, MD, explains shingles – a herpes virus activation that may affect a significant proportion of FM and CFS patients
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Flat on Your Back and Moving On - An ME/CFS Patient's Story
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Mark Pullinger
Mark Pullinger was a promising young musician when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome struck. It turned his whole world upside down...
"You have a post-viral fatigue syndrome. Six months and you'll be back to normal." My GP seemed so reassuring.
He had a kind, affectionate face and a comforting smile that gave him the aura of being constantly amused. He said, "Right, Mark," and, "Exactly," a lot and bore an uncanny resemblance to the news presenter, Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
His room, the first on the left down a corridor adjacent to the waiting room, was peppered with the standard National Health Service doctors' toys; a photo of his teenage daughter skiing, perhaps in the Alps, sat proudly on his desk. She seemed the picture of good health, which was encouraging.
I had made the familiar drive down to the surgery earlier that morning and was eager, if a little anxious, to hear the results of some tests taken a week before.
It was July and the record hot summer of 2003. I'd just finished my first year at a London music conservatoire. I was 19 and giddy with a youthful ambition, high on life. My days had been spent in classrooms amidst the swirling sounds of jazz's legends - Miles Davis, John Coltrane; our task to decipher and absorb, from the records, as much as we could about the genre, one day hoping to make our own mark as musicians; my evenings, in London bars and jazz clubs with friends or someone I had recently started a relationship with. A career as a saxophonist was gaining momentum. It occurred to me that I had probably never been so content.
It had all started a month beforehand. Fraught with the anxieties that could only mean end-of-term concerts, I had started to feel run down. At first, it just seemed like a run-of-the-mill flu-like illness and I was able to carry on more or less as normal until, one morning, I woke up to find that I couldn’t move. I was awake and could wiggle my hands and toes, but the part of my brain responsible for getting up didn't seem to be working...
Read Entire Article:
Flat on Your Back and Moving On
by Mark Pullinger
Mark Pullinger was a promising young musician when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome struck. It turned his whole world upside down...
"You have a post-viral fatigue syndrome. Six months and you'll be back to normal." My GP seemed so reassuring.
He had a kind, affectionate face and a comforting smile that gave him the aura of being constantly amused. He said, "Right, Mark," and, "Exactly," a lot and bore an uncanny resemblance to the news presenter, Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
His room, the first on the left down a corridor adjacent to the waiting room, was peppered with the standard National Health Service doctors' toys; a photo of his teenage daughter skiing, perhaps in the Alps, sat proudly on his desk. She seemed the picture of good health, which was encouraging.
I had made the familiar drive down to the surgery earlier that morning and was eager, if a little anxious, to hear the results of some tests taken a week before.
It was July and the record hot summer of 2003. I'd just finished my first year at a London music conservatoire. I was 19 and giddy with a youthful ambition, high on life. My days had been spent in classrooms amidst the swirling sounds of jazz's legends - Miles Davis, John Coltrane; our task to decipher and absorb, from the records, as much as we could about the genre, one day hoping to make our own mark as musicians; my evenings, in London bars and jazz clubs with friends or someone I had recently started a relationship with. A career as a saxophonist was gaining momentum. It occurred to me that I had probably never been so content.
It had all started a month beforehand. Fraught with the anxieties that could only mean end-of-term concerts, I had started to feel run down. At first, it just seemed like a run-of-the-mill flu-like illness and I was able to carry on more or less as normal until, one morning, I woke up to find that I couldn’t move. I was awake and could wiggle my hands and toes, but the part of my brain responsible for getting up didn't seem to be working...
Read Entire Article:
Flat on Your Back and Moving On
Monday, June 25, 2007
NADH's Possible Benefit for CFS and FMS
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Scott D. Olson, ND – a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in natural medicine
Supplementing with NADH is known to improve cellular energy safely by increasing production of the cellular fuel ATP. NADH also plays a vital role in creation of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine - important for mood, memory, alertness, and concentration.
But what is NADH? How does it deliver benefits to the cells? And how does this compare with the actions of chemical stimulants such as caffeine? Naturopathic Doctor Scott Olson outlines the science, and offers a Q&A with Austrian NADH expert Professor Jorg Birkmayer, MD, PhD, who devised a way to deliver NADH intact in bioavailable form to the cells.
Q & A With NADH Expert Jorg Birkmayer
Professor Birkmayer: All we need is energy. Every living cell needs energy to stay alive. But exactly how is this energy for life produced? Hydrogen and oxygen react to form water and energy. The biological form of hydrogen is NADH.
Q: How does a deficiency in NADH cause problems with energy levels?
Professor Birkmayer: NADH is the fuel for cellular energy production. All living cells require energy to stay alive. Without energy a cell dies because energy production represents the essential prerequisite for every living cell.
NADH reacts with oxygen, present in every living cell, to produce in a cascade of reactions both water (H2O) and energy. This energy is stored in the form of the chemical compound adenosine triphosphate, abbreviated ATP. Scientific studies have shown that a loss of NADH leads to an ATP depletion, which in turn leads to cell death.
Simply put, the more NADH a cell has available, the more energy it can produce. Most recent scientific studies have discovered that the energy level in a cell can actually be increased by NADH.
Q: How is NADH different from chemical stimulants (like caffeine) and how is it better?
Professor Birkmayer: NADH is by all means much better than caffeine or other stimulants for various reasons. Caffeine and the other stimulants release adrenaline (also called epinephrine) from the nerve cells. This triggers a quick boost in adrenaline. You are less tired and more alert.
However, it is only for a very short time. The next coffee will not give you the same boost as the first one because your adrenaline pool in the nerve cells has been emptied.
NADH on the other hand...
