Articles tagged with: CFS

Viral nosodes for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Date: June 16, 2010 Author: admin Comments: 2 Replies

I am preparing this book for publication- here is an excerpt that I hope will help folks with CFS. I know how awful it is- how debilitating. I struggled with it for 7 years, and it was a nosode of Coxsackie B4 9a flu virus) which was a complete cure.

The book will be available within the month.

Excerpt from: “The Homeopathic Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.”

Chapter 7:

If one has employed a Voll, Vega or even Kinesiological screening, a viral match may be found, the most common in CFS being Cytomegalo, Coxsackie B1-B6 (B influenza), Mononucleosis (Glandular fever), Human Herpes virus Type 6 (HHV6), or Epstein Barr.  A nosode of the virus (if found) should be prescribed at this time, for example, 30c to be taken every three days for three weeks. The understanding of past homeopathic practitioners has been to employ the 30c potency of nosodes only once in 6 months, but in this author’s experience, this is simply not enough. I began my practice in this manner, and found that the patient returned in two to three weeks testing just as strongly for the virus. Yet when he took the remedy at frequent intervals for several weeks, the symptoms, and the test match disappeared in three to four weeks.  It is always possible that one may have to instruct the patient to take a short break in this treatment, to allow some intermediary detoxification to take place. There have been many occasions where a 200c of the nosode tested, possibly indicating that the person has harbored the virus, or the viral memory, for a longer period of time. In this case a dose once a week for three weeks has been effective, with doses of the 30c potency, as well, every two to three days, depending on the level of illness of the patient and his or her sensitivity to remedies.

It is essential, however, to employ drainage support, as described above, during this nosode work. Without it the patient can experience a severe aggravation of his symptoms. If the patient is severely compromised and weak, it is a good idea to prescribe the drainage remedies for approximately a week or even longer, with Vitamin C and lots of pure water, before taking of the first dose of the nosode remedy. In these weakened individuals it is definitely safer and easier on the patient to start with a 30c of the nosode, even though the 200c may test.

Often, at this time, a single constitutional remedy will test, or be chosen according to standard homeopathic practice. If this is the case, one can also prescribe a 30c to be taken every other day, with the proviso that the vital force is strong enough (at least 80 on the Dermatron/RM10 Voll machine.) If the vital force is weakened, even this middle potency can cause an aggravation, an undesirable reaction in a compromised individual. If there is any doubt, it is preferable to wait until gentle drainage and nosode work has been completed, sometimes as little as three to four weeks, but often longer. Each patient is different, and will recover at a different speed. A patient whose vital force is depleted, (hand-to-hand reading is well below the ideal 84) is in a deeper, more chronic, and more pathological phase of disease.

Introduction

Date: December 15, 2009 Author: Diane Comments: 1 Reply

I had already completed my nutrition degree in London, more than 20 years ago, from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London, and had been practicing nutrition for some years, when I, of all people, came down with the dreaded Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. (M.E. is the UK term for CFS). Imagine my shock, disbelief, and denial when I got the flu and never got better. It couldn’t happen to me, I was a nutritionist! I ate organic food, drank very little alcohol, I exercised, I took tons of nutritional supplements.

Over the next 7 years I tried everything. First of all, of course, came the orthodox physicians. I heard everything from “You’re hyperventilating, breathe out of a brown paper bag and you’ll be fine” to “Try to get some more rest- here is a prescription for tranquilizers and sleeping pills.“

I also tried, oh, so many alternative practitioners, who, while more caring people, couldn’t seem to help either. I would find a bit of improvement from herbs, a chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, or whatever, but it would not hold, and I’d sink right back down. I sought out naturopaths, acupuncturists, Chinese herbalists, a chiropractor, a DO, massage therapy. I even tried hypnotherapy, in case I had somehow brought this all on myself and therefore my mind could undo it. Nothing was of much use, certainly nothing lasting. There was no reprieve from the never-ending headaches, body and muscle aches, and inexplicable, all consuming fatigue. Imagine you flew from L.A. to Bangkok, with the flu, and a hangover, and then add the sensation that you’ve drunk 5 cups of coffee so you can’t sleep. When you sleep, it is a light floating semi-sleep full of horrible dreams, and you wake up hundreds of times. You just hurt all over like someone has hit you with a baseball bat about 40 times, and you honestly wish you were dead. That’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

In the end it was homeopathy, to be exact a nosode remedy of the Coxsackie Virus that did it. I got worse for a week, then got better. A few weeks later I was 80%, and 6 months later, after attention to allergies, and adrenal exhaustion, I was back to normal. There was no pain, no foggy feeling in the head, no exhaustion, no swollen glands, no sore throat, no sore muscle points. I felt like the black and white TV of my life had suddenly been given a sharp new color tube. I was so incredibly impressed with homeopathy, and what it could do, from my own experience and others, that I began to study it myself to add to my practicing modality of nutrition

The truth is, no one in the world of homeopathy knows exactly how homeopathy works. But I have helped dozens of people with CFS to recover some or most of their health with a remedy similar to Coxsackie. It might be another flu virus, or Cytomegalovirus, or even the mononucleosis virus. This is not to say that I think everyone with CFS will recover this dramatically with the use of a viral nosode, but it certainly can be a part of the picture. Or at least a viral involvement must be eliminated as a cause.

