As you and I approach the Christmas season with a goal of surviving it, one thing you may be asking yourself was hinted at last week: if Fibromyalgia Syndrome is not a terminal condition, then why am I still sick? There could be many reasons for whatever answer you come up with. It’s true that some people get over the condition and go on with their lives, while others keep right on suffering. Many people even get worse over time and watch their health decline further! Let’s change that and start now during the Christmas season holiday.

(This audio podcast is 6 minutes 21 seconds)

Okay. Let’s start off by playing a what-if game… what if the quality of your life eroded and got worse, the drama in your life story intensified and your future changed for the absolute worst? Unless you make the right choices now (Christmas or otherwise), you might never get another opportunity to come back and do it right again. Such a time as the Christmas season can be the very event that preempts and precipitates your life and symptoms either tunneling down into the trenches of ultimate pain and agony -or- spiraling upwards towards renewed hope and a re-invigorated life!

The truth is that we all complain sometimes. As soon as you can, though, make a point to lay aside being negative. Lay aside looking for some magic, cure-all drug. Lay aside thoughts that you’ll only be happy when and if… . Instead, put all of this out of your mind because instead you’re concentrating on bigger, better and different things. Things to help you succeed. Things to improve your health and help you get healthy again. I know you want to do whatever it will take to feel better and reclaim your life! Being negative and dependent will not get you where you want to go.

And as for the fluffy stuff? I’m talking about anything that promises you symptom relief or a cure, but isn’t doing the job for you. *In 2012, I’ll be offering you something special which I and lots of people are finding to be priceless. Stay tuned. Personally, I find that few supplements (or drugs) conquer Fibromyalgia. Help maybe, but not really slay the symptoms.

SUGGESTION: Take a few minutes to add up what you’re spending on Fibromyalgia, both on drugs and over-the-counter supplements. After you make a comprehensive list, tuck it away where you can get to it easily. We’ll get back to this. I promise…in a couple weeks, I plan to have all of the data in place to tell you about something F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!!! I’ve got my fingers crossed, too, and I am very, very excited!

Your to-do assignment from last week began with your making a personal list of who or what might trip you up this holiday. When you sat down to make that list, what life points did you focus on? People? Places? Did you concentrate more on emotional problems that could trip you up? Are all of these items really important now that you’ve listed them or did you include any points that actually don’t matter that much?

If you have a few of the latter on your list, go ahead and cross them out now. You can return to the smaller issues later. Today instead, concentrate on what’s crucial in YOU making it through the holidays and working positively on your health. Resolve to get to the crux of the problem NOW. Why not? If you become less distracted with the stuff in life that does not matter, you have a better chance of getting this right. Better health will follow.

Now go ahead and keep working on your list, but save it. Especially, put it up where no one will see it if you’re writing down and thinking about some very personal issues. Then check back next week to compare your answers to mine. Just don’t stop this process. It’s too important. This is your health we’re talking about. Your future depends on you getting this right!

Plus, I’m hoping that you come up with some ideas that I don’t think of. If so, submit and share them in comment form. Get recognition for your hard work while you’re growing and getting control over your Fibromyalgia.

Thanks. I’m Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show and thanks for attending “Fibromyalgia: Christmas Season Broadcast 2 of 3″

Today’s Christmas season broadcast is one of three weeks of presentations when I’m highlighting Fibromyalgia Syndrome. I’m convinced that it is not a terminal condition. Even though it may seem that way when you’re in the depths of the illness, some people do get over it and go on to resume healthier lives.

Unfortunately, other people keep suffering. They can even get worse and watch their health decline further and further into an illness pit that’s hard to climb out of!!

Today, let’s talk about how to prevent staying in the Fibromyalgia rut, particularly at this time of year…the holiday, Christmas season! No one wants to feel “bad” and no one wants to be the drag on their holiday party. Fun and good times are coming!

