THE COMMUNITY NUTRITION FORUM
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Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and Fibromyalgia

Millions suffer from CFIDS and Fibromyalgia, two delibilitating but mysterious diseases. CFIDS (formerly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) has been recognized as a condition by the CDC only since 1988. The symptoms may include:

In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology established diagnostic criteria for Fibromyalgia (also known as "Muscle Arthritis"). The symptoms may include:

The diagnosis of either comes after blood and other testing has ruled out other major diseases. Basically, when all the tests come back normal, one of these two diagnoses is then considered. What differentiates the two, in my mind, is the priority in which the symptoms are given. A person with CFIDS is primarily concerned with lack of energy, and often looks to a disrupted sleep cycle as the culprit. The other symptoms are often excused by the patient as being a result of the disrupted sleep cycle. The classic diagnosis of Fibromyalgia comes about through trigger point testing, where a certain number of tested points are tender when pressed. The patient comes in primarily concerned with muscle pain and decreased energy.

There is a lot of overlap between the two diagnoses, and, to be honest, Fibromyalgia is far more commonly diagnosed due to our human nature to accept a disease with muscle pain as its main concern more than we accept fatigue as a disease. What's important to know is that both diagnoses are what are called "diagnoses of exclusion," which means we've excluded every known cause, therefore it must be one of these.

Coming to a holistic practitioner, several causative factors are considered. First of all, does the person maintain a normal body temperature? If not, Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, an early form of thyroid/metabolic dysfunction is considered. Secondly, has there been exposure to Lyme Disease? Lyme is an unusual bacteria, in that the disease it produces has 3 stages, and only the first stage is detectable through a blood test, and the reliability of those blood tests available is not very high. It's specific to Lyme, but not as sensitive as we'd like. What this means is, the latter, latent stages of the disease do not show in blood testing, but the disease is still present in the body, causing a chronic stress to the immune system. Also, we look for the source of the stress on the person. Free radical damage, cellular damage from inflammation, spiritual and emotional stress, a compromised immune system which has let candida yeast and parasites overgrow, and other factors are considered when looking for answers to these puzzling diseases.

I want to share my own personal experiences. I had CFIDS, and it was debilitating. I understand what people are going through when they come to my office with a carefully guarded hope that maybe this health care provider will finally take them seriously. I do. I was there, but no longer have it. Here's how I changed:

  1. A Healthy Diet. I had to learn new principles of healthy eating, eating an anti-inflammatory diet. This is different from the USDA Food Pyramid. This is different from all the "fad diets" I've ever heard of. Also, it's different from what I learned through my 7 years as a nutrition researcher in the university. When politics is taken out of nutrition, and current, groundbreaking science is included, the picture changes entirely. Rather than counting calories or food groups, we are looking at rebuilding at the cellular level, which happens when we consider the nutritional environment that feeds, nourishes and strengthens each cell. Dietary changes are permanent. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." I couldn't go back to what got me sick, and honestly really don't want to anymore.
  2. A Few Supplements. I didn't use a lot of them, and I still don't. This is not "space age nutrition" where all our nutrients come from pills. They work best in foods. During the transition to a healthy diet, and now when I "fall off the wagon" and eat the Standard American Diet (SAD), I use a few supplements to fill in the gaps.
  3. Comfortable Bodywork. I used gentle therapies which helped my body work to its potential, the best it can at that time, and guided myself back to feeling good in my body again. This includes therapies like craniosacral therapy and applied kinesiology and some chiropractic.
  4. Emotional and Spiritual Work. I had to accept how draining my conflicting emotions and desires were for my body. Stress is our modern word for fear, and it has a profound effect on the physiology of the body. It's very fatiguing! Frustration is another word for defeat. How we think and our spiritual practices strongly affect the condition of the body. I started a spiritual journey, which led me right into God's unconditional Love, forgiveness and acceptance, which heals my accumulated childhood and adulthood wounds. I have a strong passion and love for true Christian spirituality, which is, above all else, "to love thy neighbor as thy self." My journey has been about learning how to love myself (psychologists call this "self-esteem") and then share that love with others. Emotionally, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and journaling have brought out the emotional pain and dealt with it, and interestingly, the physical pain went along with it!
  5. Exercise. This one I list last, because in the order of things, it came last. When my body was finally ready to be used, tested, worked out, I really had to search to find an exercise which felt right for me. Now, I enjoy gardening immensely, I enjoy an occasional walk, but not daily. The exercise which has had the deepest, most profound effect on me is Nia. To me, it winds together body, soul, and spirit, and I feel thoroughly beautiful doing it. It sets me free in places I don't always know are restricted, and I lose myself in it. In thirty minutes, I'm soaked with sweat, and feel at home in my body. Pleasure, in being a human and having a physical form comes back to me.
  6. Sharing My Experiences With Others. Part of the healing process is creating a healing community, a safe space where others can come and learn together, experience things, and lean on each other. True healing has happened in my case, and I am stronger (a Victor not a Victim), my marriage is stronger, my children are healthier, and I know God is here for me, as well as a whole community of people whom I've brought along to health in my healing journey!

Find a caring practitioner who will help you find the answers you need, and isn't afraid to try new things; someone who is willing to be more accountable to your needs than they are to the politics of medicine. Find a healing group of people, who aren't just co-miserating in their wounds but are actively seeking answers. No one can do this for you. Take charge of your health and go get what you need. May God Bless You in your search.

© 2007 Anne Rhody, PA - Use only with permission.

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