Chronic Fatigue

Hormone Imbalances
Low Energy

Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health have
discovered abnormal levels of specific gut bacteria related to
chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, or
ME/CFS, in patients with and without concurrent irritable
bowel syndrome, or IBS. Findings are published in the
journal Microbiome.

The study is among the first to disentangle imbalances in the gut bacteria in
individuals with ME/CFS and IBS. ME/CFS is a complex, debilitating disorder
characterized by extreme fatigue after exertion and other symptoms including
muscle and joint pain, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbance, and orthostatic
intolerance. Up to 90 percent of ME/CFS patients also have IBS.

The researchers followed 50 patients and 50 matched healthy controls recruited

at four ME/CFS clinical sites. They tested for bacterial species in fecal samples,
and for immune molecules in blood samples.

They report:

Levels of distinct intestinal bacterial species -- Faecalibacterium,

Roseburia, Dorea, Coprococcus, Clostridium, Ruminococcus,
Coprobacillus -- were strongly associated with ME/CFS; their combined
relative abundance appeared to be predictive of diagnosis

Increased abundance of unclassified Alistipes and

decreased Faecalibacterium were the top biomarkers of ME/CFS with IBS;
while increased unclassified Bacteroides abundance and
 decreased Bacteroides vulgatus were the top biomarkers of ME/CFS
without IBS

An analysis of bacterial metabolic pathways associated with disturbances

in gut bacteria revealed distinct differences between ME/CFS and ME/CFS
subgroups relative to healthy controls

In ME/CFS subgroups, symptom severity measures, including pain and

fatigue, correlated with the abundance of distinct bacterial types and
metabolic pathways

No changes were observed in immune markers -- a finding that may reflect

the dearth of participants who had been ill for a short time; earlier research
suggests immune changes may only be evident when comparing short and
long duration cases

"Individuals with ME/CFS have a distinct mix of gut bacteria and related
metabolic disturbances that may influence the severity of their disease," says co-
lead investigator Dorottya Nagy-Szakal, postdoctoral research scientist at CII.

"Our analysis suggests that we may be able to subtype patients with ME/CFS by
analyzing their fecal microbiome," says co-lead investigator Brent L. Williams,
assistant professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at CII. "Subtyping may provide
clues to understanding differences in manifestations of disease."

"Much like IBS, ME/CFS may involve a breakdown in the bidirectional

communication between the brain and the gut mediated by bacteria, their
metabolites, and the molecules they influence," says senior author W. Ian Lipkin,
director of CII and John Snow Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia's Mailman
School. "By identifying the specific bacteria involved, we are one step closer to
more accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies."
 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Is is Real?
By David N. Freeman | Submitted On August 18, 2007

All of us get tired at one time or another. Many of us with arthritis

have experienced bouts of depression in our lives. However, when
someone suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome you are speaking of a
horse of a different color. People are bound to experience the ups and
downs of daily life which is a completely normal occurrence. Not so with
the chronic fatigue syndrome sufferer. At the onset of this particular
illness one develops a very noticeable fatigue that either makes a
sudden appearance and either the fatigue regularly comes and goes or it
seems to be unending. People who suffer from this seemingly
debilitating illness are often just too exhausted to perform their daily
activities. People who have chronic fatigues syndrome cannot elude the
feelings of profound weakness by simply getting some nights of restful
sleep. This illness steals a person's vigor and energy over a period of
months or at times even years. Profound weakness is not the only
symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome. One can experience secondary
symptoms such as headaches, pain in the joints, short-term memory
loss, sore throat, tender muscles and even difficulty in thinking. It is
estimated that approximately a half million people in the United States
suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, and about 80% of these are
women. Chronic fatigue syndrome is also an integral part of the problem
with people who suffer from arthritis and other joint diseases such as
Fibromyalgia, Gout and Bursitis.
For a lot of people, chronic fatigue syndrome can begin after they
have experienced a bad bout of bronchitis, have arthritis pain, a bad
common cold or even an intestinal bug. For still other people, they can
develop chronic fatigue syndrome after having infectious mononucleosis.
Some people link their illness to a time when they experienced a lot of
stress in their lives. In still other people, they cannot link their illness to
any single event or sickness in their lives.

Diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome

 It is often very hard to properly diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome
because of the similarity of symptoms that are associated with other
diseases. When your doctor is getting your medical history, he has to
make it a point to rule out diseases that look like chronic fatigue
syndrome such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. The symptoms of these
two diseases can develop very slowly any may take years to manifest
themselves. When everything else is finally ruled out, the doctor may
indeed diagnose you with chronic fatigues syndrome.

Coping with and managing chronic fatigue syndrome

To date, there is no one treatment that effective in treating chronic
fatigue syndrome. Although this illness does not have a specific
treatment, it may be helpful to try to treat some of your other symptoms.
Taking an anti-inflammatory drug may help alleviate fever or body aches.
Ibuprofen is good for this. You may try taking an antihistamine that does
not make you sleepy to help relieve any allergic symptoms you may
have such as a runny nose.
Learning about the management of chronic fatigue syndrome may
be able to help give you an improved quality of life in spite of the
symptoms you experience on a daily basis. A specialist trained in
rehabilitation medicine may be able to suggest and teach you ways to
plan your activities in order to make the most of the time when you are
feeling better.
It may be very frustrating for you as well as for your health
professional to know that there is no specific treatment for chronic
fatigue syndrome. If you are among the many people who have this
illness, it is recommended that you try to stay in good health by doing the
following: - Make sure that your diet is well-balanced and that you
receive adequate amounts of rest - Make exercise a regular routine
without having it contribute to more fatigue - Pace yourself, not only
physically but intellectually and emotionally as well because your
symptoms can be aggravated by too much stress.
The course that chronic fatigue syndrome takes will be different for
each patient. For the majority of people, the symptoms of chronic fatigue
syndrome will plateau early and then continue to come and go. Some
 people may experience complete remission of their illness. How this
happens is just not clearly understood. Some people find that it is
beneficial to seek counseling and even hook up with a support group to
help them as well as their loved ones cope with the roller coaster
symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Doctors will often prescribe low-dose tricyclic antidepressants to
chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers, and positive results are generally
seen in their patients. It is believed that these antidepressants can be
beneficial in improving one's quality of sleep. Serotonin reuptake
inhibitors have also found to be beneficial to patients who suffer from
chronic fatigue syndrome. Finally, there is another family of drugs called
benzodiazepines which are used to address sleep problems and acute
anxiety which have also been found beneficial in treating people with
chronic fatigue syndrome. It is often a matter of trial-and-error to find a
drug that can be well-tolerated and that can work.
Hypnosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

If you happen to be one of those that suffer from chronic fatigue

syndrome, you know that just trying to do the daily activities of life can
seem insurmountable. Everything you do is such an effort! This illness
can rob you of the most enjoyable parts of your life. You may feel that
you are cut off from the normal life that everyone else experiences and
takes for granted such as going for a nice, relaxing walk or meeting a
friend for lunch. It is bad enough that you have to endure the debilitating
effects of chronic fatigue syndrome. However, you may find that some
people are telling you that it's all in your mind and that you should just
get over it.
It is widely known today that no matter what physical illness you
may have, which includes chronic fatigue syndrome, will be directly
affected by what your mind does. The attitudes of your unconscious
mind directly affect your blood pressure, your response to pain and your
immune function. Your unconscious mind can be influenced in a most
powerful way by using the technique of hypnosis. This is an excellent
way to achieve deep rest, increase your motivation and energy and
bridge the gap between your body and your mind. This tool may help to
relieve the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
David Freeman, the author of this and many other articles on Arthritis
Pain suffers from joint disease. Over the years, Mr. Freeman has learned
much about Arthritis from a Patient point of view. Share your experiences
with him at [http://www.help-with-arthritis-pain.com]

The Facts You Should Know About Chronic

Fatigue
By Heather Colman | Submitted On June 04, 2007

There is significant concern about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also

known as CFS. In fact, there are criteria patients must meet in order to
be diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Receiving the diagnosis
may be difficult for some patients because the guidelines for diagnosing
are very specific. The fatigue must have been present at least six
consecutive months and the corresponding symptoms must have
developed after the fatigue. A clear definition of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, its symptoms, and treatment options will help sufferers get a
clearer understanding of the syndrome.