If a person only gives up a few of life’s pleasures because of a small (lean) to moderate case of Fibromyalgia (FMS), he of she may not have to make too many sacrifices. The necessary changes needed to survive regular “living” may be doable and tolerable enough to maintain. Such a person can live a reasonably good life.

If that’s not true for you and you’re much sicker than that, could your situation be worse because you haven’t discovered the knack of adjusting to match the needs of your illness??

That question is appropriate for the people who struggle with more and worse symptoms. Adjusting may not be the end-all, universal, cure-all answer. It won’t make that much difference, yet adjusting is still wise and I’ll tell you why.

In the end, some people can change their level of personal expectations, required duties and everyday activities and get by well enough, while others don’t seem to be able to easily change or adjust barely at all. Instead, they go to the extreme and give and give and give…until they feel like an overused rubber band about to break. *Today’s idea is aimed more at the people who (so far) have refused to make any adjustments to their lives and, therefore, the illness is pushing back at them hard!)

I encourage you to honestly think through this issue. If you’re prone to diving into the holidays head first and feeling all panicky, start a Christmas Season List. Jot down all of the things, people and activities in your life that you believe to negatively affect your condition. But don’t just list these issues => =>

• Figure out why and how you’re affected by the issues (or people) yesterday, last month, last holiday season. Thinking about them and planning what you should do to circumvent them is the key here to insure you’ll have a better, healthier Christmas season holiday with fewer symptoms. Don’t let it/them get to you!
• Plan your holiday get togethers. Plan the energy requirements you’ll need to prepare and last through the event. Plan for the day ahead, the day after, and especially plan your money outlay. You don’t want to be the queen bee of giving and end up suffering the month after because you have no money for medications or a massage!
• Pre-warn people that you may or may not feel like attending if you’re especially symptomatic that day. *If you’re going to someone’s house, ask them ahead of time about the possibility of lying down, eating special foods or drinking a drink that you brought with you, etc. Pre-plan. Your host wants you there and will likely accommodate your needs, if asked.
• Keep some cute thank-you or I’m-sorry-cards handy. This will help you to easily jot down notes as to why you couldn’t attend something or had to duck out early. With all the stress and strain of the holidays, even healthy people have to forgo all the things they want to do once in awhile!

Being in your presence, hearing from you, knowing you’re suffering and being kept in the loop is what your friends and family really want from you this holiday season. No one is perfect. Don’t expect to be. This is your “Fibromyalgia” plan and a beginning step to gaining control and beginning to feel better…even during the holidays! (You don’t want to go backwards.)

My best Christmas wishes for you and your family,
Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show‘

PS- Next Friday return here to find edition #2 of the Fibromyalgia: Christmas Season Broadcast.

If you suffer with Fibromyalgia or CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), you likely have a major symptom that drives you bonkers at times and it’s called memory problems. It’s much more than an occasional lapse in memory. Today let’s explore a way to look at this that will make better sense than thinking you’re dumb, getting old, losing your mind, or not able to remember anything! And, if we’re successful at this, you should come away with useful knowledge and lesser degree of feeling frightened and helpless with what this illness symptom implies.

(Audio podcast is 8 minutes 45 seconds long)