Read Entire Article:
NADH's Possible Benefit for CFS and FMS
by Scott D. Olson, ND – a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in natural medicine
Supplementing with NADH is known to improve cellular energy safely by increasing production of the cellular fuel ATP. NADH also plays a vital role in creation of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine - important for mood, memory, alertness, and concentration.
But what is NADH? How does it deliver benefits to the cells? And how does this compare with the actions of chemical stimulants such as caffeine? Naturopathic Doctor Scott Olson outlines the science, and offers a Q&A with Austrian NADH expert Professor Jorg Birkmayer, MD, PhD, who devised a way to deliver NADH intact in bioavailable form to the cells.
Q & A With NADH Expert Jorg Birkmayer
Professor Birkmayer: All we need is energy. Every living cell needs energy to stay alive. But exactly how is this energy for life produced? Hydrogen and oxygen react to form water and energy. The biological form of hydrogen is NADH.
Q: How does a deficiency in NADH cause problems with energy levels?
Professor Birkmayer: NADH is the fuel for cellular energy production. All living cells require energy to stay alive. Without energy a cell dies because energy production represents the essential prerequisite for every living cell.
NADH reacts with oxygen, present in every living cell, to produce in a cascade of reactions both water (H2O) and energy. This energy is stored in the form of the chemical compound adenosine triphosphate, abbreviated ATP. Scientific studies have shown that a loss of NADH leads to an ATP depletion, which in turn leads to cell death.
Simply put, the more NADH a cell has available, the more energy it can produce. Most recent scientific studies have discovered that the energy level in a cell can actually be increased by NADH.
Q: How is NADH different from chemical stimulants (like caffeine) and how is it better?
Professor Birkmayer: NADH is by all means much better than caffeine or other stimulants for various reasons. Caffeine and the other stimulants release adrenaline (also called epinephrine) from the nerve cells. This triggers a quick boost in adrenaline. You are less tired and more alert.
However, it is only for a very short time. The next coffee will not give you the same boost as the first one because your adrenaline pool in the nerve cells has been emptied.
NADH on the other hand...
Read Entire Article:
NADH's Possible Benefit for CFS and FMS
Friday, June 22, 2007
Natural treatments for depression, anxiety, and stress
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Richard Podell, MD
Richard Podell, MD, is a clinical professor at New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He has special interests in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, stress related disorders, and clinical nutrition. Dr. Podell has offices in Springfield and Somerset, New Jersey. For more information please see DrPodell.org.
The "Functional Medicine" approach Dr. Podell employs adds to standard therapies the often over-looked elements of natural healing - including nutrition, herbal, and mind-body therapies. These add holistic support for the body's natural healing systems, which help resist and overcome a broad range of both physical and mental health problems, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Mind and Body Do Not Function Separately
The unstated assumption of most conventional strategies is that mind and body function separately: Each organ of the body is largely on its own. However, current science shows that just the opposite is true.
The multiple systems of mind and body communicate and interact with each other in a complex holistic web of biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic relationships. Even such distant organs as the brain, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, immune system, gut, and liver interact, and in important ways function effectively as one.
Our "Functional Medicine" approach views all systems of the mind and body as part of one large, interactive web. This implies that any obstacle to healing that affects one part of the system feeds through and harms all others. Any improvement we can make in any part is also likely to feed through this web and improve your well-being as a whole.
Supporting the Body's Biochemical and Metabolic Pathways
Many alternative treatments for depression act by strengthening the same biochemical pathways that medicines use to treat depression. For example, St. John's Wort acts in part by increasing the activity of...
Read Entire Article:
Natural treatments for depression, anxiety, and stress, by Richard Podell, MD
by Richard Podell, MD
Richard Podell, MD, is a clinical professor at New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He has special interests in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, stress related disorders, and clinical nutrition. Dr. Podell has offices in Springfield and Somerset, New Jersey. For more information please see DrPodell.org.
The "Functional Medicine" approach Dr. Podell employs adds to standard therapies the often over-looked elements of natural healing - including nutrition, herbal, and mind-body therapies. These add holistic support for the body's natural healing systems, which help resist and overcome a broad range of both physical and mental health problems, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Mind and Body Do Not Function Separately
The unstated assumption of most conventional strategies is that mind and body function separately: Each organ of the body is largely on its own. However, current science shows that just the opposite is true.
The multiple systems of mind and body communicate and interact with each other in a complex holistic web of biochemical, hormonal, and metabolic relationships. Even such distant organs as the brain, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, immune system, gut, and liver interact, and in important ways function effectively as one.
Our "Functional Medicine" approach views all systems of the mind and body as part of one large, interactive web. This implies that any obstacle to healing that affects one part of the system feeds through and harms all others. Any improvement we can make in any part is also likely to feed through this web and improve your well-being as a whole.
Supporting the Body's Biochemical and Metabolic Pathways
Many alternative treatments for depression act by strengthening the same biochemical pathways that medicines use to treat depression. For example, St. John's Wort acts in part by increasing the activity of...
Read Entire Article:
Natural treatments for depression, anxiety, and stress, by Richard Podell, MD
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fibromyalgia Myth Busting
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Karen Lee Richards
For many years Fibromyalgia has been considered something of a mystery, confounding the doctors who are trying to treat it and the patients who have to live with it. Only recently has new technology begun to unravel the truths about this mysterious disorder. As a result of the previous lack of scientific evidence, several myths about Fibromyalgia have developed that, unfortunately, are still being repeated today. It’s time to dispel the myths and clarify the facts.
Myth 1: Fibromyalgia is a form of arthritis.
Fact: Fibromyalgia is a neurologic disease.
