What is the best treatment for m.e/chronic fatigue ?

Question

Any recommendations gladly received, or direction to useful information.. Thanks

Has anyone more or less got to a stage where they're symptom free or 'cured'?

Answer 1

Sadly nothing. I have had it for 10 years and paople say 'oh, I have a friend and it went away after two years; you'll get better'.

The problem is, the current research suggests that it is a neurological disease, meaning it wont be curable until stem cell growth is allowed. The researchers get no money to research because incurable equals no drugs that would help, so no drug companies put money into research and we are left in the dark.

My advice is to just try to listen to your body. Start a food, exercise and sleep journal and keep it for a year, that way, when you look at it you can see that you may be worse in winter when the darker nights draw in, and that you end up overdosing on sugar to try to keep you awake, but it only makes you worse. Or that you have no energy to do anything and when you do, you either end up sleeping for days or unable to sleep until the middle of the night.

That way you understand your body a lot more in the long term. There is no cure and you can only try to fix one thing at a time. For me it is Temazepam for sleeping because now (after 10 years) that part of my brain is, after not working for so long, now non-existant (your brain adapts to get rid of parts you don't need, like after the critical period of child language acquisition, the brain can't use it and it ceases to be). For you, it may be another symptom that is what you can't stand about M.E. and over the long run will probably change into something else.

My point is, learn to deal with the fact that there is no cure (and I have tried eveything I can think of) and you just have to learn to adjust to living. You have to prioritise things (like University, but no part-time job, or part-time Uni, etc.). Don't let it stop you having a semi-normal life, just learn where your limits are and never stop fighting the disability. Accept help when given, but ignore the promises of getting better soon.

I guess the best 'treatment' is to fight against it and don't allow it to stop you following your dreams, and learn to live with it as much as you can. Listen to your own body and not what other people tell you 'should' be the case (you'll only end up feeling bad that so-and-so's friend who has M.E can do this and you can't, and if you try to be totally normal, you'll be the one that suffers.

I really do wish you all the best.

Answer 2

Chronic Fatigue syndrome is not necessarily ME. ME is a debilitating neurological illness which in 25% of sufferers is as serious as MS. Firstly you need to find a good specialist in ME/CFS as each case is different and there is so much controversy surrounding it. ME is not just a symptom, and is indeed a serious illness in itself. CFS can be a symptom of various other things. In either case, getting plenty of excercise has actually proved to be dangerous. Firstly a healthy diet is a must, cutting out as much refined sugar as possible. Drinking plenty of water is a must. Limiting alcohol and cigarette smoking to virtually nothing, and absolutely do not smoke cannabis with this condition. An activity pacing approach should be taken with regards to excercise. Depending on the severity of the illness will depend on what is considered an activity. For the mostly bed-bound, getting a bath or wash or getting dressed should be considered an activity, for the house bound, a short walk of no more than five minutes should be considered an activity. Only when you can do the activity every day without suffering a relapse should you add to the activity. Again, for the mostly bed bound, this may include sitting watching tv for half an hour or a 20 minute phone call, for the more able, increasing the walk to 15 minutes a day. This is why a specialist should be found, as everybody is different. With CFS it is literally the fatigue which needs treating, and anti-depressants and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can do amazing things, even with ME. But with ME, the fatigue is actually a lesser symptom. The painful muscles and skeletal pain can be unbearable, the mental fog and confusion, sight problems, temperature problems, dizziness and feeling of being poisoned can be far harder to overcome and make any form of activity that much more taxing on an already severely compromised body. There is a brilliant website for the severely affected called ahummingbirdsguide or similar. Dr Charles Shephard wrote a book about ten years ago which has much useful information its called Living with ME - The Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Action for ME have a good Website AFME and there are plenty of others too, sleepydust is another one. The good news is that the earlier you are diagnosed and the earlier your condition is managed, the better chance of a better recovery you have. Sadly I was not diagnosed for 12 years and my ME has become progressive, saying that, the most important thing you can do is remain positive, even through your worst times and strive to get back to the best level of health you can, but accept that it is going to take a long time, with lots of set backs and that it will take discipline to do so gradually.

Answer 3

I do graded exercise. You should not diet, you should keep your food intake normal. Dieting will make you tired. Gradually increase your exercise. I have ME and this has really helped me. I have even been able to work part time, although I am going through a bad patch at the moment so am not in work.
You may also like to try the Expert Patients Program which helps you learn to cope with your condition.
One of the major problems with this condition is that the reduction in activity levels can make you put on weight. You must exercise, even though it may be very painful at first, in order to keep your weight stable.

Answer 4

The main difficulty with ME is that it's a symptom rather than a disease and can be caused by a number of different things.

First check out that there's nothing physically wrong with you. I know someone who had a long term bladder complaint that caused ME. Once he had his bladder replumbed, the ME went.

Antidepressants sometimes work, as does hypnosis.

Answer 5

Good and nutritious food in the long run.For instant energy try Glucon C or Glucon D(glucose -brand name may differ),drink fruit juice sweetened with sugar.See a doctor and and ensure that you donot suffer from any disease or iron deficiency or anemia.They will prescribe tonics.

Answer 6

There is evidence to suggest that there is a 70% symptom improvement in poeple who accept that there is a psychological ascpect to CFS and seek treatmetns for such. A lot of Dr (including myself) question CFS as a true disease!

Answer 7

i would change my diet, that's what i did i swear i had the lowest metabolism ever(when i woke up everyday it was around 2:00 pm and everybody else was up at 7:00 am) that's when i knew something was wrong. and try a 30 minute exercise too, it doesn't matter what you do just do something!

Answer 8

ask your self what is going on in your life that may be stessing you because that can have a effect on all health issues then find the courage to change what ever that might be

Answer 9

Good diet and plenty of exercise.

Answer 10

eat little and often do a little exercise and keep your mind active