|
|
|
Chronic Fatigue Treatment
|
Chronic Fatigue is quickly becoming an epidemic problem in our modern society. In its severe form it is known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS). Symptoms include daily fatigue, un-refreshing sleep, brain fog, severe fatigue after exercise, memory loss, irritability, ongoing depression, low body temperature and an overall persistent sick feeling. Pain may also be involved. Many doctors consider Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia to be the same condition with slightly different symptom manifestations.
Regardless of what one calls it, it can be a debilitating condition that persists for many years if not properly treated. Most conventionally trained doctors do not have a deep enough understanding of this complex condition to treat it properly.
At The Advanced Medicine Center we consider the successful treatment of Chronic Fatigue to be one of our specialties. We have a deep understanding of the many issues involved in this perplexing condition. One reason why this condition is so puzzling is that it often has many causes and the causes are different for each patient. Successfully treating this condition means that the doctor must sort through large amounts of information regarding each individual patient to get to the root causes of the problem.
Causes include adrenal gland exhaustion, hidden hypothyroidism, heavy metal toxicity, hidden infections, hormonal imbalances, intestinal yeast overgrowth, iodine deficiency and poor sleep patterns to name a few.
Our treatment protocol is based on a proven method developed by Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. Dr. Teitelbaum is world renown for his effective treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He suffered from the condition himself in the late 1970’s and was determined to develop a proven method to defeat this debilitating condition. He did indeed develop an effective treatment protocol. It has over a 95% success rate and was proven effective by a double blind, placebo-controlled study. To view the study abstracts click on the link below.
Study AbstractsIn order to enable our patients to easily comply with their customized treatment plan, we focus on the most important issues first and then work through any remaining issues in a reasonable time span. As you can imagine this takes a lot of skill, time, and dedication. It is for these reasons that mainstream medicine is not well equipped to solve this complicated condition. We have this skill and dedication and are experts in this field.
Detoxification
We have found that in the majority of cases, heavy metal toxicity (especially mercury) and an unbalanced intestinal system (dysbiosis) are at the root of this debilitating condition. (See our Info links for further details on Candida and Heavy Metals). Typically we will focus on these two issues at the outset of your treatment. If these problems are suspected, we may order specific lab tests (urine analysis for heavy metal toxicity and stool analysis for intestinal problems) to verify our suspicions.
Treatment for heavy metal toxicity includes using DMSA( a prescription medication) and Alpha-Lipoic acid (a natural supplement) , to “chelate” or pull out the metals from your body.
Treatment for an unbalanced intestinal system includes getting rid of any overgrowth of unwanted harmful micro- organisms (especially a yeast called Candida Albicans) and replenishing your intestinal system with beneficial bacteria (pro-biotics). We typically use a safe prescription medication and/or an herbal preparation to kill any unwanted guests in your intestinal system. We use a high grade natural oral pro-biotic formulation to re-implant your intestinal system with the beneficial bacteria. This approach has proved very successful.
Hormonal Imbalances
Quite often a person suffering from fatigue will have previously undetected problems in their hormonal (endocrine) system. The main glands involved are typically the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland. Other glands may also be involved in some cases. Most patients coming to see us have been to several doctors with no favorable treatment results. One reason for this is that the previous doctors have missed hormonal deficiencies and/or imbalances in the above mentioned glands.
If these problems are suspected, we will order specific blood tests (for thyroid and other glands) and a saliva test (for the adrenal glands) to accurately pin down any deficiencies or imbalances. These can be corrected in most cases with naturally based (bio-identical) prescriptions. Usually we see great improvement in the patient’s quality of life when their hormonal system becomes balanced.
Diet, Sleep and Exercise
Eating right and getting enough high-quality sleep are crucial parts of any wellness plan. Almost all fatigue patients have some sort of sleep problem initially. We have several safe, natural techniques to get our patients sleeping better and subsequently feeling better.
We also will give you guidance in how to eat better. (See our patient education sheet on Whole Food Dieting for further details). A healthy diet is also another critical piece in the journey to optimal health.
Appropriate exercise is another crucial piece to any plan for optimal health. The key word is appropriate. Many of our patients are unable to exercise properly when they first see us. However, after we advance them on the road to optimal health, they are then able to partake in a regular exercise program. We are careful to recommend an exercise program that fits the needs and condition of each patient.
Identification of Hidden Infections
Less commonly, in stubborn cases, a hidden low level infection may be at the root of fatigue. A low lying bacterial, viral, or fungal infection may exist. These infections can go undiagnosed for years. We have special testing methods designed to find these hidden infections as well as proven techniques for getting rid of the infection and building your immune system.
|
|