Although it was once thought that Fibromyalgia might be a form of arthritis, research over the past 10+ years has proven that to be false. Arthritis is defined as an inflammation of the joints, but there is no inflammation with FM, nor is there any damage to the joints. A Fibromyalgia patient may have a type of arthritis (like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis) in addition to FM, but it is a completely separate disorder. On the FM research front, new brain-imaging techniques and scientific studies are revealing that Fibromyalgia is better defined as a central nervous system disorder that results in abnormal pain processing.
Myth 2: Fibromyalgia affects the muscles, joints and connective tissue.
Fact...
Read Entire Article:
Fibromyalgia Myth Busting, by Karen Lee Richards
by Karen Lee Richards
For many years Fibromyalgia has been considered something of a mystery, confounding the doctors who are trying to treat it and the patients who have to live with it. Only recently has new technology begun to unravel the truths about this mysterious disorder. As a result of the previous lack of scientific evidence, several myths about Fibromyalgia have developed that, unfortunately, are still being repeated today. It’s time to dispel the myths and clarify the facts.
Myth 1: Fibromyalgia is a form of arthritis.
Fact: Fibromyalgia is a neurologic disease.
Although it was once thought that Fibromyalgia might be a form of arthritis, research over the past 10+ years has proven that to be false. Arthritis is defined as an inflammation of the joints, but there is no inflammation with FM, nor is there any damage to the joints. A Fibromyalgia patient may have a type of arthritis (like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis) in addition to FM, but it is a completely separate disorder. On the FM research front, new brain-imaging techniques and scientific studies are revealing that Fibromyalgia is better defined as a central nervous system disorder that results in abnormal pain processing.
Myth 2: Fibromyalgia affects the muscles, joints and connective tissue.
Fact...
Read Entire Article:
Fibromyalgia Myth Busting, by Karen Lee Richards
Friday, June 1, 2007
Prescribed Medications for Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
by Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D.
Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D., is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on Fibromyalgia. Dr. Pellegrino is the author of numerous books and articles on Fbromyalgia, and despite having Fibromyalgia, he maintains an active medical practice with more than 20,000 patients cared for. He was recently named in “Best Doctors in America.” The following article is an updated excerpt from a chapter of Fibromyalgia, Up Close and Personal by Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D.*
Prescribed medicines are an important part of fibromyalgia treatment. Presently there are no FDA approved medicines for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Many studies have been published, however, that show how numerous prescribed medicines can benefit those with fibromyalgia. Physicians are able to prescribe these medicines off-label for fibromyalgia because of these evidence-based studies.
Pain relief, improved sleep, more energy, and better mood are examples of goals that prescription medicines can help you reach. People with fibromyalgia tend to be more sensitive to medications and often experience side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, or lightheadedness. Lower doses of medicines need to be considered for fibromyalgia. Prescribed medicines can provide great benefits to many, so it is worthwhile to work together with the physician to try to find a successful medicine regimen.
Categories of drugs used in the treatment of fibromyalgia can include...
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Prescribed Medications for Fibromyalgia: By Mark Pellegrino, M.D.
by Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D.
Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D., is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on Fibromyalgia. Dr. Pellegrino is the author of numerous books and articles on Fbromyalgia, and despite having Fibromyalgia, he maintains an active medical practice with more than 20,000 patients cared for. He was recently named in “Best Doctors in America.” The following article is an updated excerpt from a chapter of Fibromyalgia, Up Close and Personal by Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D.*
Prescribed medicines are an important part of fibromyalgia treatment. Presently there are no FDA approved medicines for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Many studies have been published, however, that show how numerous prescribed medicines can benefit those with fibromyalgia. Physicians are able to prescribe these medicines off-label for fibromyalgia because of these evidence-based studies.
Pain relief, improved sleep, more energy, and better mood are examples of goals that prescription medicines can help you reach. People with fibromyalgia tend to be more sensitive to medications and often experience side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, or lightheadedness. Lower doses of medicines need to be considered for fibromyalgia. Prescribed medicines can provide great benefits to many, so it is worthwhile to work together with the physician to try to find a successful medicine regimen.
Categories of drugs used in the treatment of fibromyalgia can include...
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Prescribed Medications for Fibromyalgia: By Mark Pellegrino, M.D.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Fibromyalgia Diet: Eating for a Better Quality of Life
From: ImmuneSupport.com
By Colleen Black-Brown
There has been little information available from the scientific community on nutrition and diet for fibros. Research has not yet proven that any specific foods affect fibromyalgia (FM), positively or negatively. But we do know that eating a good balanced diet helps everyone’s body function at its best. Good nutrition can help in your health and healing. Eating healthful foods including those low in fat and high in immunity boosting antioxidants and phytochemicals may work together to help maximize energy and alertness and minimize constant fatigue and lethargy.
Many people have overcome their FM symptoms by changing their lifestyle and diet. Mary Moeller, author and spokeswoman on FM, now enjoys a state of remission from her FM symptoms by making a few changes in her lifestyle. To reach this ideal she advocates eliminating 4 foods completely from your diet (Mary Moeller’s Fibromyalgia Cookbook.)
1. Chocolate
2. Carbonated beverages
3. Coffee
4. Alcohol
Along with changes in nutrition she encourages stretching, exercising and drinking 8+ glasses of water a day. Also, in Mary Moeller and Joe Elrod’s book, The Fibromyalgia Nutrition Guide, they advocate a more complete list in order to overcome fatigue and feel your best. The 12 items to avoid are...
Read Entire Article:
The Fibromyalgia Diet: Eating for a Better Quality of Life
By Colleen Black-Brown
There has been little information available from the scientific community on nutrition and diet for fibros. Research has not yet proven that any specific foods affect fibromyalgia (FM), positively or negatively. But we do know that eating a good balanced diet helps everyone’s body function at its best. Good nutrition can help in your health and healing. Eating healthful foods including those low in fat and high in immunity boosting antioxidants and phytochemicals may work together to help maximize energy and alertness and minimize constant fatigue and lethargy.
