481 Chronic Fatigue – another perspective [23 July 2018]

Back in April of this year I wrote about a possible viral cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as described in a book by Judy Mikovits called “Plague – One Scientist’s Intrepid Search for the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”. Another book, “Cure – a Journey into the Science of Mind over Body” by Jo Marchant (2016) explores the placebo effect and other examples of the mind controlling the body. One chapter approaches CFS from this perspective.

Regular fatigue, as experienced by athletes and mountain climbers, has a strong psychological factor. The old theories that fatigue occurs when the muscles are depleted of oxygen or flooded with lactic acid have been disproven. A new theory proposes that a “central governor” in the brain protects us by convincing us to quit while we still have some energy in reserve for a possible emergency.

Applied to CFS, the theory suggests that some trigger (often a viral infection) messes up the central governor’s settings, leaving the victims feeling too fatigued to do much of anything. A series of clinical studies, followed by a larger controlled study in 2011, found that graded exercise therapy (GET) to slowly increase activity, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to change the patients thinking about their condition, were both moderately helpful in reducing fatigue and improving disability scores. A total of 641 CFS patients, divided into four groups, were followed for a year. The pacing therapy group had no better results than the control which got routine medical care. After one year 22% of the patients in the CBT and GET groups had recovered, compared with 8% of the pacing therapy and control groups.

The reaction to this study was immediate and furious by CFS patient groups who rejected the implication that their condition was “all in their head”. A later re-analysis of the data by other scientists found the recovery rates to be less than 5% for all groups and not statistically different.

The original study’s senior author, Peter White of London, England, sees the problem as the current mindset that illnesses are either biological or psychological, when in fact there should be no such divide. The mind strongly affects the body and, as we have seen in the past few articles, biochemistry definitely affects the mind. White argues: CFS isn’t either biological or psychological; it’s both.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

469 CFS – the Cover-Up [30 April 2018]

Last week I explained how Dr. Judy Mikovits discovered a likely viral cause for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and I hinted at a cover-up. What happened and why?

Shortly after the publication of her 2009 Science paper, Dr. Mikovits turned her attention to autism. She became curious about a possible connection between CFS and autism when her preliminary data found a higher than expected number of children with autism among CFS patients and families. She speculated (publicly) that if children were asymptomatic carriers of the XMRV virus, a vaccination could trigger the sudden development of the disease. Retroviruses like to hide in the B and T lymphocytes, the very cells that vaccinations are designed to stimulate. This effect is well known for the HIV virus – babies born to HIV positive mothers must be treated with anti-viral drugs before their first vaccination.

In September 2011 Mikovits was suddenly fired from her position as Research Director at Whittemore Peterson Institute. A few weeks later she was arrested and her home searched (without a warrant), accused of stealing her research notebooks (which she was required by federal law to maintain and protect). She was held for five days in jail without bail or a formal charge ever being laid.

The Science study was retracted in September 2011 and an editorial was published discrediting her work (which included the police mugshot from her arrest). The CDC quickly initiated a follow-up study to confirm her findings. Mikovits protested that it was deliberately designed – in choice of subjects, handling of blood samples, and in the narrow control standard – to avoid finding a retrovirus in CFS patients. The best way to test for contamination would be to retest the same patients using her meticulous methodology, but this was not done. She was disappointed but not surprised when the studies found no correlation and concluded (erroneously she believes) that her previous study samples were contaminated. Another study had already confirmed her findings but it too was discredited and later retracted.

This raises the question: why would research institutions not want to find a viral cause of CFS? Possibly fear of public panic or class action lawsuits. But I suspect the reason is that it offers a plausible explanation for the connection between vaccinations and autism. What happened to Dr. Mikovits was, in her own words, “… a clear message to anyone in research who dared stand by data that revealed an inconvenient truth about corruption in public health.”

Sources

Book: Plague – One Scientist’s Intrepid Search for the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Autism, and Other Diseases. Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits, 2014

Hillary Johnson, Discover magazine March 2013 Chasing the Shadow Virus

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

468 A Viral Cause for CFS? [23 Apr 2018]

Last week I described chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and wrote that officially there is no known cause or cure. But is that true?

In their 2014 book Plague – One Scientist’s Intrepid Search for the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Autism, and Other Diseases, Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits tell the story of the discovery and cover-up of a possible cause (and cure) for chronic fatigue syndrome.

In 2006 Judy Mikovits, a virus research scientist with 30 years’ experience in studying HIV/AIDS, accepted a position in Nevada to study chronic fatigue syndrome. She immediately noticed several similarities between CFS and AIDS and began to suspect a viral cause. In both diseases an impaired immune system allows a wide variety of “opportunistic” infections; both have a high incidence of normally rare cancers; and both show abnormal brain scans and have similar biomarkers such as high cytokine production. Mikovits discovered a retrovirus infection in 67% of CFS sufferers and in 4% of healthy controls. She published her findings in 2009 in the prestigious journal Science.