“I felt so dumb when it was happening…so helpless. My mind just wasn’t there, you know…with me. It was like it had checked out and left my body. And worse than that, I had no idea what to do to get out of the trouble I was in. Plus, I couldn’t figure out why everyone was looking at me so strangely.” At that point, she cried and we hugged a long time.
~~~~~

When I, personally, was so sick for fifteen long years, I found myself in situations like the one my client described many times. I would feel scared, humiliated and definitely worried to the bone, worried that I might lose every cognitive ability I had ever had. In the beginning months, all I could do was read and retain the meaning of the headlines in the newspaper. Sentences strung together in a paragraph no longer made sense and forget about remembering the content. I was lucky to keep general impressions only; details were non-existent.

If this sounds like similar memory problems that you have experienced, ask yourself the following questions, but do so in the comfort and security of your home or in a quiet moment. These are thought provoking, for sure, and you’ll want to take your time to answer them.

I know I’m not crazy, but WHY has my body and brain apparently stopped working together?
WHAT has happened to drive them so far off course? Like the connection between them has been broken?
And WHEN will I feel better and more like myself again? Or will I be in this condition…forever??

The answers to what is going on, what to do about it -and- if it’s possible for you to get significantly better are not simple. Scientists actually have few answers to memory problems. But even so, I urge you to keep reading the following, important background information.

At birth a newborn infant’s immune system usually functions well, maybe even for several months before the first taste of sickness arrives. Doctors tell us this is a carry over of the biological influence and immunity of the mother. As the baby grows and matures, that immune system protection dissipates and, in some cases, the baby’s own system doesn’t function as efficiently. If so, sickness ensues.

Your and my health, as we keep growing from babies to older children, to teenagers and finally to adults, encounter times when the immune system is negatively affected by tough and sometimes virulent disease-promoting entities, like viruses, bacteria, spirochetes, mycoplasmas, etc. And when one of us gets sick, a common symptom is some degree of cognitive impairment of the brain. [Whether we're talking about disease mechanisms actually attacking tissues of the brain (e.g. a herpes virus) or simply the person's central nervous system not working well (e.g. a functional breakdown of the cerebral process, nerve conduction and pathway damage such as what is seen in cases of Multiple Sclerosis), a sick person can be left at one end of the spectrum with a short, mildly dysfunctional physical situation all the way to a totally dysfunctional memory system that would disturb the hardiest of souls!]

And getting back to you, if you have Fibromyalgia or CFS, know that memory problems are extremely common problems. Not rare, not occasional nuisances, but very common problems. If you’re fortunate, the symptoms may come or go, but when significant cognitive dysfunction appears, you, the patient, feel as if your brain is barely functioning. As mentioned in the last paragraph, this could be from the inflammatory process of the body and brain fighting a (example) herpes virus or it can be something else entirely. Either way, your immune system is likely on guard, active and sometimes too active.

Your best bet is aiming to improve and bolster the functionality of your immune system while calming it at the same time. Think about it. In this case, y our immune system is doing the hard work, all the heavy lifting here. Your brain is simply the organ that is most affected when you suffer with significant memory problems. *To find out more about how I help clients successfully refine and re-tune their immune system, I invite you to visit my Free 15 Minute Health Consultation page. I’m happy to help you if I can.

Thank you for joining the Health Matters Show today,
Cinda Crawford, your host

For many people, CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may not start out as a autoimmune illness, but may be one in disguise…at least for the long haul. Here’s why. Now I want you to imagine this. You get sick with some type of horrible virus, bacterial infection, spirochete, mycoplasma or some other dastardly thing meant to assault you and your immune system. The name of this “thing” is not relevant for the moment. What is important is that your body fights it and you struggle to get well. Many (a.k.a. most) of us do recover from this type of original infection, yet we never get 100% well. Why? What is going on? Why can’t the immune system do what it normally does: fight off this infection and go about its business?

The November 6th post at Phoenix Rising (via Cort Johnson) may have an important clue and answer to this dilemma.

How this information came about is because of new drug results with Rituximab, a chemotherapy drug. It’s being used with success for people suffering with an autoimmune illness. When Rituximab is used with CFS patients, many of them experience an improvement, too!

I have to read this information with a smile on my face because in the energy healing work that I do, the autoimmune healing portion of it incorporates work on people suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The same language and requests for healing end up working on both autoimmune illnesses and CFS!!! It’s always nice to see some validation (of sorts) of what I believe to be true and of my work. I’ll be waiting on the final results just like you.

Before you run out and seek treatment with Rituximab, do your research. After all, it is a chemotherapy drug and unless you show your doctor what is being done with it, prescribing it to you will make no sense and you’ll get turned down flat. Caution is in order here.

