Alternative remedies for M.E.?

[markmullen]

I've been diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) which is just lovely

As well as the usual medical treatments from my GP I am willing to try anything to get better more quickly.

So far I've had Bowen Treatment massages which worked well but were very pricey, I am taking a good quality specialist multivitamin for men, acidophillus (suggested by the masseuse) and have just been bought some ashwaganda tablets which seem to be helping. My sister in law recommended Green Vine Tea which I will pick up tomorrow. I am also doing as much exercise as I can and am joining a decent gym with a personal trainer.

Has anyone any other suggestions? I am willing to have a go at pretty much anything that will make me better more quickly.

Thanks for your help.

[oldbanger]

You could try an elimination or stone age diet, which I beleive has been touted for cfs.

If you google stone age diet or paleo diet there's absolutely loads of info out there, or feel free to pm me.

[R.P.M]

markmullen said:

I've been diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) which is just lovely

As well as the usual medical treatments from my GP I am willing to try anything to get better more quickly.

So far I've had Bowen Treatment massages which worked well but were very pricey, I am taking a good quality specialist multivitamin for men, acidophillus (suggested by the masseuse) and have just been bought some ashwaganda tablets which seem to be helping. My sister in law recommended Green Vine Tea which I will pick up tomorrow. I am also doing as much exercise as I can and am joining a decent gym with a personal trainer.

Has anyone any other suggestions? I am willing to have a go at pretty much anything that will make me better more quickly.

Thanks for your help.

No real help, but just thought I would say that i'm sorry to hear about your health.

keep your head up high and dig deep.

rpm

[Slyjoe]

My good lady has had it for 3 years or so, she has got some help from Reiki - I considered it complete balls until I went for it too - very powerfull, and she has basically eaten her way back to health aswell (at least 80% better) Our food bill is a fortune, but get back to basics and only eat what you can make in your own kitchen. No artificial stuff at all. She also found Pro-greens very good - a lot of M.E symptoms seem to eminate from the gut, and a good pro-biotic helps (not these shitty little yoghurt drinks though)
HTH

[Slyjoe]

My good lady has had it for 3 years or so, she has got some help from Reiki - I considered it complete balls until I went for it too - very powerfull, and she has basically eaten her way back to health aswell (at least 80% better) Our food bill is a fortune, but get back to basics and only eat what you can make in your own kitchen. No artificial stuff at all. She also found Pro-greens very good - a lot of M.E symptoms seem to eminate from the gut, and a good pro-biotic helps (not these shitty little yoghurt drinks though)
HTH

[Driller]

Sorry to hear about your health, I hope you find a solution to it. I know nothing about this syndrome but out of interest what have you tried in the way of exercise?

[markmullen]

Driller said:

Sorry to hear about your health, I hope you find a solution to it. I know nothing about this syndrome but out of interest what have you tried in the way of exercise?

Thanks all for your help, I will have a look at the suggestions so far and give them a whirl.

As to exercise I am mostly walking, I would like to go back to surfing but I am not confident that I have enough strength to be safe in a decent sea. I have tried some running but the trouble with ME is that it effects your motivation and when I look outside and its chucking down and the wind is howling off the sea my motivation disappears I am afraid, I reckoned that if I was paying a decent sum for gym membership that might spur me on.

[drivin_me_nuts]

Lightening process. I have both read about and know several people who have been through this process. They say it helped them.

[968]

markmullen said:

I've been diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) which is just lovely

Who diagnosed you, out of interest?

[markmullen]

968 said:

markmullen said:

I've been diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) which is just lovely

Who diagnosed you, out of interest?

2 GPs, one at a medical who suggested it (my own GP had thought it was depression following Glandular Fever) and then my GP confirmed what the first one thought. He says there is no actual way to diagnose ME with 100% certainty but more of a supposition when taking into account the symptoms and ruling out other causes.

[968]

markmullen said:

968 said:

markmullen said:

I've been diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) which is just lovely

Who diagnosed you, out of interest?

2 GPs, one at a medical who suggested it (my own GP had thought it was depression following Glandular Fever) and then my GP confirmed what the first one thought. He says there is no actual way to diagnose ME with 100% certainty but more of a supposition when taking into account the symptoms and ruling out other causes.

That's what I thought. There's no way to diagnose ME with 1% certainty, to be honest. Post-viral fatigue syndromes are certainly well recognised, and evidence of a prior infection can be found, but I worked in the National Centre for CF, and none of those patients, who were diagnosed with ME had any objective abnormality, or evidence of any abnormality.

It's a shame really, because the focus of research and management has been taken away from post-viral fatigue, and has been shifted to patients who are more likely to be suffering a severe form of depression.

But that's just my opinion, which I'm sure I'll get flamed for, but a considerable amount of time spent in that place made me see it differently.

[markmullen]

968 said:

It's a shame really, because the focus of research and management has been taken away from post-viral fatigue, and has been shifted to patients who are more likely to be suffering a severe form of depression.

