What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

CFIDS (referred to as CFS on this site for brevity) is a condition whereby over time the body becomes so run down that it does not recover and no amount of rest will restore one's previous energy levels. Symptoms may include an inability to concentrate ('brain fog'), flu-like headaches, low mental and physical energy, insomnia (an inability to stay asleep for very long), digestive problems (including excessive bloating and wind), pale complexion, a slow down in the body's ability to heal itself (including injuries) and recovery energy levels (that are attainable), muscle stiffness and sometimes muscle pain, etc. A complete list of symptoms can be found in the CFS section. Severity may vary from patient to patient. A discussion of the interchangeability of the above terms of CFS, CFIDS, NDS, PVFS and ME can be found on the Overview page in the CFS section.

There are numerous triggers for CFS, for example a severe viral episode or bacterial infection, but these are not the cause of CFS per se. They are more the factor that pushes an already impaired body into a Catch 22 situation of Chronic Fatigue, where the body is unable to restore its previous health and energy levels on account of self-perpetuating problems in the body on a biochemical level. A viral or bacterial episode may be a trigger in CFS cases, or perhaps an accident, but it does not cause CFS in all those who experience such episodes. There are many factors to consider, and the root causes of CFS often stretch back over many years or decades.

CFS is generally a result of some of the following factors: prolonged periods of psychological stress, insufficent rest, overuse of antibiotics at one stage in one's life, overexposure to harmful EM fields, poor diet (highly processed, low in fibre, high in simple carbohydrates, transfats, and low in essential nutrients, vitamins and fatty acids), the absorption of numerous endocrine disrupting chemicals, neurotoxins and carcinogens (mainly from one's diet, mercury amalgam fillings and drugs (medication and recreational) but also through the skin and the air (e.g. pollutants, chemicals in household/bathroom products etc.), etc. Many associate CFS with an overburdened liver, which is over time unable to remove toxic substances from the body, resulting in a gradual build up of toxins in the fatty cells and cell membranes of the body, and acid waste in the blood and tissues, and a corresponding biochemical disruption in the bodies various systems.

The most obvious processes that appear to be failing in the body of a CFS sufferer usually include mitochondrial inefficiency and rapid mitochondrial depletion (i.e. problematic energy production on account of insufficient nutrients and oxygen at the mitochondrial membrane and toxins and patial detoxification products clogging up the mitochondrial membranes); insufficient hormone production (resulting in an inability to sleep properly or to manage stress levels effectively); low immune system functioning; insufficient stomach acid production and amino acid conversion; dysbiosis (the proliferation of harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites in the colon, and often spilling out throughout the body); and electromagnetic deficiency in the body's cells and and a corresponding electrical inefficiency of the body's biochemical processes.

Can CFS be cured?

The answer is YES! Do I have to live out my whole life like this? The answer is NO!

CFS can be treated and cured to provide a complete restoration of full health. However, on account on the complexity of the core underlying problems, treatment and cure is rarely the result of one simple treatment or supplement, but a complex process of detoxification, proper nutrition, supplementation and various types of treatment. It depends on the severity of course, but treatment may take a few months to a few years, and require the dedication of the patient to the programme.

Clearly the most important part of any treatment programme is to correctly identify the underlying root causes and to target the most chronic first. Various tests of specialist tests are available and often require skilled interpretation. This is explored in the CFS section.

The methods used to treat CFS thus depends on the major causes and what exactly is going on in the body, but often involve changing one's diet, a programme to eradicate harmful micro-organisms (using natural methods), a full cellular detoxification programme (which may take months or years, not days or weeks), mineral, vitamin and mitochondrial cofactor supplementation, adrenal support, and electromagnetic stimulation etc. Treatment may be complex but it is possible and it does work! Specialists have cured many tens of thousands of patients in this manner. In mild cases, a partial recovery can be obtained in days with full recovery in weeks or months. In more complex cases, on account of the number of years involved in the development of the problems in question, it may take up to a few years to finally resolve. Do not be dishearted! Be dedicated in your approach and you will soon be completely healthy before you know it.

Treatment programmes geared towards alleviating symptoms using medication are well intended but misguided and lack the technical knowledge and understanding of the conditions in question. This is not intended to be a criticism of those who are patients in such treatment programmes, but merely on those who devise and provide them.