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[F126]Fatigue Syndrome Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

by K Bakhru, K B

Myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as M.E., is an ongoing condition, resulting from a severe viral or other illness. Another name for this condition is post viral syndrome. It is not in itself infectious but occurs when the victim is left with a damaged immune system, causing a range of debilitating symptoms. They include, extreme tiredness, aching, muscle weakness and impairment of some mental processes.

Symptoms, such as these, are not uncommon after viral infections, but rarely persist for more than a few weeks and then do not recur. However, when they do persist, or regularly recur for an abnormal period of time, perhaps for more than a year, then an ongoing illness emerges which is totally different to the original illness. In addition to a range of chronic and persistent symptoms, the victim also develops a masked intolerance to many foods, chemicals and inhalants. Life becomes very unpleasant indeed.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis has been known by many other names over the past thirty years and has been reported in the British Medical Journal under such names as Icelandic Disease, Royal Free Disease and Akuryeri Disease, prior to its present name being commonly adopted. In America the same illness is known as neuromyasthenia. Like all illnesses involving multiple masked allergies, the most important factor in finding effective treatment is an awareness, by doctor and patient, that such illnesses exist, and are responsible for a wide range of chronic symptoms.

Evidently the illness has a history of localized epidemicity with outbreaks being reported in institutional situations such as large hospitals, army barracks and schools, and thought to be due to an unidentified virus which remains in the body and causes continuing symptoms. The majority of sufferers however, appear to have been left with the condition as a result of some other serious illness which has had a damaging effect on the immune system.

In recent years, myalgic encephalomyelitis has become such an increasing problem in Western countries that M.E. Societies have been formed to help people cope with the illness, and to encourage medical research into its causes.

M.E. has not been reported in Third World countries. This probably indicates that the breakdown in our natural resistance to disease, caused by the chemicals in our over-refined Western diet, is making us very susceptible to illness. Particularly to illnesses which leave the victim with a damaged immune system. Often, the result is a multiple allergy condition with a wide range of symptoms, not commonly attributable to allergies. Due to the masked nature of the symptoms, the sufferer is left puzzled and perplexed.

According to Dr R. Loblay, who is senior lecturer in immunology at Sydney University: 'The term itself means an inflammatory condition of the brain and spinal cord and in retrospect is an unsatisfactory name for the condition. It was coined not long after the 1955 epidemic at the Royal Free Hospital in London, at a time when poliomyelitis was at its peak, and the outbreak was at first feared to be polio.' Dr Loblay goes on to say that extensive tests have never shown evidence of an inflammatory process in the brain or spinal cord. Invariably the blood count and ESR (indication of inflammation) are normal, which indicates that some other type of pathological process is going on which is non-inflammatory.

The most dominant symptoms are persistent exhaustion, muscle weakness and impaired mental function. In some cases the disease can progress to a point where bed rest for a prolonged period is required. Because this is a polysymptomatic illness, the sufferer is rarely free of symptoms. It seems that all parts of the body are affected at various times with a constantly changing symptomatology. Often three or four symptoms are raging at the same time. Some sufferers will experience headaches, blurred vision, hearing loss, stiff and aching muscles, facial and neck stiffness, overheating, white pallor, inflamed red pallor, extreme fatigue, extreme nervous tension, sleeplessness, constant colds, urinary infections, constipation, digestive problems, bloatedness and aching back. Others may suffer from memory loss, poor concentration, cold hands and feet, irritable outbursts, moodiness, depression, heavy sweating, proneness to drop things, difficulty in finding the right words, tinnitus and apathy. These symptoms are all continuously aggravated by the individual's ignorance of the fact that he will have developed masked allergies to some, or even many foods and other substances.

Inability to recall events, to think clearly and to comprehend, are common and devastating effects of this illness. They are also among the most tragic, as they affect the very core of one's existence. This problem is further exacerbated by stress. Memory blackouts and confusion can occur at the most inappropriate moment, often causing further problems. Anger, frustration, extreme irritability, and depression are often associated with these events.

M.E. has many symptoms. If you have experienced recurring symptoms in only one or two of the described categories, you do not have this condition. However, you may well have one or more, masked food allergies. These should be tracked down before the continuing overload of toxins further impairs immune efficiency and damages bodily functions, perhaps permanently.

Treatment:

Apart from getting as much rest as possible, interspersed with careful, moderate excercise, the major solution to overcoming M.E. symptoms is to identify the food and chemical allergies resulting from the illness. Until identified, these substances will continue to aggravate the condition and cause the repeated flare-up of symptoms. Once the allergens have been removed, the individual always improves and, in many cases, a slow recovery to good health has been achieved. Without the removal of allergens an M.E. sufferer cannot recover. Therefore, the most vital first step to recovery is the identification and removal of all food and chemical allergens from the diet and environment.

M.E. sufferers are particularly sensitive to chemicals. Even such seemingly innocuous things as perfumes, after shaves and scented soaps can bring on fatigue, aching, headaches, catarrh and dizziness within a few seconds of exposure. Hydrocarbon fumes such as petrol fumes, exhaust fumes and pressure pack sprays are particularly dangerous. Chemicals and preservatives in food and drink are another constant aggravator and must be removed from the diet. Avoidance of chemicals in food, drink and in the air, is the key to allowing an overloaded immune system to commence a long and slow recovery. This may take one or two years but improvement will invariably result if these rules are firmly followed. It is important to seek help for this problem from a medical practitioner or naturopath, who understands the illness and is prepared to spend the time necessary to help you get well. When seeking to eliminate foods that have become toxic because of M.E., there is a widespread tendency to regard 'natural foods' as healthier than those with artificial additives. This is not necessarily the case. Many additives, particularly preservatives, are chemically identical to those found naturally in food. However, concentrations in food containing artificial additives can be much higher than those found naturally. When these are ingested regularly from a variety of processed foods, they can overload the system and cause allergy illness.

Because M.E. intolerances are essentially chemically caused, whether by direct exposure, or through food and other substances, many foods that contain these chemicals, in natural form, can cause further illness to M.E. sufferers. Examples are those foods containing salicylates and benzoates in comparatively high amounts, and these can be some of the seemingly innocuous fruits and vegetables. It is essential therefore, to suspect all foods, until a process of testing (described in a later chapter) can safely eliminate those that are doing harm. Merely changing one's diet to whole grains, nuts, yoghurt, fruit and vegetables, etc. will not be successful and can, if anything, worsen both disease and symptoms.

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