Myalgic Encephalomyeitis (ME)

Overview

Causing persistent fatigue (exhaustion), chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis – myalgia means muscle pain and encephalomyelitis means inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) affects everyday life and does not go away with rest or sleep.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a serious condition which can cause long-term illness and disability. However, many people – especially children and young people – improve over time.

Symptoms

Although it is more common in women than men, anyone can get CFS and it’s estimated that around 250,000 in the UK alone have the condition. Usually developing in the early 20s to mid-40s, the illness can also affect children between the ages of 13 and 15.

Most cases of CFS are mild or moderate, but around one in four people with CFS have severe symptoms – see below for more information.

Mild: You are able to care for yourself, but may need days off work to rest.
Moderate – You may have reduced mobility, and your symptoms can vary. You may also have disturbed sleep patterns, and need to sleep in the afternoon.
Severe: You are able to carry out minimal daily tasks, such as brushing your teeth, but you have significantly reduced mobility, as well as possible difficulty concentrating.

Symptoms may include the following:

Persistent exhaustion (‘fatigue’)
Muscle and/or joint pain
Sleep disturbance
Flu-like symptoms, such as headache, sore throat, painful lymph nodes, dizziness and/or nausea and problems with memory and concentration.

Causes

Exactly what causes chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown, but there are several theories. For instance, some experts believe a viral infection such as glandular fever can trigger the illness.

Also, many cases of CFS do not start after an infection and this theory does not explain why the condition sometimes develops gradually.

Other suggested causes of CFS include problems with the immune system, psychiatric problems, depression or emotional trauma, a hormone imbalance, genes or as a result of traumatic events.

Do

This content is for members only. Please JOIN NATURAL CURES OR LOGIN

Diet

According to the University of Washington, a good, balanced diet – which is important for sufferers of ME – includes some choices from each of five groups:

Grains
Fruits
Vegetables
Protein (poultry, fish, lean meats or dried beans)
Dairy (low-fat milk, cheese or yogurt)

Maintaining a good intake of fluids is as important as enjoying a balanced, healthy diet. Try reducing your consumption of stimulants such as caffeine and depressants like alcohol, too.

It is important to not add further toxicity to your system so try to adhere to the following:

Do not consume any artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, NutraSweet or Aspartame
Do not consume high fructose corn syrup or mono-sodium glutamate.
Do not drink any carbonated beverages.
Avoid all fast food restaurants.
Avoid all canned food.
Eliminate conventional dairy products. The best dairy products are raw, unpasteurized and homogenized dairy from grass fed cows. If this is unavailable, then buy organic dairy.
Avoid conventional beef. The best beef is organic grass fed beef. www.grasslandbeef.com The second best is organic meat; this includes beef, veal, lamb, chicken and turkey.

Supplements:

According to chronicfatigue.about.com, Vitamin B12 is beneficial for ME sufferers as B vitamins are essential for energy production. The site goes on to say that some experts on these illnesses recommend at least 50 mg daily of most B vitamins, and 500 micrograms of B12. Several treatment protocols use B12 injections.

Take Vitamin D3 50,000-100,000 International Units a day for periods of 4 weeks at a time.
Wholefood supplements are the best way of ensuring your nutritional needs are met. The best we know on the market is Kevin Trudeau’s “KT Daily” product. You can find more details here.
Take an Omega 3 supplement:

Krill oil –

Fish oil

Cod liver oil

Vegetarian –

Prescription and non-prescription medication:

What non-prescription and prescription drugs are you taking? Your non-prescription and prescription are partially the reason that you have this illness or disease – you need to get off these medications, but do so only under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner.

Mind

We know that when the body is out of balance, energy doesn’t flow, leading blockages and eventually disease. Here are some things you can do to combat stress and restore balance:

Go to a Dr. Morter BEST (Bio-Energetic Synchronisation Technique) Practitioner.
Sign up for Energetic Re-Balancing: 2 practitioners to consider are:

Stephen Lewis, founder of the Aim Program. Find out more by clicking here.

. Find out more by clicking here.

Consider using Mary Miller’s Iching System Products – ichingsystemsinstruments.com
Reiki healing is very powerful in releasing stress and emotional baggage. Find a practitioner here.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has had remarkable results in dissolving stress. Find a local practitioner here or go to www.thetappingsolution.com or www.tftrx.com
Try Hypnotherapy to relax the mind. Find a practitioner here.