jcfs

Cycle of Dysfunction in CFS/FM

Please click above for a PDF chart[...]

New Study in JCFS

New Study on Adrenal Dysfunction in Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome A review just published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a major journal for the specialty treatment of CFS and FM Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM). Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
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The Doctors

The doctors at Holtorf Medical Group, Inc. are sought after experts and pioneers in the field of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. their extensive experience and knowledge is evidenced by the over 3000 fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients they has successfully treated with unprecedented results. The medical practice focuses on these conditions as well as
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Definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

1. Clinically evaluated, unexplained, persistent, or relapsing chronic fatigue that is of new or definite onset (has not been lifelong): is not the result of ongoing exertion; is not substantially alleviated by rest; and results in substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities. 2. Concurrent occurrence of four or more of [...]

Definition of Fibromyalgia

A history of widespread pain. The patient must be experiencing pain or achiness, steady or intermittent, for at least 3 months. At times, the pain must have been present: A. On both sides of the body B. Both above and below the waist C. In the Mid-body-for example, in the neck, mid chest, mid back, or headache. D.
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Cycle of Dysfunction

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New Standard for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are complex diseases that involve multi-system disturbances and abnormalities. Because of this complexity, these conditions have been poorly treated by the current medical system in this country. These conditions do not lend themselves to be successfully treated with the eight to fifteen minute visits that address only a portion of the
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Are All Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia Patients Low Thyroid?

There is mounting evidence that there is low thyroid activity present in the majority of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients. Studies demonstrate that in addition to an increased incidence of primary hypothyroidism in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, there is a combination of secondary, tertiary and thyroid resistance in the overwhelming majority of CFS
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Adrenal dysfunction in CFS/FM

Treatment of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM) Points addressed: A review of the literature regarding evidence of significant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) dysfunction in CFS and FM. Indications and efficacy of treatment with physiological doses of cortisol Expected risks and benefits of such treatment Abstract: There is clear evidence that adrenal
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Adrenal Dysfunction (JCFS)

Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM). Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 2008, 14(3):1-14. [Download PDF] KEY POINTS There is controversy regarding the incidence and significance of adrenal dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) as well as the effectiveness and
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Infectious Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Numerous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of chronic infections in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. These include viral infections of Epstein bar (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes virus-6, (HHV-6), and bacterial infections such as mycoplasma, chlamydia pneumonia (CP) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). There is controversy regarding the presence of active infection in these
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Multi-faceted Treatment Approach is Best

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are illnesses that often coexists and affect millions of Americans. Symptoms vary amongst individuals and commonly include severe fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive problems, commonly called brain fog, muscle pain and multiple infections. Unfortunately, many individuals and physicians continue to deny that these syndromes are legitimate diseases. The medical [...]

Fibromyalgia: The Diet Connection

Fibromyalgia: The Diet Connection Find out what experts say really matters about the foods you eat – and why staying away from certain foods might help your fibromyalgia symptoms. By Colette Bouchez WebMD Feature Reviewed by Matthew Hoffman, MD The condition is called fibromyalgia. It consists of a complex array of symptoms that include widespread muscle [...]

Neurotoxins – A cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia

There is evidence that a subset of CFIDS and FM patients are suffering from chronic neurotoxin exposure. Research by K. Hudnell and R. Shomaker has shown that different infections can produce neurotoxins, resulting in symptoms that can not be differentiated from CFIDS/FM or be the cause of these syndromes. Symptoms include poor memory, fatigue, headache, [...]

Is Abnormal Mitochondria Function at the Heart of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?

A number of studies have demonstrated that there is mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients. The mitochondria are the energy factories for the cells where sugar is burned and energy is produced in the form of ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate). When the mitochondria are not working properly, the cells and tissues of the body [...]

RNase-L Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Ribonuclease-L (RNase-L) is one of the key proteins induced in response to a viral infection. Once activated, the RNase-L destroys viral RNA (stopping the infectious process) and at the same time triggers the removal of the infected cell by inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis). Normally this enzyme is “turned off” after the infection has resolved. [...]

Hypercoagulable State and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

New research is indicating that many chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS) patients are in a state of low level activation of the coagulation system and treatment of this coagulation activation can result in a complete or partial resolution of symptoms. Studies have found that approximately 80% of CFS and FM patients have this [...]