Also, consider that we’re talking about adding another drug to your daily regimen- of what you’re already taking. Consider this step carefully. Science has only cracked open the door so far. Whether CFS is an autoimmune illness, whether Rituximab helps it or not, the final proof is yet to come.

Thanks, Cinda Crawford

Travel through this world enough or even tool around in your hometown with an awareness and openness to people who are chronically ill and suffering with chronic pain conditions and you may find yourself wondering or asking, “Who Doesn’t Have Fibromyalgia?” That’s because their are literally millions of people suffering with chronic pain conditions that resemble Fibromyalgia! Some of them have been diagnosed and treated accordingly, but a large portion of them go un-diagnosed and worse, under-treated, if treated at all.

Almost every week or at least every month, I am amazed to see different doctors in my geographical area who are being hounded by the medical profession for treating and prescribing drugs in some supposedly unorthodox or illegal way to people suffering with some form of chronic pain. Maybe those docs are guilty…I don’t know. The newspapers report stories of professional people being sent to jail for knowingly or unknowingly prescribing Oxycontin (etc.) to others who either re-sell the drug illegally or take it themselves, thus overdosing and dying!

I do know that some of these doctors are caring and concerned about their patients. They didn’t get into the medical profession to push drugs to drug-seekers or supply drug dealers, so I ask you:

(6 minutes 4 seconds long)

Are all seekers of pain relief legitimate? Is each hurting person valid and worthy of having his or her pain needs met?

I cannot vouch for everyone; no doubt, there are drug-seekers. But I am sure that many times, the majority of hurting people are going untreated or are under-treated. Thousands of people are not getting adequate pain relief (for a multitude of reasons) and their lives are being shattered because of it. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM!

Thank you so much for visiting the Health Matters Show today. Please share this info and then leave a personal comment about how you handle illness and pain. Example: if people don’t understand your level of pain, do you continue to try explaining your predicament to him or here =or= do you give up and quit trying? (I posted similar thoughts on this issue at Get Well Health this week by way of Lizzy’s blog and her writings about RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis, patients.)

None of us can afford to slink away into obscurity. Whether pain is your main symptoms or it’s something else, speak up. Find you a good doctor and get the help you need to get well!

Cinda Crawford, your host of the Health Matters Show

Is there an app for healing an illness like Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme disease, Lupus, or Arthritis? If not, why not? As I wander through my mind today, come with me and let’s explore the thought process involved in why a large population of people are sick, stay sick, and continue to go to doctors without finding success for healing their illness.

It makes me miss Steve Jobs already. Yes, he was a technological guru, but he was so much more. He dreamed up technologies before we knew we needed them! He not only envisioned the end result product, but he made it, invented the technology to support it and then, as the super marketer, told us our lives would never be the same unless we owned it!

What we need now…

• Answers based on where we are now in terms of knowing more about the illness(es) that we face everyday.
• Answers based on thinking forward…into the future. What is missing? Are we on the right track for coming up with the answers of tomorrow by relying so much on medicine, drugs, etc., the so-called answers of today? To pursue this line of thought, we must first be brave and ask the right questions…out loud! (First, to ourselves; then, to others.)

Go ahead. Envision the end result of your longings: Being Healed. Rejoining Life. Having a smile on your face. Okay, this is your assignment. To get there, that is…if you choose to accept this mission…figure out the real problems surrounding your illness:

Why did I get sick? Why can’t I heal? Where should I be looking for ‘my’ answers?

• CONCLUSION: Let’s find the answers and come to the right conclusion based on outcome results of what we want to experience: improvements in health status. What end result would you like to have? How do you see yourself next week, two months from, two years from now or two decades?

Well, I hope that’s not sick and trending in the direction of ‘more well’ and certainly happier. Take a moment to check out the audio podcast today for some additional information. Let me know what you think of all the proposed questions. How will you answer them if you don’t have “an app for healing illness”?

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Your host of the Health Matters Show

Many people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome believe that their cortisol level and stress response system in the body is altered. The following study below talks of this abnormal hypothalamus- pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis response and can pinpoint problems.

Cinda Crawford, Health Matters Show (*see study summary below)

Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2011 Sep 27. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2011.153. [Epub ahead of print]

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Papadopoulos AS, Cleare AJ. Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Box P074, 103 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK.

Abstract
The weight of current evidence supports the presence of the following factors related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): mild hypocortisolism (adrenal insufficiency); attenuated diurnal variation of cortisol; enhanced negative feedback to the HPA axis; and blunted HPA axis responsiveness.