Thats the weird thing, I laughed when my GP first suggested depression, I wasn't feeling particularly down, just lethargic and lacking in motivation for even the simplest tasks. Since then I have had some low times which I know are depression but not the majority of the time, the main problem is the lack of energy. I can quite happily sleep for 16 or 17 hours a day at the moment, previously I was working 55-60 hour weeks in a high stress environment, and playing hard, sleeping very little and managing just fine. Now if I do a days activity (for example I helped my mum paint her lounge to get me out of the house) I am knackered either the next day, or weirder still, the day after next.

968 said:

But that's just my opinion, which I'm sure I'll get flamed for, but a considerable amount of time spent in that place made me see it differently.

Not going to flame you at all for that, interesting stuff from someone who knows a lot more about it than most.

[Eric Mc]

Stone age diet?

Does that include wolly mammoth and giant elk?

[agent006]

968 said:

That's what I thought. There's no way to diagnose ME with 1% certainty, to be honest. Post-viral fatigue syndromes are certainly well recognised, and evidence of a prior infection can be found, but I worked in the National Centre for CF, and none of those patients, who were diagnosed with ME had any objective abnormality, or evidence of any abnormality.

It's a shame really, because the focus of research and management has been taken away from post-viral fatigue, and has been shifted to patients who are more likely to be suffering a severe form of depression.

But that's just my opinion, which I'm sure I'll get flamed for, but a considerable amount of time spent in that place made me see it differently.

It's nice to see a different viewpoint on ME from someone who actually knows what they're on about.

The problem is that ME has been chucked about as an easy diagnosis in the last 10 years, mainly as an umbrella for things that can't be diagnosed in the 5 minute GP converyerbelt system.

[oldbanger]

Eric Mc said:

Stone age diet?

Does that include wolly mammoth and giant elk?

If you can get any at Sainscos, it would.

Actually the rules are very simple. Basically you can eat meat, fish, shellfish, fruit, most veg and salads, eggs, nuts, honey.

You ought to avoid dairy (particularly stuff made of pasteurised cows milk), sugar, grains, potatoes (some also avoid other members of the nightshade family incl aubergines, peppers and tomatoes), legumes/beans/pulses, plus any other veg that *has* to be cooked to make it edible.

Ideally you should only eat fruit in season and concentrate on wilder varieties/types such as berries rather than commercial varieties and tropical fruits. You can take honey in moderation. You should ideally avoid fruit juices, even if unsweetened.

The serious followers also avoid booze altogether, though usually you just avoid drinks containing grains/potatos/sugar.

ETA if you go for an elimination diet, you also have to initially avoid eggs, fruit, shellfish, nuts, all members of the nightshade family, caffeine and booze. Hopefully if you haven't diet of boredom you might start to feel healthier. Then you gradually indroduce stuff back one type of food at a time and check whether you start feeling bad again before moving on.

Edited by oldbanger on Thursday 3rd January 00:41

[planetdave]

markmullen said:

968 said:

It's a shame really, because the focus of research and management has been taken away from post-viral fatigue, and has been shifted to patients who are more likely to be suffering a severe form of depression.

Thats the weird thing, I laughed when my GP first suggested depression, I wasn't feeling particularly down, just lethargic and lacking in motivation for even the simplest tasks. Since then I have had some low times which I know are depression but not the majority of the time, the main problem is the lack of energy. I can quite happily sleep for 16 or 17 hours a day at the moment, previously I was working 55-60 hour weeks in a high stress environment, and playing hard, sleeping very little and managing just fine. Now if I do a days activity (for example I helped my mum paint her lounge to get me out of the house) I am knackered either the next day, or weirder still, the day after next.

968 said:

But that's just my opinion, which I'm sure I'll get flamed for, but a considerable amount of time spent in that place made me see it differently.

Not going to flame you at all for that, interesting stuff from someone who knows a lot more about it than most.

1) I had similar symptoms of chronic fatigue many years ago (eg taking a bath was IT for a day) but I now know it was depression. (GPs were useless - I did my own research)

2) Yes I know I have no qualifications etc etc but I was talking to an expert in this area the other day and the conclusions were.......

Sort your head out and sort your diet out. All else will follow.

[Slyjoe]

Apologies for dragging this up from the dead thread place, but some usefull information to be told.
My good lady and I attended the Lightning process training course in Suffolk, and the changes we've been through since are nothing short of a miracle.
Its a combination of NLP and life coaching in a nutshell.
She is a changed woman, and as a by-product it's cured my severe dog allergy!
I saw people walk in on crutches and leave after three days walking comfortably and un-assisted.
It is quite an expensive thing to go through, but you can't put a price on the change to our quality of life.
Hope this helps.

[Pesty]

Eric Mc said:

Stone age diet?

Does that include wolly mammoth and giant elk?

Where do I sign up? I had Elk in Norway it was