Chronic Fatigue Confusion
I recently read an abstract on pubmed that struck me, because the doctor was proposing the opposite treatment as everything i’ve found to help me.
I know there are some sub-groups of chronic fatigue that might be helped, but i still feel like many doctors are stuck 10 years in the past when it comes to CFS.
In this pubmed article, the doctor theorized that chronic fatigue may be caused by the inability of the mitochondria to output more energy when it is required by the body. Such as in times of exercise or increased stress.
He also suggested that renin-angiotensin system (system in the body that regulates blood pressure and fluid retention) may be understimulated.
This may be causing the mitochondria to reduce energy output.
- So, as a treatment he suggested adrenergic agonists (stimulants) or renin-angiotensin system agonists.
- Some of this makes sense to me, a few other articles ive come across by doctors like Sarah Myhill and Paul Cheney, have suggested simliar ideas the mitochondria for years.
The theory sounds ok, but what bothers me about it is the treatments he suggests.
He wants to treat CFS with stimulants. If he was familiar with cfs patients he would know that in most cases, stimulants aren’t an effective treatment for cfs. Personally, they made me feel much worse. Ive tried ritalin, adderall, and provigil. They all made me nervous and overstimulated. I experienced very bad insomnia, and decreased appetite. CFSers are generally very sensitive to drugs, especially drugs that are very stimulating. I feel like using stimulants is definately the wrong direction to go in. They dont treat any of the underlying issues and the side effects are mostly unbearable.
Also, he proposed using a drug (renin-angiotensin system agonists) that is the complete opposite of a drug that helped me, a beta adrenergic antagonist. This is a blood pressure drug that has been used to treat CFS and NMH. I have seen beta adrenergic antagonists like propanolol (which is what i took orthostatic hypotension) perscribed for cfs.
He also states that cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise is the most effective treatment known to date. (I’ve never heard of one person who has recovered or significantly improved with this)
I feel like this doctor hadn’t done reaserch with the actual CFS population. Maybe it looks good on paper, but it doesnt seem to work out with real patients.
- This also really bothers me, because it is the same line has been given by doctors for years.
These treatments don’t work. And honestly, if stimulants were an effective treatment, don’t you think many people would be using them? It is the most obvious treatment to try for fatigue.
**note- These are just some ideas ive had, i’m just thinking out loud. If you have ideas that support the contrary, leave me a comment.
