Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Psychotherapy

"Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Study Finds,' read the headline in the February 17, 2011 edition of The New York Times. Within a few days Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) ranked third on Yahoo's 'Trending Now' list. For the misinformed reader it's likely these headlines translated that CFS is all in your head."

Read more: John Falk: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Psychotherapy:

Study Says 2 Therapies Help Fight Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - US News and World Report

In a recent study, cognitive behavior and exercise therapy may be beneficial for chronic fatigue syndrome. This contradicts other reports that exercise may be negative influence the condition.

"Patients struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome may be helped the most when standard treatment is coupled with cognitive behavior therapy or exercise therapy, new British research suggests"

Read more:Study Says 2 Therapies Help Fight Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - US News and World Report:

Recommended: American MedicalID Click the link here......

Elevations in Nitrates in CFS - What It Could Mean As Biomarker!

A recent study has shown that nitrates increase significantly after exercise in CFS patients. Typically, nitrate elevations rise during inflammation. Outside sources of nitrates usually come from food sources. According to Wipedia - Nitrate toxicosis occurs through the metabolism of nitrate to ammonia in humans and if nitrates in CFS are significantly elevated this may stress the nitrate detoxification system.....

"In vivo conversion of nitrates to nitrites significantly enhances nitrates' toxic potency. The major metabolic pathway for nitrate is conversion to nitrite, and then to ammonia. Approximately 5%–10% of the total nitrate intake is converted to nitrite by bacteria in the saliva, stomach, and small intestine." (ATSDR) Thus, the production of elevated levels of nitrates could lead to elevations in ammonia. Ammonia has been implicated in diseases including autism and augment complications associated with metabolic defects.

As many of you know I have written extensively about ammonia and hyperammonemia in these conditions. Recently it has been demonstrated that odors through a protein CRF acts on the pathway NO/cGMP. This pathway has a number or responsibilities including activation downstream proteins as well as regulating blood flow and behavior. As I am sure you know, alterations in blood flow have been associated with CFS. This pathway is disrupted by high levels of ammonia - it has significant influence on a number of health conditions and also
behavior.

HEIRS H&H

Source: Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM)
Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity
What Is the Biological Fate of Nitrate?
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/nitrate/no3biologic_fate.html

Suárez, A., Guillamo, E., Roig, T., Blázquez, A., Alegre, J., Bermúdez, J., Ventura, J. L. L., García-Quintana, A. M. M., Comella, A., Segura, R., and Javierre, C. (2010). Nitric oxide metabolite production during exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome: A case-control study. Journal of women's health (2002).
http://www.citeulike.org/user/HEIRS/article/7192750

Study Supports Cytokine Involvement in CFS

"Cytokines across the night in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without Fibromyalgia."


Book Selection:

Epigallocatechin gallate ameliorates chronic fatigue syndrome in mice: behavioral and biochemical evidence

Summary: The present study points out towards the beneficial effect of epigallocatechin gallate in the amelioration of chronic fatigue syndrome and thus may provide a new, effective and powerful strategy to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.




Sachdeva, A. K. K., Kuhad, A., Tiwari, V., and Chopra, K. (2009). Epigallocatechin gallate ameliorates chronic fatigue syndrome in mice: behavioral and biochemical evidence. Behavioural brain research, 205(2):414-420. http://www.citeulike.org/user/HEIRS/article/5323625

Epigallocatechin gallate ameliorates chronic fatigue syndrome in mice: behavioral and biochemical evidence

Summary: The present study points out towards the beneficial effect of epigallocatechin gallate in the amelioration of chronic fatigue syndrome and thus may provide a new, effective and powerful strategy to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.


Sachdeva, A. K. K., Kuhad, A., Tiwari, V., and Chopra, K. (2009). Epigallocatechin gallate ameliorates chronic fatigue syndrome in mice: behavioral and biochemical evidence. Behavioural brain research, 205(2):414-420. http://www.citeulike.org/user/HEIRS/article/5323625

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome groups call for better CDC research program

Chronic fatigue syndrome organisations have been calling for a major shake up of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's research program and now it seems on the back of the recent XMRV retrovirus breakthrough by a...

Click to read.

How Nurses Can Help Patients Manage Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Oct. 29. 2009 - More than a million Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome ― dealing with sleep, cognitive and physical symptoms that are often difficult to manage. While misperceptions have surrounded the disease, more health care professionals are beginning to recognize that they can help patients cope with the condition, manage symptoms and improve function and quality of life.  Click here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Rising

"I was recently informed that it could be chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)," she said. She visited a nearby clinic and was advised to get an overall health.... Click here. 

The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) - Fall, 2009

The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) fall session was held on October 29-30, 2009.  Among the speakers were Dr. Peterson from the Whittemore Peterson Institute and Dr. Coffin, a retrovirus expert, from Tufts University. The main topic of discussion was the discovery of a possible link between the XMRV retrovirus and chronic fatigue syndrome. It will be exciting what these new findings mean for patients with CFS and if these important research findings can be reproduced.  While this discovery is important, it is important to remember, these results are preliminary and XMRV may just be a "piggy-back" virus. Even Dr. Peterson acknowledged that other co-factors almost certainly may play a part in CFS. In the past, several other viruses have been suggested as causing CFS. Many believe that it may be a variety of factors that stimulate the disease and there may be no "smoking gun" for this condition. For everyone's sake, let's hope not because it makes it all that much harder to treat. On a positive note, these findings bring more attention to CFS and will bring more funding for research.

Resources:

• CFSChronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee website.  Eventually, there will be copies of the webcast posted to download and view, but it may take a while to get it posted. As soon as it is posted, I will blog about it.
• Whittemore Peterson Institute

Advocates: Where was CDC for milestone in chronic fatigue syndrome research?

"Looks like the CDC’s chronic fatigue syndrome research group, led by Dr. William C. Reeves, may have some ’splaining to do in Washington."

Click to read article..

Cooperative Diagnostics Launches New Diagnostic Test For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Associated Virus

Cooperative Diagnostics, LLC announced today the availability of a new diagnostic assay for Xenotropic Murine Leukemia-Related Virus (XMRV) to assist physicians in the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other disorders potentially caused by the virus. Testing services will also be made available to the general public. LINK

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -Don't wait for a cure to appear

So, maybe we're not all slackers. Maybe it's not all in our heads, as many employers, psychiatrists, friends and even family members have implied or thought to themselves over the years. Maybe the debilitating set of symptoms known as chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome is a legitimate illness, like pneumonia or tuberculosis. And maybe, according to a study published recently in the prestigious journal Science, it's actually caused by a virus. Link