This particular virus, called XMRV, is a mouse retrovirus, meaning that it originated in mice but had mutated and could now infect humans. XMRV had been associated with prostate cancer since 2006 (but has since been dismissed as a causative factor). The first CFS outbreak in the USA occurred in 1934-5 among the doctors and staff of the Los Angeles County Hospital after receiving a polio vaccine grown on mouse tissue. In the late 1970’s and early ’80’s pockets of CFS began showing up in cities across the country and then around the world. Today an estimated 20 million people world-wide suffer from the condition.

Patients and their families were hopeful that this discovery would lead to a cure or at least a more effective treatment. Alas this was not to be. For various reasons (to be covered next week) the medical research community turned on Mikovits, discredited her and her research, and reverted to the “no known cause” for CFS. The situation has not changed since, leaving at least one more generation of CFS patients to suffer needlessly.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

467 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [16 Apr 2018]

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a complex disorder involving extreme fatigue. There is no definitive test for CFS – it is diagnosed by eliminating all other possible causes.

CFS can be very debilitating. One researcher compared it to end stage AIDS or advanced cancer, except that the victims can survive for years or even decades. Because they don’t die as quickly as in AIDS or cancer (and they have no energy to promote their cause), CFS research has not received the same attention. The majority of victims are female which may contribute to the dismissal of CFS by many government health organizations as psychological (“all in your head”).

The main symptoms and signs of CFS include:
• Extreme fatigue which does not improve with rest
• Even mild exercise worsens fatigue for more than 24 hours
• Brain fog – loss of memory and/or concentration
• Poor sleep quality
• Muscle and joint pain; headaches

Some characteristics of CFS that suggest an infectious not psychological cause:
• It appeared suddenly in the late 1970s, previously unrecorded
• Appears in clusters at different locations and times
• Sore throat and enlarged lymph nodes
• Opportunistic infections indicating an impaired immune system
• Much higher than normal incidence of certain rare cancers
• Abnormal brain scans resembling AIDS related dementia

CFS is much more widespread than one would expect given its low priority for research. Hillary Johnson writes “ME is now the most common chronic disease most people have never heard of until they acquire it.” CFS affects an estimated 20 million world-wide with more than 2 million in the USA (more than breast and lung cancer, AIDS, and MS combined).

The cause of CFS is officially “unknown”; a combination of factors is suspected possibly including genetic, viral/microbial, social and psychological. There is no known cure; treatment focuses on symptom relief.

Next week: XMRV – the cause of CFS?

Sources:
Mayo Clinic website
Health Canada website
book Plague – One Scientist’s Intrepid Search for the Truth about Human Retroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Autism, and Other Diseases. Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits, 2014

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

380 Adrenal Fatigue [1 August 2016]

Following four weeks on thyroid health, I want to review another important endocrine gland – the adrenals. I wrote about adrenal fatigue in March 2015, #311 & #312. Adrenal fatigue is one of the possible causes for low thyroid function, as elevated cortisol (from stressed adrenals) inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3.

Suspect you have adrenal fatigue if you:
• run out of energy before lunch
• rely on caffeine to make it through the day
• crave sugar
• crash (brain fog, no energy) 2 hours after eating sugar
• are irritable or depressed
• have low libido (adrenals are making stress hormones instead of sex hormones).

Adrenal fatigue is a serious health issue. Chronically elevated stress hormones can cause brain inflammation which results in not only bad moods, but also worsening memory, earlier dementia, and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

See my column #311 for the three stages of adrenal fatigue developed by Dr. Robin Berzin: 1) wired and tired; 2) stressed and tired; and 3) burned out.

In column #312 I list Dr. Berzin’s 9 step protocol to help her patients recover:
1. Eat plenty of colored vegetables, sufficient lean protein, and gluten free whole grains; avoid foods that cause inflammation and those you are sensitive to.
2. Go to bed before 11 pm to avoid a late night cortisol surge.
3. B vitamins, especially B5, B6 and B12 are essential for energy production.
4. Cool inflammation with vitamin C, curcumin and omega-3 supplements.
5. Other important nutrients include vitamin D, selenium, magnesium & zinc.
6. Drink plenty of pure water to rehydrate your cells.
7. Use adaptogenic herbs to support the adrenals like ashwagandha, and rhodiola.
8. Include relaxation (not naps) in your day and avoid high intensity workouts.
9. Reassess your definition of success to reduce stress levels in your life.

Following these 9 steps, Dr Berzin finds that most people with adrenal fatigue can recover without the need for hormone therapy.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

312 Adrenal Fatigue Healing Steps [30 March 2015]

Last week we looked at the three stages of adrenal fatigue (AF) as described by Dr. Robin Berzin in an article published on MindBodyGreen.com. This week we’ll look at the 9 step protocol Berzin uses to help her patients overcome adrenal fatigue.