Many people have overcome their FM symptoms by changing their lifestyle and diet. Mary Moeller, author and spokeswoman on FM, now enjoys a state of remission from her FM symptoms by making a few changes in her lifestyle. To reach this ideal she advocates eliminating 4 foods completely from your diet (Mary Moeller’s Fibromyalgia Cookbook.)
1. Chocolate
2. Carbonated beverages
3. Coffee
4. Alcohol
Along with changes in nutrition she encourages stretching, exercising and drinking 8+ glasses of water a day. Also, in Mary Moeller and Joe Elrod’s book, The Fibromyalgia Nutrition Guide, they advocate a more complete list in order to overcome fatigue and feel your best. The 12 items to avoid are...
Read Entire Article:
The Fibromyalgia Diet: Eating for a Better Quality of Life
Late and Chronic Lyme Disease: Symptom Overlap with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
By Sam Donta,M.D.
Following the introduction of Borrelia burgdorferi into the skin by an infected tick, the organisms begin to spread both locally and systemically. Several days typically elapse before the appearance of the first sign of infection, i.e., erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), or other less typical rashes (29).
The rash occurs in fewer than 50% of patients with Lyme Disease (8,10), but the true incidence of Lyme Disease in the absence of a rash is unknown.
The occurence of multiple rashes is indicative of systemic spread of the organisms. Multiple rashes usually do not occur until 2-4 weeks following the initial tick bite. This is the same time period during which the organisms are being disseminated to their target tissues and cells. The incidence of multiple rashes was initially reported to occur in as many as 50% of cases, but has been much less common in the last two decades, probably because of frequent use of antibiotics. Approximately 4-6 weeks following the tick bite, the first systemic symptoms (other than multiple rashes) occur in some patients, usually in the form of "flu" (15). These symptoms include sore throat, severe headaches and neck aches, and severe fatigue. Rhinitis, sinusitis, and cough are not usually present, distinguishing this "flu" from other influenza-like illnesses. While the Lyme-flu symptoms can spontaneously resolve, patients can experience recurrent "flu"...
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Late and Chronic Lyme Disease: Symptom Overlap with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
By Sam Donta,M.D.
Following the introduction of Borrelia burgdorferi into the skin by an infected tick, the organisms begin to spread both locally and systemically. Several days typically elapse before the appearance of the first sign of infection, i.e., erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), or other less typical rashes (29).
The rash occurs in fewer than 50% of patients with Lyme Disease (8,10), but the true incidence of Lyme Disease in the absence of a rash is unknown.
The occurence of multiple rashes is indicative of systemic spread of the organisms. Multiple rashes usually do not occur until 2-4 weeks following the initial tick bite. This is the same time period during which the organisms are being disseminated to their target tissues and cells. The incidence of multiple rashes was initially reported to occur in as many as 50% of cases, but has been much less common in the last two decades, probably because of frequent use of antibiotics. Approximately 4-6 weeks following the tick bite, the first systemic symptoms (other than multiple rashes) occur in some patients, usually in the form of "flu" (15). These symptoms include sore throat, severe headaches and neck aches, and severe fatigue. Rhinitis, sinusitis, and cough are not usually present, distinguishing this "flu" from other influenza-like illnesses. While the Lyme-flu symptoms can spontaneously resolve, patients can experience recurrent "flu"...
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Late and Chronic Lyme Disease: Symptom Overlap with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
Treating Headaches & Muscle Spasms in Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
By Dr. Richard L. Bruno
At least once a week I get a sharp pain on one side of my head, sometimes the left, most often on the right. I sometimes I wake up with a headache, but also get one at the end of the day when I am tired. My neck also hurts on the side where my head hurts and I often feel nauseated. One doctor says I have fibromyalgia. Another says migraines. But I don't have flashes in front of my eyes and I don't throw up. Is my headache a migraine? Is it due to fibromyalgia? Probably neither. Patients tell me they have migraine headaches because there is pain on one side of the head plus nausea. But despite nausea, most people with headaches don't have migraines. Headaches are most often the result of muscle spasms in the neck, upper back and shoulder muscles. When a muscle on one side of the neck goes into spasm it causes not only a one-sided headache but also pushes on the vagus nerve in the neck -- the nerve that makes the stomach "turn on" -- and causes nausea. Such single-sided headaches sound like migraines, but aren't. What's more, we see many people with headaches, back and neck pain who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia but whose pain is actually due to muscle spasms.
What causes muscle spasms? Spasms are triggered by physical and emotional stress. Physical stress can be doing too much and becoming fatigued or having "painful" posture. Painful posture is sitting or standing with your back looking like a C: your head falling forward, upper back curled over, shoulders elevated, being bent forward at the waist or tilting to one side (by the way, sitting at the computer may be the #1 cause of painful posture.) Emotional stress can be anything from the slings and arrows of living in the 21st century to the hard-driving, pressured, overachieving, work-till-you-drop Type A lifestyles that many CFS/ME patients have.
How do you treat headaches and other muscle spasm pain?
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Treating Headaches & Muscle Spasms in Fibromyalgia
By Dr. Richard L. Bruno
At least once a week I get a sharp pain on one side of my head, sometimes the left, most often on the right. I sometimes I wake up with a headache, but also get one at the end of the day when I am tired. My neck also hurts on the side where my head hurts and I often feel nauseated. One doctor says I have fibromyalgia. Another says migraines. But I don't have flashes in front of my eyes and I don't throw up. Is my headache a migraine? Is it due to fibromyalgia? Probably neither. Patients tell me they have migraine headaches because there is pain on one side of the head plus nausea. But despite nausea, most people with headaches don't have migraines. Headaches are most often the result of muscle spasms in the neck, upper back and shoulder muscles. When a muscle on one side of the neck goes into spasm it causes not only a one-sided headache but also pushes on the vagus nerve in the neck -- the nerve that makes the stomach "turn on" -- and causes nausea. Such single-sided headaches sound like migraines, but aren't. What's more, we see many people with headaches, back and neck pain who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia but whose pain is actually due to muscle spasms.