Furthermore, HPA axis changes seem clinically relevant, as they are associated with worse symptoms and/or disability and with poorer outcomes to standard treatments for CFS.

Regarding etiology, women with CFS are more likely to have reduced cortisol levels. Studies published in the past 8 years provide further support for a multifactorial model in which several factors interact to moderate HPA axis changes. In particular, low activity levels, depression and early-life stress appear to reduce cortisol levels, whereas the use of psychotropic medication can increase cortisol. Addressing these factors-for example, with cognitive behavioral therapy-can increase cortisol levels and is probably the first-line approach for correcting HPA axis dysfunction at present, as steroid replacement is not recommended.

Given what is now a fairly consistent pattern of findings for the type of HPA axis changes found in CFS, we recommend that future work focuses on improving our understanding of the cause and relevance of these observed changes.

PMID: 21946893 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Whether you have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or some other health problem, it can be quite beneficial to hear excellent mind body spirit information.

When it’s accessible locally in a wellness seminar, that’s good. And if some of the information is made available to the whole world through the Internet? That’s good, too. That means the information is not only appropriate for your needs at the wellness seminar, but also timely and handy, when & where you need to access it day or night after you get back home! Truly, good quality health advice is a superb gift, one that keeps on giving, long after the moment or day has passed. {*Note: just for looking, “liking” Laura’s page and checking out the wellness seminar event, there are several “free” gifts right now! (Once on the page, go to Events.)}

Today I’m interviewing Laura Gentile, a certified life coach, personal trainer and aerobics instructor. This is the second time I’ve interviewed Laura for the Health Matters Show. (Feel free to look up her first interview, Finding Balance in Illness. She and her material were excellent!)

Today, we’re talking about her new program that she and Holistic Wellness & Motivational Fitness are putting on here in Roanoke, Virginia, on October 15, 2011 at the Hotel Roanoke. It’s called, Wellness Seminar and Conference!

This event is designed to encourage and remind you of the importance of why living healthy in mind, body and spirit is a key ingredient to longevity.

***Be sure to check out the business’s Facebook page and then click on the Events page for sign-up info, plus great pre- and post-seminar specials available to you really soon.

As one of the program speakers, I look forward to working with Laura and her crew for this spectacular event. They’re such a consummate bunch of professionals who truly do want you to have the best mind body and spirit information around!

Thank you so much, Cinda Crawford
Your host of the Health Matters Show

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AND EVENT NEWS!!!

In the last few days, Fibromyalgia has been in the news about: 1) a general discussion of problems and issues, 2) that yoga exercises may be able to help people with the symptoms of Fibro, 3) that acupuncture treatments may be of benefit and help provide pain relief and finally, 4) that low doses of the muscle relaxer cyclobenzaprine may help you sleep better and feel less pain. I’m sure there are even more articles, reports and blogs I could feature to update you.

The point is things are happening. If you feel like nothing changes, you’re not keeping your eyes open and your ears alert for news about Fibromyalgia. It is available.

Here at the Health Matters Show, I’m always anxious to keep you informed about the issues that can help you manage and improve your life, but in the end, much of this is up to you. Yes, read, research and learn more about what is out there in the world, but in the end, the decision of “what” or “who” is going to help you really get well is yours. In today’s audio podcast file, I talk a lot about these important issues. *Check below to the access the news about Fibromyalgia that I mentioned!

(Today’s podcast file is 5 minutes 14 seconds. Feel free to download and listen to it at your leisure!)

Muscle Relaxer: in new research released this week, TONIX Pharmaceuticals has shared news that the very first drug being developed for night time usage in the treatment of Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), named cyclobenzaprine (CBP), is working on improving the condition’s core symptoms.

Acupuncture…is most often used for postsurgical or chemotherapy-related nausea, pain management, Fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, stroke rehabilitation, sports injuries, mood disorders, chronic fatigue, insomnia, stress management, migraines, tension headaches, anxiety, tinnitus, infertility, and menstrual irregularities.

Yoga: Gina Bartiromo, who had a brain injury after slipping and falling about 150 feet down the east face of Yosemite’s Half Dome in 2009, will lead a chair yoga class Thursdays in November at the Camarillo Health Care District.

“It’s for people with any sort of physical ailment, such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, or for people who have physical limitations from an injury and can’t get down on a mat,” said Bartiromo, of Camarillo. “It has all the benefits of yoga — strengthening, stretching, tuning in to the body.”

Thanks so much for joining me at the Health Matters Show today. If you suffer with Fibromyalgia, there are really great things and ideas to investigate like a new muscle relaxer, yoga or acupuncture. Some based in the western medical world; others originating from eastern-based cultures. I encourage you to consider them all as you decide what is best for you.