1. Eat plenty of colored vegetables, sufficient lean protein, and gluten free whole grains; avoid foods that cause inflammation and those you are sensitive to.
2. Go to bed before 11 pm to avoid a late night cortisol surge.
3. B vitamins, especially B5, B6 and B12 are essential for energy production.
4. Cool inflammation with vitamin C, curcumin and omega-3 supplements.
5. Other important nutrients for the adrenals include vitamin D, selenium, magnesium & zinc.
6. Drink plenty of pure water, adding trace minerals, lemon juice or sea salt to rehydrate your cells.
7. Use adaptogenic herbs to support the adrenals like licorice root, ashwagandha, and rhodiola.
8. Include relaxation times (not naps) in your day and avoid high intensity workouts [Wilson (see below) encourages “enjoyable” exercise].
9. Reassess your definition of success to reduce stress levels in your life.

Following these 9 steps, Dr Berzin finds that most people with adrenal fatigue can recover without the need for hormone therapy.

Dr. James L. Wilson provides more suggestions in his book “Adrenal Fatigue”. He explains that salt cravings (common with AF) reflect a nutritional need and unless you have high blood pressure (rare with AF) you should salt to taste. Chocolate cravings is another matter – it may indicate a magnesium deficiency but its high caffeine and theobromine content overstimulate the adrenals so is not a good magnesium source. For the same reasons avoid coffee, black tea and soda pop; green tea and most herbal teas are fine. Alcohol also aggravates adrenal fatigue and should be avoided. Wilson’s book is available from my loaning library.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

311 Stages of Adrenal Fatigue [23 March 2015]

Feel stressed, worn out, or exhausted? Can’t drag yourself out of bed in the morning? Everyday tasks require a huge effort? Rely on coffee to keep you going throughout the day? Absentminded, can’t concentrate? Can’t handle stress (“I have one nerve left and you’re getting on it!”)? People seem more irritating (you have a lower tolerance for idiots)? You may be suffering from adrenal fatigue (AF). In the foreword to Dr. James L. Wilson’s 2001 book “Adrenal Fatigue the 21st Century Stress Syndrome” Dr. Jonathan Wright claims that adrenal fatigue “is one of our most prevalent yet rarely diagnosed conditions”.

In a February 2015 article for MindBodyGreen.com called “9 Steps to Heal Adrenal Fatigue Naturally”, Dr. Robin Berzin, MD defines AF as “a disruption of your adrenal glands’ ability to make cortisol (adrenaline) in the right amounts at the right times…” Normally cortisol starts high on waking and slowly drops throughout the day to a low at night. Berzin then describes the three stages of AF and their corresponding cortisol curve.

1. Wired and Tired – high cortisol levels day and night so can’t sleep; feel jittery and can’t relax. May experience insulin resistance and abdominal fat gain.

2. Stressed & Tired – cortisol peaks early (sometimes the middle of the night so can’t get back to sleep) then drops quickly so have no energy during the day; may have a slight late afternoon or evening rise; rely on coffee to keep going.

3. Burned Out – cortisol level is low day and night; feel exhausted all the time even after sleeping; thyroid and other endocrine hormones may also be low.

Naturopathic doctors use a saliva hormone test to verify adrenal fatigue and identify the stage their patients are in. People often progress over time from Stage 1 through 2 to Stage 3. But Berzin encouragingly claims that with the right lifestyle and diet changes and the right supplements, they can work their way back through the stages to normal again.

Next week we’ll look at the 9 step protocol Berzin developed to help her patients overcome adrenal fatigue.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

216 Magnesium Bisglycinate [13 May 2013]

Since I wrote about magnesium a month or so ago (#209 Magnesium – A Crucial Mineral; and #210 Magnesium – Getting Enough) I have learned about a new form of this critically important mineral.

Magnesium bisglycinate – magnesium attached to two glycine molecules – has several advantages over other forms of magnesium. It is absorbed faster and more efficiently than other forms. It is better utilized by the body and hence more effective in filling magnesium’s many roles. And it avoids the laxative effect of magnesium, especially at high doses. It is available in powder or capsule form.

To review, you should consider supplementing with magnesium if you:

• are pregnant or breastfeeding to prevent pre-eclampsia, reduce risk of gestational diabetes, and prevent muscle cramps
• suffer from Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue
• have ADD or ADHD – to reduce symptoms
• have Type 2 diabetes – to improve insulin response
• want to increase bone strength – to convert calcium to hydroxyapatite, the form found in bones and teeth
• want to reduce cholesterol (without side effects)
• have high blood pressure, heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms
• suffer from headaches or migraines
• are stressed out and need to relax
• have trouble sleeping
• suffer from PMS – to reduce cramping and other symptoms
• have loss of appetite or nausea
• have muscle spasms and cramping
• are taking more calcium than magnesium (check your cal:mag ratio)
• are taking vitamin D – Mg is required for proper metabolism of D

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.