What causes muscle spasms? Spasms are triggered by physical and emotional stress. Physical stress can be doing too much and becoming fatigued or having "painful" posture. Painful posture is sitting or standing with your back looking like a C: your head falling forward, upper back curled over, shoulders elevated, being bent forward at the waist or tilting to one side (by the way, sitting at the computer may be the #1 cause of painful posture.) Emotional stress can be anything from the slings and arrows of living in the 21st century to the hard-driving, pressured, overachieving, work-till-you-drop Type A lifestyles that many CFS/ME patients have.
How do you treat headaches and other muscle spasm pain?
Read Entire Article:
Treating Headaches & Muscle Spasms in Fibromyalgia
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Guaifenesin Story: A centuries-old bark extract used for clearing the airways – now key to a popular Fibromyalgia symptom-reversal protocol
From: ImmuneSupport.com
What is guaifenesin? It is a substance that helps loosen and liquefy mucous, and as such is a common component of many nonprescription cold and cough remedies. It is derived from a tree bark extract called guaiacum, first used in the 16th century, and was approved for use as an expectorant by the Food and Drug Administration in 1952. Twenty years ago, the extract was synthesized, pressed into tablets, and named guaifenesin.
Guaifenesin works by drawing water into the bronchi – the air passages branching into our lungs. The released water both thins the mucous and lubricates the airway, facilitating the removal of mucous by coughing. Guaifenesin should be taken exactly as directed on the container or by a prescribing doctor or pharmacist.
What is the Guifenesin Protocol for Fibromyalgia patients? Guaifenesin is also used in the very popular Guaifenesin Protocol for symptoms of Fibromyalgia, conceived by R. Paul St. Amand, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in Endocrinology at UCLA. Though highly demanding and still considered experimental, the Protocol has been adopted by many FM patients, owing to widespread anecdotal descriptions of quality-of-life benefits. Nevertheless, note that Guaifenesin has not been approved by the FDA for this application and should be used as such only with the approval and supervision of a medical doctor familiar with the patient and Protocol.
What is the Protocol’s underlying theory? Dr. St. Amand explains this in detail at FibromyalgiaTreatment.com and in his book written with Claudia Marek, What Doctors May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. The theory is that...
Read Entire Article:
The Guaifenesin Story: A centuries-old bark extract used for clearing the airways – now key to a popular Fibromyalgia symptom-reversal protocol
What is guaifenesin? It is a substance that helps loosen and liquefy mucous, and as such is a common component of many nonprescription cold and cough remedies. It is derived from a tree bark extract called guaiacum, first used in the 16th century, and was approved for use as an expectorant by the Food and Drug Administration in 1952. Twenty years ago, the extract was synthesized, pressed into tablets, and named guaifenesin.
Guaifenesin works by drawing water into the bronchi – the air passages branching into our lungs. The released water both thins the mucous and lubricates the airway, facilitating the removal of mucous by coughing. Guaifenesin should be taken exactly as directed on the container or by a prescribing doctor or pharmacist.
What is the Guifenesin Protocol for Fibromyalgia patients? Guaifenesin is also used in the very popular Guaifenesin Protocol for symptoms of Fibromyalgia, conceived by R. Paul St. Amand, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in Endocrinology at UCLA. Though highly demanding and still considered experimental, the Protocol has been adopted by many FM patients, owing to widespread anecdotal descriptions of quality-of-life benefits. Nevertheless, note that Guaifenesin has not been approved by the FDA for this application and should be used as such only with the approval and supervision of a medical doctor familiar with the patient and Protocol.
What is the Protocol’s underlying theory? Dr. St. Amand explains this in detail at FibromyalgiaTreatment.com and in his book written with Claudia Marek, What Doctors May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. The theory is that...
Read Entire Article:
The Guaifenesin Story: A centuries-old bark extract used for clearing the airways – now key to a popular Fibromyalgia symptom-reversal protocol
Research: Benefit of Ribose in a Patient With Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Abstract
Ribose was added to the existing treatment regimen of a woman with fibromyalgia, resulting in a decrease in symptoms. It has been postulated that patients with fibromyalgia may have an alteration in muscle adenine nucleotide metabolism, leading to depleted energy reserves and an imbalance in cellular adenosine-triphosphate:adenosine 5'-diphosphate:adenosine 5'-monophosphate (ATP:ADP:AMP) ratios with an abnormal energy charge. As a key component in adenine nucleotide synthesis, ribose supplementation may be useful in such patients.
Introduction
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that is manifested by generalized muscle pain and additional systemic symptoms of fatigue, tenderness and stiffness in multiple joints, sleep disturbance, and alterations in bowel activity.
The specific etiology is unknown; however, changes in muscle histology, energy metabolism, oxygen utilization, and the neuroendocrine stress-response system have been postulated to play a role in the development and persistence of this disorder.[1] Low levels of muscle adenine nucleotides, reflected in depleted energy reserves and an imbalance in cellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate:adenosine 5'-diphosphate:adenosine 5'-monophosphate (ATP:ADP:AMP) ratios with an abnormal energy charge, have been reported.[2-4] The unknown cause and varying presenting symptoms make fibromyalgia a therapeutic challenge for practitioners.[5-7]
Read Entire Article:
Research: Benefit of Ribose in a Patient With Fibromyalgia
Abstract
Ribose was added to the existing treatment regimen of a woman with fibromyalgia, resulting in a decrease in symptoms. It has been postulated that patients with fibromyalgia may have an alteration in muscle adenine nucleotide metabolism, leading to depleted energy reserves and an imbalance in cellular adenosine-triphosphate:adenosine 5'-diphosphate:adenosine 5'-monophosphate (ATP:ADP:AMP) ratios with an abnormal energy charge. As a key component in adenine nucleotide synthesis, ribose supplementation may be useful in such patients.