Thanks so much,
Cinda Crawford, your host
Host of the Health Matters Show

The words feeling down and being sad often mean more for a sick person than the lines of a familiar song.

Feeling down can describe your mental outlook or, maybe even, your general state of health. Feelings of being sad can linger for more than an hour, a day or a week. How are you coping?

If you suffer with Fibromyalgia (FMS) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS), you may find that you go through some pretty rough times because you feel terrible and -stark truth- you may not be getting well -or- your health may not be improving. You actually may need more interaction with your caregiver- more often and on a deeper, more personal level than you normally experience together. It’s common to find solace in talking to friends, however, please don’t indulge in a lengthy pity party. Remember: your goal is to find your way out of depression or depressed mood, not wallow in its misery too long, or worse yet, indefinitely.

With much of the world getting ready for a season change, know that the fall months can sometimes trigger a change in your symptoms, too, or aggravate feelings of depression. Instead of giving into that process, I urge you to listen to today’s Health Matters Show. We’re talking about this topic and some tips for dealing with this important health issue, including how to make the best use of a caregiver or friend.

The podcast today is 7 minutes 46 seconds. Play it here or feel free to download. Then continue down the page for the rest of this post.

Should you naturally assume that you’re depressed? Please don’t. Having actual clinical depression may or may not be a diagnosis for you. It depends on many things. In the meantime, study and learn more about “depression”. If you still feel blue, contact a medical or psychiatric professional to help you handle this potentially serious health problem.

*Note: there are lots of people who would love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to write a comment below. Share how you beat mild or strong depression, how depressive symptoms are affecting your life and about your ongoing struggles with this challenging part of long-term illness => DEPRESSION. Comment if you struggle with feeling down, being sad or you want to speak out about depression. **Feel free to use a fictitious name if you like, but keep your story real. Reach out and share your struggles and your successes. If your story is meaningful, it may help other people who are struggling.

Then “share” this post on Facebook, Twitter, Digg or wherever you hang out online. Thanks so much and have a happy, healthy day!
Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

I have constructed this Fibromyalgia Symptoms video to give you or anyone (who you want to see it) a good, initial overview of Fibromyalgia symptoms. Fibromyalgia is a complicated illness and sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin within yourself, with your family, friends or caregivers. I have high hopes that you can use this information to improve communication with your doctors.

Note: Most caregivers only know what you tell them. Suggestion? Set them in front of your computer to watch this video. It’s not overly dramatized. Simply factual and accurate. Hopefully after the presentation, you will both be open to a deeper discussion about your Fibromyalgia symptoms and how the illness affects your life!

Before you go today, be sure to grab yourself a copy of everything included in today’s Fibromyalgia video (plus I’ve included room for your personal notes) by clicking here! Feel free to make copies of this great little guide to use 1) to help you decide where you are with the illness, 2) what you need to study further and 3) how to approach your next doctor’s visit!

Yes, it’s a goodie that’s worth keeping. And finally, let me encourage you to check back with the Health Matters Show for blog posts, audio podcasts and video podcasts concerning Fibromyalgia Symptoms and more. This is one video of many!

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Your host

All kinds of illnesses can exhibit signs of Immune System Dysfunction, but surely Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME are two of the biggest and most aggravating conditions. What an understatement! Still, though, it’s true. Immune system dysfunction can show up in all kinds of illnesses, yet the one garnering the most attention is Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS). That surely has something to do with the fact that in many circles, the illness is referred to as Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS).

If you have it or suspect you have it, you know what I’m talking about. You get cold and flu symptoms more than more people. You ache for unknown reasons. Your glands swell and you can suffer with almost non-existent level of energy. Surely this is the immune system running amok and exhibiting a mighty level of dysfunction. At its worst, you’re out for the count…virtually horizontal throughout any 24-hour period. Fevers, sweats, aches, screaming pains, dizzy, nauseous, easy to faint, blurry-eyed, sore-throats, swollen glands, and your list can go on to include add-on illnesses like Sjogren’s Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, autoimmune problems of many types, arthritis (both kinds), Lupus, Lyme Disease, and on and on.

What causes all this? So much immune system dysfunction? On the Health Matters Show podcast today, I discuss this problem. Join me. Then share this broadcast with your friends. It may open up a discussion and help us all to understand this tough problem a bit better.

(9 minutes 44 seconds)

Thank you so much, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

Cort Johnson of Phoenix Rising discusses today the 75 years of ME, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis history, and how it dovetails with the knowledge and experience of CFS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In Cort’s words:

~~~~~~

‘ME’ or myalgic encephalomyelitis been given new life in the research community by the publication of the International Consensus Criteria for ME (ICC). (Link below.)

But is it the same ME? The first major attempt to give the ME a coherent focus occurred in 1959 with Acheson’s long review journal article on ‘benign myalgic encephalomyelitis’ *outbreaks.* From that paper to the Incline Village outbreak in the mid 1980’s the focus was mostly on describing outbreaks but the publication of a definition for chronic fatigue syndrome in 1988 lead to an almost complete focus on the non-epidemic forms of the illness. The ‘outbreaks’ continued on but they no longer figured in the literature and, despite the return of the name they were associated with, they were not given any mention in the ICC.

In this article we look at snapshots of ME over the years. Has the changed focus from the outbreaks to the non-epidemic form of the disorder changed our conception of ME? And if so – how?

So, I ask you, are these all the same disease processes? For my answer, see below, plus go ahead and grab yourself a copy of this new and important ICC Guildeline report:

I believe that there is a “sudden onset” type of ME/CFS that ushers in a stark period of immediate illness. Think the 24-hour flu that never goes away times 10! I also believe “gradual onset” is a reality for many people, too. Your health begins to decline and soon you’re wondering where the bottom will show up or not. Other people simply don’t get as ill as either of these two classes of patients before they stabilize. Does that mean we’re talking about different illnesses, different disease processes? I submit to you, possibly we are not!

