End Fatigue

New This Week — CFS/Fibromyalgia News: May 21, 2009

Magnesium — Without the Runs!

Dear Readers,

Magnesium has long been recognized as a critical nutrient needed to "solve the puzzle" of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, magnesium does have, shall we say, a bit of a "laxative action." This can sometimes be problematic in CFS and fibromyalgia, where underlying bowel infections are very common. For many people, this has limited their ability to get enough magnesium — even though they have found that taking magnesium markedly decreases their pain and improves their energy.

The good news? There is now a solution to this problem!

Jigsaw Health, Inc. has developed a sustained release magnesium product that really works. We were pleasantly surprised (we are used to seeing a lot of marketing hype) to find that it really did not cause diarrhea — yet was very effective. A bonus is its low cost. It also contains malate (malic acid) — another energy booster.

Magnesium is critical in over 300 reactions in our body, yet around half of the magnesium in our food is lost during processing — resulting in magnesium deficiency being largely universal in the Western world. Even having a little more magnesium in the water supply has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of heart attack deaths. Meanwhile, magnesium causes tight muscles to relax, improves heart function (see Magnesium Orotate and Congestive Heart Failure), improves sleep, and increases energy.

In the past, because higher doses caused diarrhea, we limited the recommendation for magnesium intake for most people to the 200 mg found in the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder. Now, with "diarrhea free" magnesium being available, I recommend that you try adding 2-4 tablets of the Jigsaw Health sustained release magnesium at bedtime. You'll be glad you did!

Jigsaw's sustained release magnesium has 125 mg of magnesium and 387 mg of malic acid (malate) per tablet (4 tablets contain 500 mg magnesium and 1,548 mg of malic acid).

For more information on the role of magnesium in your body, see our nutrition primer, which discusses each of the major nutrients (or go directly to the discussion on magnesium).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dr. T on The People's Pharmacy Radio Show this Saturday

Listen to Live Online this Saturday, May 23rd

Dr. T will join hosts Joe and Terri Graedon on The People's Pharmacy radio show this Saturday May 23rd, at 7 a.m. EDT. You can listen live on the web through the North Carolina Public Radio website (follow the links for The People's Pharmacy show).

If you miss the live show, you can catch a rebroadcast on Sunday May 24th at 6 p.m., or come back to either website the following week to download to it as a podcast to listen at your own leisure.

New Options for Non-USA CFS/FM Patients

Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers Announces New All-Inclusive International Travel Program

Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers (FFC) is excited to offer its newest program, an All-Inclusive International Treatment Program developed exclusively for those living abroad who are suffering from Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue. There is hope and treatment now available for you to regain your health.

If you, or a loved one, live outside of the United States, this unique 3-day Treatment Program allows you the benefit of receiving services from our entire Clinical team who will work together to create a customized treatment plan designed specifically for you.

FFC is now seeing international patients for this program in the Atlanta and Las Vegas Centers. Call a National Patient Representative at 866-443-4276 or visit FFC online at www.fibroandfatigue.com for program details.

RESEARCH BRIEFS

CFS & FMS as Adrenaline Exhaustion

New research continues to expand our understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. In this week's research briefs, we will explore five seemingly unrelated studies on CFS & fibromyalgia that point us to a similar conclusion — that these illnesses are associated with our adrenaline system being on overdrive and then exhausting.

Let's begin with an important piece of biochemistry. Your body uses the amino acid (protein) called "tyrosine" to make the brain chemical dopamine (one of the "happiness molecules"). Dopamine is then turned into adrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine). Excessive production of adrenaline depletes tyrosine, followed by deficiencies of both dopamine and adrenaline. Tyrosine is also the amino acid used to make thyroid hormones. So it becomes clear that treating the tyrosine deficiency is important. Fortunately, tyrosine is one of the 50 key nutrients in the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder.

Whether you're an adrenaline junky because of your personality (like me), or simply the illness put your adrenaline system into overdrive, adrenal and adrenaline exhaustion appears to be a major part of CFS and fibromyalgia. Fortunately, this responds well to the SHINE Protocol, and especially well to adrenal support and the amino acids and other nutrients found in the Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder.

The final study in this week's research briefs shows what we have known for years — that magnesium supplementation significantly improves heart function. This is no surprise, as magnesium increases energy production throughout the whole body — especially when combined with B vitamins and ribose (Corvalen).

Autonomic Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia

Autonomic dysfunction (low blood pressure, sweating and bowel dysfunction) is routinely seen in fibromyalgia, and appears to be mostly "sympathetic over activity" (i.e., being on adrenaline overdrive) — followed by adrenaline exhaustion. Read more »

Amino Acids Low in Fibromyalgia

Selected amino acids (proteins) are low in fibromyalgia. The pattern suggests overdrive of the sympathetic nervous system (adrenaline overdrive). Read more »

Low Blood Pressure is Common in CFS

This confirms what we have noted for decades, and again suggests an exhausted sympathetic nervous system. Our experience suggests that treating the low blood pressure can be very helpful. We do this with adrenal support, increasing salt and water intake, and in severe cases even adding the medication Dexedrine. Midodrine (a blood pressure raising medication) is also helpful in a fairly small group of CFS patients who, despite these treatments, still have severe dizziness on standing. Read more »

Stress Associated with Increased Risk of Getting CFS

Having had a high level of physical or psychological stress in your life is associated with a significantly increased risk of getting CFS. Basically, this large CDC study shows that excess stress can cause you to "blow a fuse" and develop chronic fatigue syndrome. Read more »

Adrenaline-Blocking Meds May Decrease Fibromyalgia Pain

This interesting study suggests that fibromyalgia, and the sometimes associated painful jaw joint dysfunction (TMD), are both associated with adrenaline/sympathetic nervous system malfunction. Medications that block adrenaline (e.g., Inderal or atenolol) have been tried for CFS patients with NMH (low blood pressure) in the past, but in this population tends to worsen fatigue. This new study had the fascinating finding that these adrenaline blocking medications, in very low dose, may decrease fibromyalgia pain. This makes them a possible option in fibro pain treatment for those with high blood pressure (these medications lower blood pressure). Read more »

Magnesium Effective for Treating Congestive Heart Failure

This is also significant for CFS and fibromyalgia, as magnesium increases energy and muscle function in general — including the heart muscle. Magnesium is one of the five key nutrients for markedly improving heart function in those with congestive heart failure (see Treating Heart Problems Naturally). Read more »

DISCUSSION BOARD

We invite you to join in on our new community discussion board, which has already drawn hundreds of questions and comments. This is our chance to teach and learn from each other. Cheryl, our office educator and resident CFS/FMS "Whiz Kid," and I often join in the discussion.

Visit Our Discussion Board »

FEATURED QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Q: Treating low amino acids in CFS. Read more »

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Pithy Political Comments

"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress."
— John Adams

"If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed."
— Mark Twain

"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
— Winston Churchill

"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."
— George Bernard Shaw

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."
— James Bovard

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
— Ronald Reagan

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
— Will Rogers

"If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free."
— P.J. O'Rourke

"The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other."
— Ronald Reagan