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| | FEATURED ARTICLE | CFS/FM News: June 24, 2008 |
| Eliminating Antibiotic Sensitive Infections in CFS/FMS Dear Readers, Because of the immune dysfunction present in CFS and Fibromyalgia, most of us have had not one, but many different infections associated with our illness. These include Yeast/Candida, Viral infections, Parasites, and Antibiotic Sensitive Infections (including Lyme and many others). Unfortunately, the tests we have available are largely geared toward picking up early infections, and miss most chronic infections. We have discussed viral infections and the problems with lab testing elsewhere. In addition, Professor Montoya will be presenting his placebo controlled research results later this month on using Valcyte to treat CFS at the Baltimore HHV-6 conference. I suspect the results are positive as the drug company offered me $1,500 to come to a meeting discussing the results (I declined), but I look forward to seeing the results as we have found Valcyte to be very helpful in those with HHV 6 IgG blood tests of 1:320 or higher. The good news is that you do NOT need to treat most of the infections seen in CFS/FMS. Most of these infections are called "opportunistic", which means they get quickly eliminated when your immune system gets healthy. Because of this, treating with the SHINE Protocol will result in 91% of you getting better without antibiotics (see our research study). In addition, natural treatments to boost immune function can be very helpful. As your immune system recovers, your body will eliminate most infections on its own. Some infections (especially yeast/Candida), however, need to be treated for you to recover. Some have chronic Lyme, though testing for this is very unreliable (see Lyme testing). In addition to treating for Candida, Lyme, and occasionally viruses and parasites, a subset of people with CFS/FMS need long term antibiotic therapy. I find this is the case if any of the following are present: 1. A fever over 98.6°F—even 99°F—and/or 2. Chronic lung congestion, 3. Recurrent scalp sores which scab, 4. A history of bad reactions to several different antibiotics (people misinterpret the die-off reaction as being an allergic reaction), 5. A history of your CFS/FMS transiently improving in the past when given an antibiotic, 6. Severe vertigo—this is when you feel like you or the room is spinning in a circle and is not to be confused with the disequilibrium experienced by most of us with CFS, 7. Severe night sweats which persist after treating the Candida and hormonal deficiencies. If you have any of these, you may benefit from a trial of antibiotics. Read more » |
|  | | Infertility Study Update We thank our readers who inquired about our infertility study. At this time, we have responded to everyone who asked for information, so if you have not heard back, please let us know. If you or someone you know has infertility, and would like to be part of the study (which is done by mail using natural therapies) e-mail us at endfatigue@aol.com. |
| | | Although it is getting fairly obvious that infections play a role in CFS/FMS, standard medicine is just starting to become aware of the role of infections in rheumatoid arthritis—despite Holistic Physicians having used antibiotics effectively for rheumatoid arthritis for over 30 years. In fact, research in 1949, at the International Congress on Rheumatic Diseases, suggested a possible relationship between mycoplasma infection and joint disease. Thomas McPherson Brown, M.D. and his colleagues at the National Institutes of Health reported the following year that rheumatoid arthritis may be caused by an immunologic reaction caused by infections. Repeated research and clinical experience has shown the antibiotic minocycline (cost~ 20 cents a day) helps. Unfortunately, as is often the case with cheap therapies, this research was ignored. Today, most rheumatologists continue to ignore these inexpensive therapies, and give Humira (Enbrel) or Remicade at a cost of over $13,000 a year. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, consider adding minocycline and fish oil as well as other treatments discussed in my article, Natural Treatments for Arthritis. Let's look at 3 recent arthritis studies. Fish Oil Effective for Rheumatoid Arthritis In this recent study, taking a tablespoon of cod liver oil daily for 9 months resulted in people being able to significantly lower the dose of their NSAID medications (i.e., meds like Motrin which kill over 16,500 Americans a year). The fish oil can be taken with your other arthritis medications as well, but I recommend other fish oils that are pure and mercury free. Read more » Leeches Effective for Knee Arthritis! I don't recommend them, but a new study shows they are more effective than placebo. I think with leeches on one side and deadly medications on the other, I'll go with the antibiotics, fish oil and herbals;-) See Treating Arthritis Naturally. To see the leech study, read more » And Grandma's Achy Joints Actually Can Predict the Weather! Read more » |
| | | FEATURED QUESTIONS FROM READERS |
| Q: Do his tests warrant treatment for infection? Answer » Q: His CFS improves when he catches a cold! Why? Answer » Q: Should I treat iron deficiency or will iron worsen the infections? Answer » Q: How can I avoid sinus surgery for sinusitis? Answer » |
| | | | Quote of the Week Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
—Larry the cable guy Joke of the Week A Terribly Sick Husband A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor's office. After his checkup, the doctor called the wife into his office alone. He said, "Your husband is suffering from a very severe disease, combined with horrible stress. If you don't do the following, your husband will surely die." "Each morning, fix him a healthy breakfast. Be pleasant, and make sure he is in a good mood. For lunch make him a nutritious meal. For dinner prepare an especially nice meal for him. Don't burden him with chores, as he probably had a hard day. Don't discuss your problems with him, it will only make his stress worse. And most importantly, make love with your husband several times a week and satisfy his every whim. If you can do this for the next 10 months to a year, I think your husband will regain his health completely." On the way home, the husband asked his wife, "What did the doctor say?" "You're going to die," she replied. ........ Our thanks to Edna for this week's joke. Edna wins a free bottle of Corvalen or the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder;-) We invite you to send in your favorite jokes or quotes. |
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| | LECTURES & MEDIA APPEARANCES |
| If your support group would like a free DVD of one of Dr. Teitelbaum's lectures to play at a meeting, please email us with your support group name and address and we will be glad to send you a complimentary copy. The DVD's can also be purchased on our website. |
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| | | | | | We hope you've enjoyed this week's newsletter! If you have any comments or suggestions on how we might improve our service to you, please send us an email. Please also be sure to share what you've learned with your friends. |
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