Introduction
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that is manifested by generalized muscle pain and additional systemic symptoms of fatigue, tenderness and stiffness in multiple joints, sleep disturbance, and alterations in bowel activity.
The specific etiology is unknown; however, changes in muscle histology, energy metabolism, oxygen utilization, and the neuroendocrine stress-response system have been postulated to play a role in the development and persistence of this disorder.[1] Low levels of muscle adenine nucleotides, reflected in depleted energy reserves and an imbalance in cellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate:adenosine 5'-diphosphate:adenosine 5'-monophosphate (ATP:ADP:AMP) ratios with an abnormal energy charge, have been reported.[2-4] The unknown cause and varying presenting symptoms make fibromyalgia a therapeutic challenge for practitioners.[5-7]
Read Entire Article:
Research: Benefit of Ribose in a Patient With Fibromyalgia
Diet & Nutritional Supplement Recommendations from Leading Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Physicians
From: ImmuneSupport.com
We’ve all heard the expression "you are what you eat." While there is no question that diet and nutrition have a significant impact on overall good health, the extent to which this is true in people suffering from disease is a subject of much debate and has been the topic of many research studies. When you’re struggling with a chronic illness such as fibromyalgia (FM) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), this expression takes on a whole new meaning and weight.
While there is no diet or nutritional regimen that has been proven to eliminate all of the symptoms of FM or CFS, there are nutritional strategies that involve changing what you eat – and the way you eat, that help a great many patients feel better, resolve some symptoms, and function at a much higher level.
The dietary and nutritional supplementation advice that follows is provided by respected CFS and FM physicians and experts. While dietary and nutritional changes must be experimented with and tailored to each individual patient according to particular symptoms and deficiencies, the recommendations that follow broadly address the spectrum of nutritional issues that CFS and FM experts regularly encounter with patients, and describe the best solutions they have found.
Charles W. Lapp, M.D.
Charles Lapp, M.D., is nationally recognized and sought after as a medical consultant regarding CFS and FM. He is Co-Chairman of the Clinical Affairs Committee for the American Association for CFS, medical advisor to the CFIDS Association of America, and a board member of the American FM Syndrome Association. Dr. Lapp is currently Director of the Hunter-Hopkins Center, P.A., Medical Consultations, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a practicing physician, and is also Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. For more information about Dr. Lapp, visit his Web site at www.drlapp.net.
Diet (foods to eliminate, excitotoxins, etc.): There is very little study of this aspect, but empirically my patients do best on a low fat diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbs (like rice and potato), and light meats (chicken, turkey, scaly fishes).
We have also found that PWCs do not tolerate several items: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and excitotoxins like MSG and aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal). Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) is satisfactory, however. These are remembered by the mnemonic SCATE. Many patients with loose stools may find that reducing dairy and gluten (wheat, barley, oats and rye) intake may help.
Supplementation (how to address any nutritional deficiencies): The literature confirms several deficiencies in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia, including intracellular magnesium and vitamin B-12, whole body potassium, intracellular ATP, glutathione, taurine, serine, and the short-chain fatty acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine. While patients may not feel any better by supplementing these, health can at least be optimized. I frequently recommend supplementation with a multivitamin (like Super Multiple II or Cellular Support), magnesium, potassium, NADH (for ATP), glutathione, and an amino acid capsule.
Read Entire Article:
Diet & Nutritional Supplement Recommendations from Leading Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Physicians
We’ve all heard the expression "you are what you eat." While there is no question that diet and nutrition have a significant impact on overall good health, the extent to which this is true in people suffering from disease is a subject of much debate and has been the topic of many research studies. When you’re struggling with a chronic illness such as fibromyalgia (FM) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), this expression takes on a whole new meaning and weight.
While there is no diet or nutritional regimen that has been proven to eliminate all of the symptoms of FM or CFS, there are nutritional strategies that involve changing what you eat – and the way you eat, that help a great many patients feel better, resolve some symptoms, and function at a much higher level.
The dietary and nutritional supplementation advice that follows is provided by respected CFS and FM physicians and experts. While dietary and nutritional changes must be experimented with and tailored to each individual patient according to particular symptoms and deficiencies, the recommendations that follow broadly address the spectrum of nutritional issues that CFS and FM experts regularly encounter with patients, and describe the best solutions they have found.
Charles W. Lapp, M.D.
Charles Lapp, M.D., is nationally recognized and sought after as a medical consultant regarding CFS and FM. He is Co-Chairman of the Clinical Affairs Committee for the American Association for CFS, medical advisor to the CFIDS Association of America, and a board member of the American FM Syndrome Association. Dr. Lapp is currently Director of the Hunter-Hopkins Center, P.A., Medical Consultations, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a practicing physician, and is also Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. For more information about Dr. Lapp, visit his Web site at www.drlapp.net.
Diet (foods to eliminate, excitotoxins, etc.): There is very little study of this aspect, but empirically my patients do best on a low fat diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbs (like rice and potato), and light meats (chicken, turkey, scaly fishes).
We have also found that PWCs do not tolerate several items: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and excitotoxins like MSG and aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal). Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) is satisfactory, however. These are remembered by the mnemonic SCATE. Many patients with loose stools may find that reducing dairy and gluten (wheat, barley, oats and rye) intake may help.
