Chronic Fatigue is a disorder of unknown cause that lasts for
prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well
as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache
and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also
known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS),
Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME),
“Yuppy Flu” and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as
hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine
medical tests do not detect any problems.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is exactly what its name implies,
namely an overwhelming sense of fatigue. Symptoms may represent several
ongoing disorders which begin abruptly, tend to come and go, and may
last for 6 months. Because there are no specific laboratory tests,
diagnosis is made by the presence of chronic fatigue that does not
resolve. The clinical disorder is defined by fatigue severe enough to
decrease daily activity by at least 50% for at least 6 months. In order
to have this condition, it is necessary to eliminate all other clinical
conditions, including possible psychiatric problems.
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are quite variable.
They include sleep disturbances, that may produce increased sleep or
insomnia. There are often problems with neuropsychological function,
such as sensitivity to light, forgetfulness, irritability, depression,
vision changes, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Fatigue may be
quite severe. It may be seen in conjunction with generalized muscle
weakness, muscle aches, headaches and joint pain. Sometimes there is
mild fever, sore throat and painful lumps in the neck, armpit or groin.
Studies have shown that oxidative stress plays a role in the
development of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Fulle et al. 2000; Richards et
al. 2000; Logan et al. 2001). Oxidative stress is a term used to
describe the body’s prolonged exposure to oxidative factors that cause
more free radicals than the body can neutralize. Free radicals are
produced as a byproduct of normal metabolic functions. When there are
enough free radical scavengers present, such as glutathione and vitamins
C, E, and A, along with zinc and other nutrients, through normal
metabolic functioning, the body will “mop up” or neutralize the free
radicals. When free radicals are not neutralized, the body can become
vulnerable to cellular destruction.
A relationship between abnormal oxidative stress and Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome can be found in the literature. An article in the
journal Life Science described a study that showed that patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome had lower serum transferrin levels and higher
lipoprotein peroxidation. These results indicate that patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have increased susceptibility of LDL and VLDL
to copper-induced peroxidation and that this is related both to their
lower levels of serum transferrin and to other unidentified
pro-oxidizing effects of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Manuel y Keenoy et
al. 2001).
Exercise has been shown to increase the production of oxidants.
Fortunately, regular endurance exercise results in adaptations in the
skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity, which protects myocytes (muscle
cells) against the deleterious effects of oxidants and prevents
extensive cellular damage (McCully et al. 1996; Powers et al. 1999).
A study of the oxygen delivery to muscles in patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome found that oxygen delivery and oxidative
metabolism was significantly reduced in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
patients after exercise (compared with sedentary controls) (McCully et
al. 1999).
The effect of dental metal (amalgam) removal was studied in 111
patients with metal hypersensitivity and symptoms resembling Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome. After consultation with a dentist, the patients
decided to replace their metal restorations with nonmetallic materials. A
significant number of patients had metal-specific lymphocytes in the
blood. Nickel was the most common, followed by inorganic mercury, gold,
phenyl-mercury, cadmium, and palladium. As compared to lymphocyte
responses in healthy subjects, the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome group had
significantly increased responses to several metals, especially to
inorganic mercury, phenyl-mercury, and gold. Following dental metal
removal, 83 patients (76%) reported long-term health improvement; 24
patients (22%) reported unchanged health; and two patients (2%) reported
worsening of symptoms. Following dental metal replacement, the
lymphocyte reactivity to metals decreased as well (Stejskal et al. 1999)
(see “Mercury Amalgam Toxicity” in the May 2001 issue of Life Extension
Magazine).
Traditional medicine believes that the cause of chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS) is not yet known. Current theories are looking at the
possibilities of neuroendocrine dysfunction, viruses, retroviruses
environmental toxins, genetic predisposition, stealth organisms or a
combination of these. Unfortunately researchers are looking for common
denominators amongst the CFS patients that would provide the underlying
cause for all CFS patients. Over 25 years of clinical research has led
me to witness that the disease process is as individual as one’s finger
print. As the number of insults to the body increases, so are the
patient’s chances for developing the disease. Most patients are walking
time bombs and often a single incident is capable of triggering off the
symptoms. As Hans Seyle, the internationally known researcher on stress
and distress, discovered no matter what the insult to the body is the
adrenal glands are the first line of defense. The weaker the adrenal
glands become other glands like the thyroid become over worked and
eventually decrease in function.
P.H. is a 41 year-old female patient who has suffered from
severe CFS for the past 12 years. This patient suffered with headaches,
low grade fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, depression, anxiety,
inability to concentrate, loss of mental quickness and fuzzy thinking,
muscle and joint pains and weakness, abnormal low blood pressure,
Candida Albicans, viral infections, allergies, digestive problems,
chronic constipation, kidney infections, dizziness, speech and visual
impairment, weight loss, severe loss of energy accompanied by severe
overall weakness.
Clinically this patient presented with a multitude of factors
all of which contributed to her CFS. The two areas circled in red (see
x-ray, below) represent areas of infection. The upper area also involved
an old root canal which not only was infected with five major pathogens
but also had two small mercury fillings that were placed in its roots
following a surgergical procedure (apicoectomy). The lower area
represented an infected site where a tooth was previously extracted.
Other issues involved the presence of mercury poisoning, mercury in the
thyroid gland and small intestine yeast infection, bite interferences,
cranial bone distortions, neurologic weakness of the upper left cervical
nerves (C1-6), galvanic currents due to various mentals, presence of
two other heavy metals (aluminum and platnum), severe intraoral muscle
spasm,emotional distress and pelvic muscle weakness. All factors
combined overloaded the adrenal glands.
Treatment involved a program to chelate out the heavy metals,
correct metabolic imbalances, boost the immune system and treat the
emotional component of her problem with Bach Flower Essences. The
patient returned after two weeks for further treatment. After balancing
the cranial bones and bite the upper left second premolar tooth was
extracted. The socket of this tooth was further treated by drilling out
the infected bone, irrigated with Sanum homeopathic remedies and packed
with Gelfoam soaked with the same remedies to prevent post-surgical
infection. The patient stated that she awakened the next morning at 3
o’clock, experiencing sweating, fever and chills. The patient remained
up from 3 o’clock on but was not tired. Normally such an event would
have destroyed her. Three weeks later the patient phoned and stated that
she had more energy than she knew what to do with.
The patient’s immune system was overwhelmed by the insults of
the heavy metal poisoning, infected areas of the bone, old root canal
tooth plus low thyroid function and cranial and bite imbalances. By
removing the primary offending foci, the body was quickly able to
respond and regain much of its lost energy. Since mercury poisoning
affects the nervous system and is an enzyme poison and clinically minics
many medical diseases it is difficult to separate out the underlying
causes.
CFS is caused by many potential agents which present the
clinician a major challenge in diagnosing the underlying factors in each
patient. Many potential factors exist that can cause CFS and each
patient shares many of the same factors but they also have their own
unique pattern. This is what frustrates most health care practitioners
since they are almost always are looking for the same pattern (syndrome)
in all patients. Also of extreme importance is the dental component of
this disease which is often missed by most health care practitioners.
Oxidative Stress and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Metal Sensitivity and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue: Case Report