Growth Hormone Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

It has been shown that chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients have abnormal sleep patterns with a deficiency in stage 4 sleep (1). Stage 4 sleep is closely related to the pulsatile secretion of growth hormone and 80% of the total daily secretion of growth hormone is during this stage. It has also been shown [...]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and CFIDS/Fibromyalgia

Recent studies demonstrate the majority of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients suffer from bowel dysfunction, with the majority being irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS can be significantly debilitating problem in its own right with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. It is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation and the [...]

Immune Support Interview

Kent Holtorf, M.D., on Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia ImmuneSupport.com ImmuneSupport: In your article on the effective treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia*, you state that “individuals with these syndromes have measurable hypothalamic, pituitary, immune and coagulation dysfunction. These abnormalities then result in a cascade of further abnormalities, in which stress plays a role.” [...]

Immune Support Interview #2

The Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers: Bringing Patients Effective Treatment Across the US An interview with Mr. Robert S. Baurys, CEO and Dr. Kent Holtorf, Chief Medical Officer of the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. ImmuneSupport.com: Please talk about how and when the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Center was conceived, who was involved in establishing it, and what makes [...]

Story Done on Patient Ellen K.

Tired of feeling tired and sick? Ellen was! After all, it was 24 years of going from doctor to doctor; vacillating between hopefulness and helplessness; and often times spending more than half of her annual income in search of the “cure” for a condition she was consistently told she can’t cure – only control. Now [...]

Studies with Comments:

Valcyte (Valganciclovir) and CFS

Use of valganciclovir (Valcyte) in patients with elevated antibody titers against Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) who were experiencing central nervous system dysfunction including long-standing fatigue. Journal of Clinical Virology 2006;37:S33-38 Montoya et al at Stanford University treated chronic fatigue syndrome patients with 6 months of valganciclovir (Valcyte) if they had elevated IgG tests [...]

Xyrem and Fibromyalgia

The Effects of Sodium Oxybate on Clinical Symptoms and Sleep Patterns in Patients with Fibromyalgia Journal of Rheumatology 2003;30(5):1070-1074. Objective. Fibromyalgia (FM) is associated with the sleep phenomenon of alpha intrusion, and with low growth hormone secretion. Sodium oxybate (Xyrem) has been shown to increase both slow-wave sleep and growth hormone levels. This double blind, randomized, [...]

Cardiac dysfunction resulting in CFS due to EBV and/or CMV infection

There are a number of studies indicating that an Epstein-Barr (EBV) and/or cytomegalovirus infection of the heart muscle can decreases the heart’s ability to pump and may be the cause of CFS in a number of patients. A rapid resting heart rate can be a sign that this is a problem. Studies also indicate that [...]

Multifaceted Treatment Approach

J Teitelbaum, B. Bird. Effective treatment of CFIDS and Fibromyalgia The Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain Volume 3, Issue 4 (1995). This study was a ground breaking study that demonstrated that there are multiple physiologic abnormalities in CFS/FM and that effective treatment requires a multifaceted approach, which is foreign to traditional medical thinking. It was criticized [...]

Multifaceted Treatment Approach #2

Teitelbaum J, Bird B, Greenfield R, Weiss A., Muenz L, Gould L. Effective treatment of CFIDS and Fibromyalgia. The Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 8(2) 2001. This double blind placebo control study confirmed the previous study by demonstrating that there are varying physiologic abnormalities present in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, including disordered sleep, hormonal [...]

Acetylchoinesterase Inhibitor

Trial of a selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, galanthamine hydrobromide, in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 1996; 2(2/3): 35-54. Efficacy of a half dose of oral pyridostigmine in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: three case reports. These studies indicate that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can improve the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and [...]

The Use Of Intravenous Lidocaine For The Treatment of Fibromyalgia

AJPM;6:15-18 This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the efficacy of intravenous lidocaine in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Patients rated their pain scores prior to treatment or placebo infusion. The treatment (or placebo) was repeated 2 weeks later along with a report of pain scores after the second treatment and again 2 weeks and 6 weeks [...]

Pyridostigmine

The case studies below demonstrated that pyridostigmine to be beneficial in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. While this was case reports of only 3 patients, I have also found pyridostigmine to be helpful in fatigue in weakness in some patients. It does seem to be more helpful in patients that are positive for EBV. This [...]

A Confounding Condition

By Kent Holtorf, MD When it comes to treating patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM), doctors are often at a loss. Many consider CFS and FM “waste basket” diagnoses because they can’t figure out what’s wrong. Others dismiss the symptoms associated with these conditions as psychiatric in nature.11-13 This certainly is a disservice [...]

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