Revisiting a post on healing from Chronic Fatigue

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This is in our files section. It gives suggestions for a healing program...good for ideas. This is part 2 of a series, dealing with Chronic Fatigue as it relates tofarmers exposed to chemicals in their work. However the treatment options offered are applicable to anyone dealing with CFS.http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=2945Toxic Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part Two - Treatment Options by Myhill, M.D.ImmuneSupport.com01-16-2001 Editor’s Note: Mayhill, M.D., is a British doctor working both for the National Health Service and with a private practice. About 10% of her NHS patients suffer from CFS and approx 70% in her private practice have it. Dr.Myhill is a medical advisor to Action for ME, a national support organization in the UK for

ME/CFS sufferers. She is also the Honorary Secretary of the British Society for Allergy Environmental and Nutritional Medicine. Dr. Myhill has written extensively about CFS over the years, covering all aspects of the disease from diagnosis to causal theories to treatments. This excerpt is adapted from her book “Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndromeâ€, and is used with permission of the author. This is part two of an article that originally appeared in the 1-9-01 bulletin. TreatmentThe priority is to recognise the illness and stop further exposure to OPs and other toxic chemicals. Not all people are equally susceptible to the toxic effects of OPs – those that get symptoms are more susceptible and need to be doubly careful to avoid further exposure. Most exposures to chemicals comes at times outside dipping, including handling of sheep, wool wrapping, market

(especially covered markets), pets with flea collars, fly sprays and for some sensitive people, walking through a field of sheep that have been dipped or, for a few, eating foods that have been grown with the use of chemicals. Fatigue – mental and physical This has the most severe effects on lifestyle. Most sufferers are unable to work full-time. Many have to grass-let or sell their farms. I estimate most sufferers are reduced to 25% of their pre-morbid potential. All activities have to be carefully paced as over-doing things one day will cause a relapse lasting several days. The “brain fog†is often helped by high dose B12 injections – I usually start with 2mgs a week for 10 weeks, adjusting the frequency according to response. Pain Muscle symptoms often caused by low magnesium levels. A serum magnesium is a useless test – if serum levels fall, the heart

stops. So serum levels are maintained at the expense of intracellular levels. The red cell magnesium is an appropriate test (from BioLab tel 020 7636 5959/5905, www.biolab.co.uk). Correction is by injection of 2mls 50% MgSO4 weekly for 10 weeks, adjusting the frequency according to response. Boron necessary for normal calcium/magnesium metabolism – 9mgs daily for 3 months, then if effective reduce to 3-6mgs daily. Correction of micronutrients Routine use of multivitamins, minerals, evening primrose/linseed oil and vitamin C. Multiple chemical sensitivity Sufferers must observe the many rules which apply to patients with chemical sensitivity such as: * Make the house a chemically safe place – no new furniture or carpets, no painting, no smelly cleaning chemicals, no perfumes or scented soaps, no polishes or sprays. * Avoid gas appliances, cavity wall

insulation (formaldehyde), plastic windows. Visitors can be difficult because they invariably smell of some perfume, wash powder, polish, cigarette smoke or whatever. All guests have to be trained to avoid these things. * The car has to be similarly chemically clean. New cars are a disaster for these patients. * Public transport is too risky because of inadvertent exposure to perfumes and cigarette smoke. * Holidays can be a nightmare to arrange, as can staying with other people. Pubs, cinemas, theatre, shopping centres, offices etc. can cause difficulties. Hormonal imbalances Corrected by judicious use of low dose, biologically identical hormones such as T4 (and sometimes T3), low dose cortisol (5-10mgs, equivalent to 1-2mgs prednisolone), DHEA, melatonin (3mgs nocte for sleep problems), low dose sex hormones where a deficiency is shown). Depression This is

very common, but sufferers react badly to “normal†doses of antidepressant. I use small doses of anticholinergics such as amitriptyline 10-20mgs at night. Sleep disturbance Try melatonin, amitriptyline, valerian, etc. Allergies These are very common. Elimination dieting can be helpful but counter-productive if there are multiple allergies, in which case consider desensitisation (such as enzyme potentiated desensitisation – my preferred technique) Osteoporosis The type of osteoporosis is unknown and no treatment is known to work. I am experimenting with vitamins D and K, both essential for normal bone metabolism. Treatment of Chronic Organophosphate PoisoningThere is no "standard" treatment of chronic OP poisoning. The following is based on my experience of treating patients who have become ill through regular exposure to OPs.