As a fully recovered Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferer (a rare beast), I have a lot of experience to share, and a lot of understanding and compassion for all those suffering from various illnesses or symptoms. In the last 15 years I have worked with allergies, ADD/ADHD, children’s ear infections, menopausal and hornonal problems, tinnitus, meneire;s, depression, insomnia, and much more.

Introduction to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Date: September 1, 2009 Author: admin Comments: Leave a reply
INTRODUCTION

Before discussing the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), we must have an understanding of this complex problem, within the limitations of what we know at the present time. Most everyone has now heard of this problem, even though many may still think of it as the “yuppie flu”. And most people, unfortunately, know of someone with the illness. CFS is now estimated to affect approximately three to 5 million Americans and ninety million people worldwide. Recent studies show incidence figures ranging between 37.1 in 100,000 [1] and 98 to 267 in 100,000 [2]. Various epidemiological surveys find that between 1-3% of Americans are afflicted. One study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1995 went so far as to estimate that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may affect as many as 7% of the population.[3]

The definition of this illness, as set out by the Centers for Disease Control, in Atlanta, Georgia, has succeeded in setting guidelines for diagnosis. Although there is no accepted cure offered in the orthodox medical world, at least CFS is finally being accepted as a legitimate illness. There is now much more research being done, even though this has not lead to much in the way of helpful orthodox treatment. It is possible that the drugs the medical world prescribes even make a CFS sufferer worse.

There are many current theories pertaining to possible causes of this syndrome. Perhaps part of the problem is that scientists and physicians are used to searching for a single cause, what we call the “single bullet theory”. They are looking to find a drug that will eradicate one invading organism, as if there is one cause, be it a virus, bacteria, parasite, fungus, etc. But, in the opinion of many experts and practitioners in the alternate and complementary health field, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seems to be a myriad of problems piled high upon each other.

With this in mind, let’s look at all the various indicating factors that may be involved in CFS. There is a high percentage of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers with what we call unresolved foci in the body, such as viral infection, parasites, dysbiosis (imbalance of the bacteria in the colon) and/or candida inflammations of the bowel, and allergies to both foods and airborne substances. Many patients with CFS also have allergic or hypersensitive reactions to chemicals in the environment, heavy metal toxicity, thyroid toxicosis, and such problems as nutritional deficiencies. One or several of these problems may lead to an eventual diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with the devastating fatigue, pain, and depression that this involves. It is important to use methods for diagnosing these problems, or foci, in order to unravel this syndrome. The problems may be like an onion, in layers, which need to be peeled back.  With the help of herbs, homeopathic remedies, and nutritional supplementation, much of the suffering involved in CFS can be dramatically alleviated.

[1] Shepherd, CB, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome. Guidelines for the care of patients. London: Thornton and Pearson 1994

[2] Buchwald, D., Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Community. Paper delivered at the International Meeting on CFS. Dublin, Ireland, May 1994

[3] Buchwald, D., Umali, J et al. Chronic Fatigue Prevalence in a Pacific Northwest Health Care System, Annals of Internal Medicine 1995; 123: 2: 81(8)

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS): CDC DEFINITION

The CDC (Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, in the USA) updated its previous working definition of CFS (Holmes, et al) in 1993.  The consensus from the leading CFS researchers and clinicians is that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a subset of Chronic Fatigue, which of course is a broader category understood to mean prolonged fatigue. True CFS must be differentiated from prolonged fatigue.

The guidelines for evaluating CFS include a thorough medical history, physical exam, and lab tests before a diagnosis of CFS can be made. According to the CDC, clinically evaluated, unexplained chronic fatigue cases can only be classified as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome if:

1)    Unexplained, persistent fatigue that is of new or definite onset (not lifelong), is not the result of ongoing exertion, is not substantially alleviated by rest, and results in substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, education, social, or personal activities.

2)    The concurrent occurrence of four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; unrefreshing sleep; and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

3)    These symptoms must have persisted or recurred during 6 or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue.[1]

Furthermore the CDC lists conditions that must be excluded or eliminated as a possibility before a diagnosis of CFS can be given, Therefore, the practitioner must rule out infections, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, and cancer. He or she must exclude any other diagnosis that may explain the presence of chronic fatigue, such as untreated hypothyroidism (lowered thyroid function), sleep apnea and narcolepsy, and iatrogenic conditions such as side effects of medication. CFS must be differentiated from diagnosable illnesses that may relapse or may not have completely resolved during treatment, such as some types of malignances, hepatitis B or C virus infection. Also major depressive disorders such as schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar affective disorder, etc, must be ruled out, as must alcohol or other substance abuse, or severe obesity.

The CDC does not condone batteries of tests other than those to exclude other medical explanations for the patient’s fatigue. Only in the setting of protocol based research is this suggested.  These tests include serologic tests for Epstein Barr (once thought to be a prime indicating factor in CFS), enteroviruses, retroviruses, human herpes virus 6, Candida Albicans, tests of immunologic function, including cell population and function studies, and imaging test such as MRI and radionuclide scans.

[1] Fukuda, K et. al. The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; A Comprehensive approach to its definition and study. Annals of Internal Medicine 1994; 18 (supp.1): 126-33

] Shepherd, CB, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome. Guidelines for the care of patients. London: Thornton and Pearson 1994

[2] Buchwald, D., Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Community. Paper delivered at the International Meeting on CFS. Dublin, Ireland, May 1994

[3] Buchwald, D., Umali, J et al. Chronic Fatigue Prevalence in a Pacific Northwest Health Care System, Annals of Internal Medicine 1995; 123: 2: 81(8)