Chronic fatigue
What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Unexplained, persistent, and long-lasting fatigue that is not the result of strenuous physical activity, does not improve with rest, and leads to a significant reduction in occupational, social, and personal activities.
To diagnose “CFS,” at least 4 of the following symptoms must be present for at least 6 consecutive months:
1. Memory and concentration problems
2. Sore throat
3. Tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits
4. Muscle aches
5. Joint pain without swelling or redness of the joints
6. Headaches
7. Non-restorative sleep
8. Sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep)
9. General malaise lasting longer than 24 hours after physical exertion
Basic treatment
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for chronic fatigue. The syndrome requires a comprehensive approach. However, there are a number of guidelines that anyone can follow and that work for everyone.
| Be sure to include it in your diet | Cut out of your diet | |
| Fruit | Fresh and frozen, with no added sugars; fresh fruit juices with no added sugars | Oranges and orange juice |
| Vegetables | Fresh, raw, steamed, fried, grilled | Corn, tomatoes |
| Starch | Rice, oatmeal, millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat, potatoes | Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye (all products containing gluten) |
| Grain products | Products made from rice, oats, buckwheat, millet, potato flour, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, or quinoa | All products made from wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, or barley |
| Legumes and plant-based proteins | All legumes (such as peas and lentils), except soybeans | Tofu, tempeh, soybeans, soy milk, and other soy products |
| Nuts and seeds | Almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and sesame paste, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, nut butters (except peanut butter) | Peanuts and peanut butter |
| Meat and fish | Fish, chicken, turkey, game, lamb, fresh or frozen | Beef, pork, veal, deli meats, canned meat, eggs, shellfish |
| Dairy products and milk substitutes | Rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk | Milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, soy milk, cottage cheese, quark |
| Fats | Cold-pressed olive, flaxseed, canola, safflower, sunflower, sesame, walnut, or almond oil | Margarine, cooking fat, hydrogenated oils (found in all processed foods, cookies, and store-bought baked goods), mayonnaise, prepared salads |
| Beverages | Water, herbal tea, mineral water | Soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, tea, cocoa |
| Herbs and spices | All spices, except those listed in the column on the right, with a preference for cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, caraway, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and turmeric | Ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, and all prepared sauces |
| Sweeteners | Brown rice syrup, fruit-based sweeteners, molasses, stevia, tagatose | All refined sugar and products containing sugar, honey, maple syrup, and corn syrup |
Deficiencies in the following nutrients are very common in cases of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. You can try these supplements to see if your symptoms improve. In any case, they will strengthen your immune system. The doses listed are daily doses.
– Coenzyme Q10: 200 mg
– Acetylcarnitine: 2 x 1000 mg
– Ribose powder: 3 x 5 g (a source of energy for the muscles)
– Vitamin B12: 1–2 mg in the form of a tablet that you let dissolve under your tongue. In cases of chronic fatigue, I often see severe vitamin B12 deficiencies, which I prefer to treat with injections. In doing so, I always aim for optimal blood levels rather than minimum levels (the doses I administer are 10 mg of hydroxocobalamin per week).
– Magnesium: 400 mg
– Ginseng: 300–500 mg
– Rhodiola: 500 to 1000 mg.
– Silymarin: 300 mg, sulforaphane: 50–100 mg, lipoic acid: 400–600 mg (these to stimulate liver detoxification).
– Iodine: 250 mcg + L-tyrosine: 500 mg (to stimulate thyroid hormone production: both nutrients are necessary for the production of the thyroid hormone thyroxine-T4).
– Vitamin D3: 2,000–5,000 IU per day (more in winter than in summer, provided you spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun during the summer).
– Get at least eight hours of sleep per day
– Get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, at your own pace
– Do relaxation exercises every day (meditation or other)
– Make sure your blood pressure is at least 110/70
– Avoid amalgam fillings in your mouth
– Maintain a healthy gut flora (consider taking additional probiotics)
A comprehensive approach
CVS requires a multifactorial approach. A thorough patient interview, comprehensive blood tests, and a 24-hour urine test are essential in this context.
The following points will be examined and addressed as necessary.