Supplementation (how to address any nutritional deficiencies): The literature confirms several deficiencies in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia, including intracellular magnesium and vitamin B-12, whole body potassium, intracellular ATP, glutathione, taurine, serine, and the short-chain fatty acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine. While patients may not feel any better by supplementing these, health can at least be optimized. I frequently recommend supplementation with a multivitamin (like Super Multiple II or Cellular Support), magnesium, potassium, NADH (for ATP), glutathione, and an amino acid capsule.
Read Entire Article:
Diet & Nutritional Supplement Recommendations from Leading Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Physicians
Kent Holtorf, MD, on Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Dr. Kent Holtorf, MD, is Medical Director of the Holtorf Medical Group Center for Hormone Imbalance, Hypothyroidism and Fatigue in Torrance, California.* He specializes in treatment of CFS and FM patients.
Question: Dr. Holtorf, in a past article on the effective treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia** you stated that “individuals with these syndromes have measurable hypothalamic, pituitary, immune and coagulation dysfunction. These abnormalities then result in a cascade of further abnormalities, in which stress plays a role.” Could you discuss in detail how you approach testing for and treating these problems in CFS and FM patients?
Dr. Holtorf: There is a mixture of underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM), and each underlying abnormality can trigger further problems. This results in a cascade of multiple physiologic abnormalities and a perpetuating vicious cycle. Successful treatment requires that this vicious cycle be addressed on multiple levels.
Read Entire Article:
Kent Holtorf, MD, on Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
Dr. Kent Holtorf, MD, is Medical Director of the Holtorf Medical Group Center for Hormone Imbalance, Hypothyroidism and Fatigue in Torrance, California.* He specializes in treatment of CFS and FM patients.
Question: Dr. Holtorf, in a past article on the effective treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia** you stated that “individuals with these syndromes have measurable hypothalamic, pituitary, immune and coagulation dysfunction. These abnormalities then result in a cascade of further abnormalities, in which stress plays a role.” Could you discuss in detail how you approach testing for and treating these problems in CFS and FM patients?
Dr. Holtorf: There is a mixture of underlying causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM), and each underlying abnormality can trigger further problems. This results in a cascade of multiple physiologic abnormalities and a perpetuating vicious cycle. Successful treatment requires that this vicious cycle be addressed on multiple levels.
Read Entire Article:
Kent Holtorf, MD, on Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
Friday, April 13, 2007
Devin Starlanyl On Medications For Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Often, you may have to try many medications before you find the optimum ones for you. We react differently to each medication, and there is no "cookbook recipe" for FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) or MPS (myofascial pain syndrome). What works well for one of us can be ineffective for another. A medication which puts one person to sleep may keep another awake. Each of us has our unique combination of neurotransmitter disruption and connective tissue disturbance. We need doctors who are willing to stick with us until an acceptable symptom relief level is reached.
These are not the only medications in use for FMS & MPS, but are simply a selection to show what is available. It may be necessary to address each perpetuating factor, such as pain, lack of restorative sleep, and muscle rigidity, separately.
Medications should be used along with a program of proper diet, life style changes, mind work and bodywork. Medications which affect the central nervous system are appropriate for FMS&MPS Complex. They target symptoms of sleep lack, muscle rigidity, pain and fatigue. Pain sensations are amplified by FMS, and so the pain of MPS pain is multiplied. FMS&MPS Complex patients often react oddly to medications.
It is the rule rather than the exception that a FMS&MPS Complex patient will save strong pain meds from surgery or injury for when they REALLY need it -- for an FMS&MPS Complex "flare". This is a sign that your needs aren't being met. I give you the following quotes. I hope you will pass them on to your doctor. They are from "PAIN A Clinical Manual for Nursing Practice", by McCaffrey and Beebe.
Read Entire Article:
Devin Starlanyl On Medications For Fibromyalgia
Often, you may have to try many medications before you find the optimum ones for you. We react differently to each medication, and there is no "cookbook recipe" for FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) or MPS (myofascial pain syndrome). What works well for one of us can be ineffective for another. A medication which puts one person to sleep may keep another awake. Each of us has our unique combination of neurotransmitter disruption and connective tissue disturbance. We need doctors who are willing to stick with us until an acceptable symptom relief level is reached.
These are not the only medications in use for FMS & MPS, but are simply a selection to show what is available. It may be necessary to address each perpetuating factor, such as pain, lack of restorative sleep, and muscle rigidity, separately.
Medications should be used along with a program of proper diet, life style changes, mind work and bodywork. Medications which affect the central nervous system are appropriate for FMS&MPS Complex. They target symptoms of sleep lack, muscle rigidity, pain and fatigue. Pain sensations are amplified by FMS, and so the pain of MPS pain is multiplied. FMS&MPS Complex patients often react oddly to medications.
It is the rule rather than the exception that a FMS&MPS Complex patient will save strong pain meds from surgery or injury for when they REALLY need it -- for an FMS&MPS Complex "flare". This is a sign that your needs aren't being met. I give you the following quotes. I hope you will pass them on to your doctor. They are from "PAIN A Clinical Manual for Nursing Practice", by McCaffrey and Beebe.
Read Entire Article:
Devin Starlanyl On Medications For Fibromyalgia
Charles Lapp, M.D., on the Effective Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Charles Lapp, M.D., is nationally recognized and sought after as a medical consultant regarding CFS and FM. He is Co-Chairman of the Clinical Affairs Committee for the American Association for CFS, medical advisor to the CFIDS Association of America, and a board member of the American FM Syndrome Association. Dr. Lapp is currently Director of the Hunter-Hopkins Center, P.A., Medical Consultations, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a practicing physician, and is also Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.
