- Source of the Story
- From Alex Barton's book
- Name
- Alexandra
- Diagnosis
-
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Disease Course Over Time
- Twenty-six year old nurse catches the flu and never recovers, ends up mostly bedbound and in a wheelchair. Follows doctors prescription for supplements and diet - recovers, exercises regularly, increases work hours, has a baby, moves, goes off diet and supplements - feels depressed and anxious, takes Prozac - feels great for six months and then boom! crashes much more heavily ----for seven years. Becomes an invalid - mostly home-bound and often bed-bound, gains weight
- Type of Onset
- acute flu-like
- Approximate Date of Illness Began
- 1980-1990
- Duration
- 6-10 years
- Functionality at it's Worst
- Mostly bedbound
- Symptoms
- exhaustion, cognitive problems, hypersomnia, night-time insomnia, all over muscle pain, orthostatic intolerance
- Positive Test Results
- deficient in various vitamins and magnesium and had "rocky blood sugar levels", flattened red blood cells, high prolactin, gut dysbiosis, reactive hypoglycemia, low cortisol, increased estrogen, low thyroid, severe gluten intolerance and high likelihood of celiac disease
- Treatments That Made A Big Difference
- Mind/body practice called Autogenics is quite helpful but it is a Paleo-type diet (high fat/protein/low carbohydrate) that makes the big difference.
- Treatments That Helped
- amytriptyline for sleep and pain, adrenal and thyroid hormones (Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol)
- Treatments That Had No Effect
- osteopathy, chinese medicine, homeopathy, Reiki, spiritual healing, diets, hypnotherapy, yoga, reflexology
- Treatments That Made You Worse
- amytriptyline for sleep and pain
- Present State of Health
-
- Fully recovered - no restrictions at all
- Words of Advice
-
"Removing stress can help the body to heal so it can be helpful to make a simple list off all your physical and emotional stresses and then start dealing with them, one at a time, starting with the easiest.
Quote "Never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill
- Suggested Resources
-
Books
Life without Bread - Dr. Wolfgang Lutz
Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon
Protein Power - Dr. Eades
Tired of Being Tired - Dr. Jesse Hanley
From Fatigued To Fantastic - Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum
Molecules of Emotion - Candace Pert
The Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
Websites
endfatigue.com
dymyhill.co.uk
westonaprice.org
fionaharrold.com
coeliac.co.uk
Begins feeling better on Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol or adrenal and thyroid hormones. She tried many protocols - she tried to eat right, exercise right, rest right, meditate, etc. She read many books on health, nutrition, mind/body medicine, psychology, etc. She learned that stressful thoughts create stress hormones and learned to change what she was thinking about.
She became very interested in nutrition. She realized that although she had tried many diets she continued to eat a low-fat diet focused around carbohydrates. The carbohydrates seemed to give her a temporary boost -or she used stimulants such as caffeine.
She learned that low blood sugar triggers adrenaline and that low fat diets remove the fats the adrenals need to function. Low blood sugar also effects many hormones, reduces serotonin and dopamine levels, and depresses immune functioning.
She tried a low carbohydrate/high fat diet - felt worse for five days and the sixth day was revolutionary - her brain fog actually lifted. Six months later her gut tests were clear. Her orthostatic intolerance and skin rashes were gone. She was able to walk half an hour twice a day without problems. Eighteen months later she was out canoeing and camping.
She became very interested in nutrition. She realized that although she had tried many diets she continued to eat a low-fat diet focused around carbohydrates. The carbohydrates seemed to give her a temporary boost -or she used stimulants such as caffeine.
She learned that low blood sugar triggers adrenaline and that low fat diets remove the fats the adrenals need to function. Low blood sugar also effects many hormones, reduces serotonin and dopamine levels, and depresses immune functioning.
She tried a low carbohydrate/high fat diet - felt worse for five days and the sixth day was revolutionary - her brain fog actually lifted. Six months later her gut tests were clear. Her orthostatic intolerance and skin rashes were gone. She was able to walk half an hour twice a day without problems. Eighteen months later she was out canoeing and camping.
