What About Treatment Index
What About Treatment? Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, are common with CFS. Interestingly, an antidepressant medication sometimes one hundredth of the dose taken for depression helps some, but not all, patients sleep better and thus improve. Beverly avoided such drugs for years but then tried one. "I was helped so tremendously," she said, "I only wish I had started sooner." "Many other methods including "alternative" treatments that some patients find appealing when standard measures fail have been tried for treating CFS," noted The Female Patient. "These include a variety of medications, physical therapy, . . . acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, anticandidal therapy, and ayurvedism, among others." This medical journal stated: "Regardless of personal beliefs, the physician should have some knowledge of such [treatments] to better understand and counsel the patient. Many patients are grateful just to find a physician who listens to them and takes their list of complaints seriously. . . . Most patients with CFS can be helped to feel better even if they are only reassured that they have a medical ally and many can be greatly improved." Since there is no cure, some question the value of going to a physician. The vital benefit of seeking such help is that tests can exclude other diseases that may have similar symptoms, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Lyme disease. If these are identified at an early stage, valuable treatment can be given. Emergency Medicine recommends to physicians: "Once you've made the diagnosis, your best course of action is to refer the patient to a chronic fatigue syndrome study center." Rest is recognized as the best treatment, but a careful balance must be struck. So the best advice is: Learn to pace yourself. Know your limitations, and work within them, day by day, week by week, month by month. Gentle exercises, such as walking or swimming in a warm pool, can be beneficial as long as they are not taken to the point of either physical or mental fatigue. A healthy diet that helps to strengthen the immune system is also important. Hopelessness
may accompany this disease, as was tragically illustrated by one sufferer
named Tracy who despaired and committed suicide. But death is not the answer.
So far I have heard of three cases of where CFS patients have committed
suicide since doing this research. As a bereaved friend said: "I know
what Tracy really wanted. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live but
to live free from suffering. And that must be our goal." Yes, it is
an excellent goal. So focus your hopes, not on dying, but on surviving
to reach that goal, whenever it comes. For that reason it requires great
effort and patience to meet the challenge of CFS If there's not cure - than what can one do? Well up til now, the doctors have been treating the symptoms, but you are probably aware of all the other treatments that are recommended by others who swear they've tried it and it works. So now we have the Alternative Treatments! If you have CFS - you've probably already been down the road trying to find a cure or a treatment that will give you back your energy, memory and life.. You've tried everything that someone else has tried, all in the quest to get well. tried everything that someone else has tried, all in the quest to get well. Most CFS people have tried many alternative treatments, ie. acupuncture, herbal medications, natural products, diets and other similar types of treatment. If we hear that someone has tried this and it worked for them, many of us at one time ran out to get it only to discover, it did nothing for us. Some methods seem to work on some CFS patients and when other CFS people report that they have regained their energy using some drug, some herbal therapy or other treatment - we all run out to try it. This desperate attempt to get well isn't always the best solution. Many home pages of other CFS sufferers even have a list of things they've used. Many people
have contacted me asking for advice or recommending something they have
tried, so in my search to find answers, I did find that the CFS Home page
had studies and also results on the various "alternative" approaches
to CFS. You can view these at the following: In my personal
quest for getting well, I have found that certain things worked for me.
They, by no means cure me or stop the relapses, but what I was prescribed
by a Homopathic Doctor was the following: Treatments that Doctors agree on They all seem
to agree on a few things (this could be a first LOL!) - that the following
is very important in helping CFS patients regain some energy (not a cure): What they don't agree on is a lot more.I still cannot find an answer to exercise. Some researchers and doctors recommend exercise. Some say moderate exercise; some say to plan a strategy and slowly do more each time trying to build up stamina. Some say NO EXERCISE at all. So what should you do - do what's best for you and what you can handle. If you try exercise and you pay for it later - than don't do it. If exercise (mild forms) seem to help - than do that. My
Personal Opinion on Treatments
Without knowing the cause of CFS, it is difficult to identify effective treatments. Medications prescribed for CFS usually are intended to provide symptomatic relief and not a cure. However, a number of unproven and potentially dangerous "treatments" and "diagnostic tests" have been given to CFS patients at exorbitant cost. Some of the more common remedies and prescription medicines commonly used by CFS patients are listed in the Common Treatments for CFS section. Are there certain medications I should avoid? In most circumstances, patients should trust in the advice of their physician. However, certain treatments, such as cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, and hydrogen peroxide injection, are potentially life-threatening, wholly unproven to relieve CFS, and should be avoided. If in doubt, call your local medical society, university medical school, or another physician. Is a particular dietary or vitamin supplement regimen recommended for people with CFS? There are no studies to suggest that dietary or vitamin supplements relieve the symptoms of or cure CFS. A list of dietary supplements and vitamins commonly used by CFS patients is included in the Common Treatments for CFS section. A variety of vitamin supplements, medications, and other substances have been described as having potential therapeutic benefits for CFS patients. Many of the treatments recommended for CFS patients are intended to provide relief for symptoms of this condition. However, some proposed treatments are unproven and potentially dangerous. As a service to CFS patients and other interested persons, this section provides some basic information about different therapies that have been used for the treatment of CFS patients. These descriptions are intended to be used only for general informational purposes. Decisions regading the use of these or other treatments should be made only in consultation with a physician. If you have doubts about a particular treatment, contact your local medical society, university medical school, or another physician for additional information.
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