Are You Suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Could I have chronic fatigue syndrome?

Are you exhausted to the point that you have difficulty getting out of bed and find it challenging to function during the day? Does this sound familiar to you?

We all suffer from fatigue and exhaustion occasionally. We have busy lives, juggling work, family and social commitments. Most of us are able to recover from fatigue after a good night’s sleep. What happens though if fatigue becomes your constant companion, and you rarely wake up refreshed. What do you do if you feel like your brain is functioning under par and you can’t seem to concentrate or exercise without feeling exhausted.

If these symptoms, together with debilitating fatigue continue for six months or more, you may be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This is a condition that has confounded conventional medicine for years. Some describe it as ‘the flu that never ends’. The exact cause is still unknown. There are no specific tests for CFS. Diagnosis is through symptomology and exclusion of other diseases.

Researchers have identified physical or emotional stress in around 85% of CFS sufferers, although this is not seen as a direct cause of CFS. The medical community believes that infection is the main trigger. In those with CFS, the immune system doesn’t switch off, even though the infection has gone.

Many sufferers can give the precise date when they started to feel exhausted and can relate it to an illness. For others it’s less obvious. Often months or years can pass if the person has a busy lifestyle before they realise that something is seriously wrong. In these cases, there is a tendency to attribute their poor health to stress, overwork or ageing.

Who is likely to get CFS?

Those who are busy and high achievers between the age of 18 and 35, although it can impact anyone at any time. Many sufferers experience great stress beforehand, in conjunction with some type of infection.

Severe CFS sufferers may be bedridden, whereas those with milder cases may be able to work full time but persistently feel that they have lost their get up and go.

How does CFS impact your body?

Immune overactivity frequently irritates the gut. This can cause low grade chronic inflammation and together with other factors, can cause a permeable gut wall (leaky gut). This sets the stage for food sensitivities, altered gut flora, nutrient deficiencies and imbalances in other body systems.

CFS sufferers do have a tendency to have food intolerances/sensitivities. It is a good idea to identify these foods and to eliminate them for a short period of time. Food elimination is not a long term solution. The aim is to heal the gut so that you can start incorporating foods into your diet that you enjoy. Foods need to be re-challenged to identify which foods can be re-introduced back in the diet. Seek advice from a trained health care practitioner.

Foods that most often pose a problem for CFS sufferers are the nightshade plants, milk products, fruits (particularly citrus), gas producing foods (onions, cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli), spicy foods, raw foods, foods containing yeast, acidic foods, nuts and soy products. Functional testing to assess this would be recommended.

What should you eat?

There is no specific diet for CFS sufferers. The aim would be to eat well, have variety and rotate foods so that you are getting a range of nutrients.

Listen to your body. If something makes you feel worse leave it out for a period of time. You may do better on a vegetarian diet rather than a meat based diet.

Many CFS sufferers have low blood pressure, to remedy this, increase your salt intake Salt decreases potassium so eat more bananas and kiwifruit if you tolerate these. Monitor your sodium and potassium levels, since too much potassium can be toxic.

Nutrients that are helpful in managing CFS:

• Get sufficient sun for vitamin D and increase the intake of oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring), shiitake mushrooms, egg yolks and dairy products.
• Eat more magnesium rich foods such as whole grains, leafy greens, kelp, nuts (almonds, cashews, brazil, walnuts and pecans), buckwheat, millet, tofu, brown rice and seeds.
• Zinc rich foods such as oysters, pumpkin seed, ginger root, nuts (pecans, brazil, almonds, hazel and walnuts), whole wheat, oats, lima beans and buckwheat will also help.
• Increase your calcium intake if you are inactive. Bony fish and sesame seeds have highest levels of calcium. Other sources are kelp, almonds, kale, parsley, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, dairy and broccoli.
• Vitamin B’s are essential. They are found in legumes, salmon, sardines, eggs, beef, lamb, chicken, oysters, organ meats, whole grains, nuts, leafy green vegetables, avocados, kumara, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, whole grains (brown rice, oats, millet), dairy, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, prunes and figs.

Eat simply. Try not to mix too many foods in one meal. This will help with digestion. Buy organic produce where possible to avoid the extra burden to your system of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.

Foods to avoid:

• Alcohol and sugar, since these are irritating to the gut and cause inflammation.
• Processed foods, which usually contain artificial additives and colourants. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine (tea and coffee) and chocolate, which overstimulate your nervous system.
• Sweeteners.
• Animal fats, since many CFS suffers don’t break fat down effectively. Eat lean cuts of meat, remove the skin from chicken.

What we think and feel can impact our physical health. For CFS sufferers, self-care is a must. Stress is a part of life and needs to be managed so that it doesn’t impact on us negatively. Stress can result in relapses, depression and feeling of worthlessness if not addressed. None of which are good partners for CFS.

Relaxation techniques such as meditation, visualization, prayer, positive affirmations, belly breathing, listening to music, Reiki or massage are all good methods to help alleviate stress. Tai Chi, Qi Gong or yoga are great ways to gently improve fitness and ability. Counselling or coaching is also beneficial to help with past or current stressors.

Good sleep is important for all CFS suffers. Make sure your bedroom is only used for sleep. It should be completely dark, so block out curtains are highly recommended. A sleep mask could be helpful too. Have some down time before bed time and avoid watching TV and using digital devices an hour before bed.

Get professional advice on how to support your thyroid and adrenal glands, since many CFS sufferers have endocrine imbalances, which can impact coping mechanisms.

CFS can be debilitating, frustrating and scary. It is life changing at so many levels. I had glandular fever in my 30s and never recovered fully. I continuously felt that I was having relapses. I couldn’t do too much exercise, otherwise I couldn’t function well for the next few days or weeks. I’ve never been diagnosed with CFS but all this information certainly resonates with me.

I have had to learn to manage my stress and accept that I can’t do what I used to do. Lifestyle changes, stress management and acceptance of my situation has helped me to feel hugely better than I did. The good news, is you too can make changes that will improve your situation. Be patient and kind to yourself. Get support from qualified practitioners and don’t give up!

In Summary

• Stress can aggravate any illness and managing it is key to helping in the recovery from CFS. Identify stressors, talk about it (friend, counsellor, family or GP), plan to relax and seek professional care.
• Meditation is helpful in managing pain. Choose relaxation techniques that you resonate with.
• It is important to find the right balance between resting and exercise. Too much exercise could tip you into a relapse. The key is to include some minor activity in your daily schedule.
• Eat sensibly, incorporating a range of foods. Eating often and small amounts is a good regime for many.
• Get high quality sleep.
• Seek professional advice.