Treatment is likely to change as new ideas develop. Most patients who suffer from chronic OP poisoning firstly become more sensitive to OPs, which means that they get bigger reactions with smaller doses. The second thing that happens is that they become sensitive to other chemicals. This is called a "spreading phenomenon" and classically these people start to react to many other chemicals such as diesel fumes, perfumes, cigarette smoke, alcohol and so on. Therefore, the mainstay of treatment is to strictly avoid exposure to all Ops. The second aspect is that patients have to avoid other chemicals. This is not easy in modern society for obvious reasons. Another aspect of treating chronic OP poisoning is to support the body's natural detoxification system. This helps the body resist the malign effects of OPs. In my experience the most important treatment is with magnesium (sometimes

given by injection), selenium and vitamin B12. I also recommend a group of other multivitamins including B complex, essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins and high dose vitamin C. Magnesium and selenium levels can be measured at a nutritional laboratory. Selenium levels are usually easily corrected by oral supplements and patients may need to take up to 600mcg a day. Magnesium is much more difficult to correct. I often use magnesium 300mg a day and combine this with magnesium injections. I use magnesium sulphate 1g in 2ml (available on prescription)given intramuscularly every week. Some of my patients do inject themselves but the injections are uncomfortable. I use vitamin B12 by injection to support the liver and nervous system. This is extremely safe and many of my patients inject themselves. I use 2ml of Neo-Cytamen subcutaneously or intramuscularly every week for 10 weeks and then

adjust the dose according to response. This dose is considerably higher than that used for pernicious anaemia and will be a dose that most GPs (family practitioner) are not familiar with but I can emphasise here it is perfectly safe. In addition to these nutritional interventions it is important that patients rest, sleep well and do not overload themselves physically or mentally. Many patients have food allergies or intolerances. I suspect that this is because OPs act as immune adjuvants and stimulate the allergy system of the body to react inappropriately. Recent research has shown that patients with chronic OP poisoning have abnormal outputs of hormones from the thyroid and adrenal glands and this may open up some possible avenues for future treatment.Multiple Chemical Sensitivity MCS causes physical symptoms following exposures to tiny amounts of chemical. It is usually

caused by massive exposure to some chemical such as pesticides, volatile organic compounds, silicone, carbon monoxide etc. This phenomenon has an acronym TILT -Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance. Sufferers get headaches, brain fog (difficulty thinking clearly, poor concentration and short term memory etc), irritability, depression, fatigue and so on following exposure to chemicals such as perfume, traffic fumes, new paint, carpets, cosmetics, cleaning fluids etc. Sufferers do not like to tell people of their problems (least of all doctors) for fear they may be classed as psychological cases. The essence of treatment is avoidance. Sufferers need to * Make their house a chemically safe place – no new furniture or carpets, no painting, no smelly cleaning chemicals, no perfumes or scented soaps, no polishes or sprays. Avoid gas appliances, cavity wall insulation (formaldehyde), plastic windows. Visitors

can be difficult because they invariably smell of some perfume, wash powder, polish, cigarette smoke or whatever. All guests have to be trained to avoid these things. * Keep their car chemically clean. New cars are a disaster for these patients. Even windscreen washes can be a problem. * Be careful organising holidays, be careful staying with other people. Pubs, cinemas, theatre, shopping centres, offices etc. can cause difficulties. * Be careful with public transport because of inadvertent exposure to perfumes and cigarette smoke. * Avoid all exposures to OPs and other toxic chemicals. This presents problems walking in the countryside as inadvertent exposure to a sprayed field or walking downwind of recently dipped sheep flares his symptoms. Many streets in towns are sprayed with glyphosate for weed control and this can cause problems for some sufferers. Carbon Monoxide

Poisoning The symptoms of CO poisioning are the same as CFS, namely physical and mental fatigue, weakness, susceptibility to infections, muscle pain and so on – furthermore they may continue for several years after the cause has been identified and removed, just like OP poisoning. It has been estimated that 1 in 20 homes with gas heating had been affected in some way by CO poisoning. Diagnosis of acute CO poisoning can be made by doing a blood test for coarboxyhaemoglobin levels. This has to be done within three hours of exposure or nothing will show.