When you say full recovery...

[slipsandtangles]

Hi Ashok - I am curious, of your patients who have reached "full recovery", does that mean that they are able to exercise/exert themselves without worry of a relapse? Are they able to get normal refreshing sleep without any medications?

I'm also interested in the pilot study you did, has that been published anywhere yet? Have you done any long-term follow up on your patients to see if any of them have relapsed a year or more down the road?

Thank you,
Cheryl

[Ashok Gupta]

Dear Cheryl,

Thanks for your message. In answer to your questions, in the vast majority of cases, sleep can occur without the need for medication. With respect to exercise, I tell people to take it one step at a time. Some patients can engage in vigorous exercise quite quickly after using the programme, and some people need more time to build it up gradually. This is because there is deconditioning in the body after so many years of no exercise, and you wouldn't expect an out of action athlete to suddenly run a marathon!

So the answer is, yes, people can return to normal levels of exercise, and it is best to err on the side of caution, and do it one step at a time. I find that the ability to to vigorous exercise for some patients is the last thing that fits into place, after a period of building themselves up. Some of my patients are too keen to drive forward and prove they can do everything (!), so I have to tell them to take it easy for a while.

I find that often it is also the mental state that accompanies the exercise that makes a difference. If someone pushes too hard mentally as well as physically, that can also not be good, because the amygdala treats mental, physical and emotional stresses in exactly the same way.

With respect to the initial study, the paper has been sent off for publication and has come back for a few revisions, which we are working on. We will conduct the follow-ups as well, but initially are looking to get the paper published first,

Kind regards
Ashok

[slipsandtangles]

Thank you for your response, Ashok. Your program all sounds very intriguing to me. I have ordered the DVD's and look forward to seeing how it works for me.

[Recovery Soon]

Dear Ashok,

Thanks for your replies. I realize vigorous exercise is inappropriate for those out of shape. But how about post exertional malaise which is a unique phenomenon to CFS...Do patients recovered by your definition find a reaction the next day after exercise?

This is different than simply being out of shape and pushing too hard. CFS'ers get sick after exercise, even if they are in decent shape. Does this reaction go away?

Thanks!

[Recovery Soon]

Dear Ashok,

Thanks for your replies. I realize vigorous exercise is inappropriate for those out of shape. But how about post exertional malaise which is a unique phenomenon to CFS...Do patients recovered by your definition find a reaction the next day after exercise?

This is different than simply being out of shape and pushing too hard. CFS'ers get sick after exercise, even if they are in decent shape. Does this reaction go away?

Thanks!

[Ashok Gupta]

Dear Cheryl,

Yes, most patients experience that the post exertional malaise does go away once they have recovered for a while, as this is a cardinal symptom of ME/CFS/FMS. And as I mentioned before, people who have recovered need to take exercise step by step, and build themselves up slowly,

Kind regards
Ashok