What is Chronic Fatigue?

The basic definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome does not make
sufferers feel much better. The syndrome is unexplained and is marked
 by weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, lethargy, trouble sleeping, and even
fever and swollen lymph nodes. There is no known cause for the fatigue
that is present in an individual that has no relation to over-exertion and is
not rectified by rest.

Symptoms
Some of the symptoms associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have
been discussed. However, there is a very long list. There are a variety of
symptoms that patients are very aware of and then there are other
symptoms only doctors seem to notice. Regardless, when the symptoms
are present for a period of time for no apparent cause and seem to have
no remedy then Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a frequent diagnosis.

Some of the frequent symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include:

Muscle Aches
Persistent Fatigue
Intermittent Fatigue
Depression
Tiredness
Headache
Swollen Lymph nodes
Depression
Memory Loss
Weakness
Difficulty Concentrating
Achy Joints
Frequently Chronic Fatigue Syndrome begins during periods when
individuals have been sick, under a tremendous amount of stress, or for
no apparent reason at all. Many individuals have noted that after bouts
with the flu, mono, a cold, bronchitis, hepatitis, and other similar illnesses
CFS arises. Unfortunately, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome persists for
months, sometimes coming and going and other times constantly
affecting the patient. Other illnesses begin to clear up after a few days or
weeks, but Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sticks around with no clear cause.
Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue
Doctors find it very difficult to diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The
reason why is because so many of its symptoms are symptoms of other
illnesses. This is why many doctors like to see patients with the same
symptoms that began after the fatigue for at least six months before
giving a diagnosis. Obviously, sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
find the lack of an early diagnosis difficult to bear on top of their
symptoms. However, doctors like to rule out diseases like Lupus and
Multiple Sclerosis, as well as other diseases, before diagnosing Chronic
Fatigue.

Additionally, researchers and doctors are becoming more aware of

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and are more likely to make an earlier
diagnosis based on fewer symptoms than ever before. That is not to say
that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is easy to diagnose, because it is not.
However increased awareness and new definitions are helping doctors
and patients of Chronic Fatigue each and every day.

Treatment Options
The treatment options for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are varied and
include alternative as well as prescription alternatives.

Some of the alternative care management options for Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome include avoiding stress and undertaking light exercise. Other
treatment options that work for some individuals include massage,
aquatic therapy, chiropractic therapy, yoga, self hypnosis, tai chi, and
even acupuncture. Psychotherapy has also proven helpful to sufferers of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome because it helps sufferers learn to cope with
their symptoms.

Prescription treatment options for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have not

been approved by the FDA. There are however other prescription
medications that are used to treat the symptoms presented with Chronic
Fatigue. Frequently, the primary use of the medicine is secondary and its
side effects are what benefit Chronic Fatigue sufferers. Medicines like
antifungals, antidepressants, antivirals, cardiac drugs, antihistamines,
immunoglobulins, corticoids, anti-inflammatories, and anti-convulsants
among others are frequently prescribed to CFS sufferers.
Do You Have CFS?

If you are worried you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or have some of
the above stated symptoms for months on end then you should make an
appointment with your physician. It is a good idea to keep a journal of
your symptoms, when they began, and if new ones appear. This will help
your doctor make the proper diagnosis and help receive some relief from
your symptoms sooner.

Disclaimer - The information presented here should not be interpreted as

or substituted for medical advice. Please talk to a qualified professional
for more information about Chronic Fatigue.