Over one million Americans have chronic fatigue syndrome [1]. It?s more prevalent than many forms of cancer! Although it may feel petty to tell a doctor, ?I?m really tired all the time,? chronic fatigue syndrome has recently been proven to be a serious immunological dysfunction. It warns us that something terrible is going on somewhere in the body. As a physician, my job is to play detective and solve the case from the clues the body gives me. I?ve found there are two main culprits in most cases of chronic fatigue.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or systemic exertion intolerance disease, causes constant fatigue, as the name suggests. But it is not a simple ?tiredness? that comes after a hard day of work or following a stressful event. CFS is suggestive of energy production decrease by 20-30% for six months or more, so that it?s difficult to function. This fatigue is not relieved by several good nights of sleep and it is only worsened by high energy activity. People who suffer from chronic fatigue cannot achieve the same quality of mental or physical activities that they could before they were sick. While CFS can occur at any age, it is most common in people in their 40s and 50s [1].
The terrible fatigue is often accompanied by other symptoms:
Difficulties sleeping
Cloudy memory and concentration
Relentless joint and muscle pain
Headaches
Sore throat
Extreme exhaustion after physical or mental exertion
Mood issues or depression
Many patients with CFS don?t even want to get out of bed. Who can blame them? Luckily, we now have proof that it?s not just in that person?s head.
There is recent evidence that proves chronic fatigue syndrome is an immunological dysfunction and not at all psychological, as previously assumed [2]. Once the experts can correctly label an issue?s source, doctors can treat it more appropriately.
Let?s look into the two main causes of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Insufficient Nutrients
Our bodies need nutrients just like a plant needs water and soil. When a person lacks vital nutrients, the body energy production will partially shut down. This is a frequent cause for chronic fatigue syndrome. The one of the most common nutrient CFS patients lack is called Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10. CoQ10 is present in each and every cell of the body, producing energy and preventing damage. It is similar to a vitamin [3]. However, it isn?t anything to overlook. A lack of CoQ10 can cause a general tiredness and worse?it can cause constant fatigue in all systems, including the heart.
A while back, doctors noticed that patients who were taking statins like Lipitor had higher rates of heart failure. This is perplexing, because Lipitor is used to treat heart disease. What happened was the statins decreased CoQ10 production, so the medicine to treat the problem was actually making it worse.
About half of the people who come in with a heart attack have normal cholesterol. This might tell us that the issue has nothing to do with cholesterol. However, patients with low cholesterol are often sent home. They may still have just as high of a risk of heart attack. Low levels of CoQ10 can start with chronic fatigue syndrome and can eventually end with a heart attack. That?s why seeing a doctor about any sort of fatigue is urgent. You never know when the situation can become severe.
2. Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is also a common cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. Adrenal fatigue is a mild form of adrenal failure, where the adrenal gland is not producing enough hormones to go around. This may seem like too small of an issue to worry about, but it can create serious problems.
The most essential adrenal hormone is cortisol. Cortisol regulates and influences how the body deals with stress. If this stress response hormone is exhausted by chronic stress of any type, there can be many associated effects, such as low thyroid, cloudy cognition, low blood pressure, inflammation, sleep troubles, blood sugar imbalances, and of course, chronic fatigue [4].
Low cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue can be very dangerous because the problem does not start or end with the hormone levels. If levels are low, that means there is a root cause somewhere else in the body that is draining the adrenals. Inflammation is a very common root cause of adrenal fatigue, draining extra cortisol to deal with inflamed teeth, sinuses or gastrointestinal system. Low adrenals can also be caused by a tumor?if the patient has a brain tumor then there?s no ACTH production coming from the pituitary gland. Sadly, this issue is more common than one might think.
Testing Against Normal Levels
Many conventional medical professionals will send patients home if they have ?normal? levels of adrenal hormones. But the complications may continue at home because the patient is still very sick, regardless of test numbers.
In order to function normally, a person can?t just have ?normal? levels. These numbers have been normalized by our sick population that relies on prescriptions and counts on cancer. The current ?normal? for adrenal levels in America could be compared to going for a vacation with ten bucks in your pocket. Yes, you definitely have money, but ten dollars is not enough to have real fun. If you have some cortisol, it?s the same situation. Yes, it is present in your body, but not present enough to have fun! There?s simply not enough to go around.
To be honest, we don?t know the true normal levels of adrenals or nutrients. Years ago, the Kitava Study tested people living indigenously in Papua New Guinea. As it turned out, their communities lacked heart disease, cancer, diabetes, strokes, obesity, acne and dementia [5]. However, for reasons unknown the researchers never published their blood samples results! I believe their average cortisol and CoQ10 levels would towered over ours. But since I am not a scientist, I will just continue to focus on my own patients? health?helping them reach optimal levels of nutrients and hormones so they feel energized and full of life.
If you are interested in testing your hormone or nutrient levels, or if you believe you may have chronic fatigue syndrome, don?t hesitate to give us a call. Good health comes to those who reach out and grab it.
http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/causes/risk-groups.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Chr…
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/tc/coenzyme-q10-topic-…;
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/cortisol-adrenal-function
http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/TheKitavaStudy.html