ImmuneSupport.com: When did you first become aware of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) as valid illnesses with real symptoms (what were the circumstances)?
Dr. Lapp: I had never heard of CFS or FM until 1984, when the VP of a Fortune 500 company came to me and described a debilitating illness that was triggered by the flu, and prevented him for working more than 1-2 days per week. Soon after I began researching his case, a similar case presented to my office, then another, and another. Before long it became clear that many of these cases were related, so I called the CDC to report a possible epidemic. The CDC put me in touch with two other groups (Dan Peterson and Paul Cheney in Lake Tahoe, and David Bell in Lyndonville, NY) who were experiencing similar epidemics in their towns, and thus began my new career and ambition! As you probably know, Paul, David and I collaborated together in Charlotte, North Carolina, for several years, during which time we pretty much set the foundation of our clinical knowledge today.
Most doctors who study both CFS and FM find the two disorders so similar that we consider them “identical” for all intents and purposes. There are some subtle differences, however. CFS is most likely triggered by an infectious or flu-like illness, whereas a number of FM cases are triggered by minor injury or trauma. CFS is characterized biochemically by elevated levels of RNaseL (an anti-viral enzyme), whereas FM is unique in having excess Substance P (which triggers pain in nerves) in the bodily fluids. Profound exertional fatigue, post-exertional malaise, deep myalgias, sleep disruption, cognitive dysfunction, and autonomic abnormalities are common to both. FM tends to be a more persistent ailment, whereas studies have shown more spontaneous improvement in PWCs (Persons with CFS). Persons with “pure FM” (that is, minimal cognitive dysfunction) tend to improve with low level, slowly progressive exercise, whereas persons with CFS are more likely to flare or relapse with even minimal activity.
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Charles Lapp, M.D., on the Effective Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Charles Lapp, M.D., is nationally recognized and sought after as a medical consultant regarding CFS and FM. He is Co-Chairman of the Clinical Affairs Committee for the American Association for CFS, medical advisor to the CFIDS Association of America, and a board member of the American FM Syndrome Association. Dr. Lapp is currently Director of the Hunter-Hopkins Center, P.A., Medical Consultations, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a practicing physician, and is also Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.
ImmuneSupport.com: When did you first become aware of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) as valid illnesses with real symptoms (what were the circumstances)?
Dr. Lapp: I had never heard of CFS or FM until 1984, when the VP of a Fortune 500 company came to me and described a debilitating illness that was triggered by the flu, and prevented him for working more than 1-2 days per week. Soon after I began researching his case, a similar case presented to my office, then another, and another. Before long it became clear that many of these cases were related, so I called the CDC to report a possible epidemic. The CDC put me in touch with two other groups (Dan Peterson and Paul Cheney in Lake Tahoe, and David Bell in Lyndonville, NY) who were experiencing similar epidemics in their towns, and thus began my new career and ambition! As you probably know, Paul, David and I collaborated together in Charlotte, North Carolina, for several years, during which time we pretty much set the foundation of our clinical knowledge today.
Most doctors who study both CFS and FM find the two disorders so similar that we consider them “identical” for all intents and purposes. There are some subtle differences, however. CFS is most likely triggered by an infectious or flu-like illness, whereas a number of FM cases are triggered by minor injury or trauma. CFS is characterized biochemically by elevated levels of RNaseL (an anti-viral enzyme), whereas FM is unique in having excess Substance P (which triggers pain in nerves) in the bodily fluids. Profound exertional fatigue, post-exertional malaise, deep myalgias, sleep disruption, cognitive dysfunction, and autonomic abnormalities are common to both. FM tends to be a more persistent ailment, whereas studies have shown more spontaneous improvement in PWCs (Persons with CFS). Persons with “pure FM” (that is, minimal cognitive dysfunction) tend to improve with low level, slowly progressive exercise, whereas persons with CFS are more likely to flare or relapse with even minimal activity.
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Charles Lapp, M.D., on the Effective Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia: New Insights Into a Misunderstood Ailment
From: ImmuneSupport.com
Health experts recommend sleep, nutrition goals for sufferers
By Holly VanScoy SATURDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Fibromyalgia was once dismissed by many traditional medical practitioners as a phantom illness.
But that view is changing rapidly. Not only is fibromyalgia accepted as a diagnosable illness, it is also a syndrome that researchers are finding more complicated as new information emerges.
As recently as a year ago, many physicians still associated some of fibromyalgia's symptoms with emotional problems, but that's no longer the case.
Health experts recommend sleep, nutrition goals for sufferers
By Holly VanScoy SATURDAY, Jan. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Fibromyalgia was once dismissed by many traditional medical practitioners as a phantom illness.
But that view is changing rapidly. Not only is fibromyalgia accepted as a diagnosable illness, it is also a syndrome that researchers are finding more complicated as new information emerges.
As recently as a year ago, many physicians still associated some of fibromyalgia's symptoms with emotional problems, but that's no longer the case.
A simple description of fibromyalgia is that it is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread muscle pain and fatigue.
For still unknown reasons, people with fibromyalgia have increased sensitivity to pain that occurs in areas called their "tender points." Common ones are the front of the knees, the elbows, the hip joints, the neck and spine. People may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and other symptoms.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 million to 6 million Americans, 80 percent to 90 percent of whom are women. The condition is most often diagnosed during middle age, but at least one of its symptoms appears earlier in life.
But is there a psychological tie-in strong enough to differentiate fibromyalgia from other similar diseases and conditions? Apparently not.
"Fibromyalgia patients are such a diverse group of patients, they cannot all be the same," said Dr. Thorsten Giesecke, a University of Michigan research fellow.
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Fibromyalgia: New Insights Into a Misunderstood Ailment
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