When the Immune System goes haywire, anything is possible. We don’t all get sick in the same ways even when exposed to the same “cause” or trigger(s). Within the realm of the voluminous amount of published material about CFS, ME and parts in between, scientists and researchers have not categorized this specifically and without inserting a degree of doubt. Today’s International Consensus Criteria for ME Guideline goes a long ways toward that purpose. The Journal of Internal Medicine offers the following abstract about ME, CFS and the ICC’s published criteria:

The label ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’ (CFS) has persisted for many years because of lack of knowledge of the etiological agents and of the disease process. In view of more recent research and clinical experience that strongly point to widespread inflammation and multisystemic neuropathology, it is more appropriate and correct to use the term ‘myalgic encephalomyelitis’ (ME) because it indicates an underlying pathophysiology. It is also consistent with the neurological classification of ME in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD G93.3). Consequently, an International Consensus Panel consisting of clinicians, researchers, teaching faculty and an independent patient advocate was formed with the purpose of developing criteria based on current knowledge. Thirteen countries and a wide range of specialties were represented. Collectively, members have approximately 400 years of both clinical and teaching experience, authored hundreds of peer reviewed publications, diagnosed or treated approximately 50,000 ME patients, and several members coauthored previous criteria. The expertise and experience of the panel members as well as PubMed and other medical sources were utilized in a progression of suggestions/drafts/reviews/revisions. The authors, free of any sponsoring organization, achieved 100% consensus through a Delphi type process.

The scope of this paper is limited to criteria of ME and their application. Accordingly, the criteria reflect the complex symptomatology. Operational notes enhance clarity and specificity by providing guidance in the expression and interpretation of symptoms. Clinical and research application guidelines promote optimal recognition of ME by primary physicians and other health care providers, improve consistency of diagnoses in adult and paediatric patients internationally, and facilitate clearer identification of patients for research studies.

Today I urge you to do 2 things before exiting this blog:

• Leave a comment below. Tell us about your illness onset, ongoing struggle, diagnosis or whatever. Your story may help someone else and let’s face it, each of our stories matter and need to be heard!
• Then, go to the newly published ICC ME Guidelines and print out several copies. You need one for you to study and at least two more for your doctor and insurance company. If you lose this link, return here to the Health Matters Show to get access.

Thank you so much for visiting the Health Matters Show today,
Cinda Crawford
*Feel free to share this on Facebook, Twitter or wherever. This is important!

Brain fog is the term most people use for cognitive dysfunction, the medical term. It’s a common symptom of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Infection is a symptom seen in both illnesses, too, but more so in CFS. Check out the following, upcoming scientific symposium & listen to my podcast today. There was surely a link between these two symptoms for me!

(7 minutes 30 seconds)

Find this study at this link. Let’s hope some good information comes out of this symposium and they are able to make even clearer decisions about the obvious (to the patients) link between brain fog, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Also, I wrote about brain fog symptoms yesterday and there’s a good link and list there, too.

Thank you for visiting the Health Matters Show today. Feel free to leave a comment if you are troubled with any of the aspects of brain fog. Other folks will want to know how you cope with this aggravating symptom.

Cinda Crawford, your host

Recently I’ve been writing about brain fog symptoms and some of the other aggravating problems regarding Fibromyalgia and CFS for a renowned publisher.

If my article gets accepted and published, it will take awhile for the process to be completed. As I wrote about the topic of brain fog and my history living with it, I began to reflect upon all the times (months, years) when it bothered me the most and so-o-o affected my life. Brain fog symptoms can be proverbial bears and bother even the heartiest of souls!

Tomorrow on the Health Matters Show Friday podcast, the topic is brain fog and I’ll offer you new, additional information. I hope you’ll join me for the broadcast and invite your friends. In the meantime, here are 18 symptoms of brain fog that should get you thinking. Now, pray tell…do you experience some or all of these? (Leave your comments below.)

1. Horrible short term memory
2. Difficulty with word finding and word substitution
3. Disorientation lasting 30-60 seconds ( You might be driving somewhere and you forget where you are and where you are going)
4. Loss of mental acuity
5. Forgetfulness
6. In ability to think clearly
7. A feeling that you’re in a fog or a dark cloud is over your head
8. Decreased attention span
9. Mild depression or anxiety
10. Lack of spatial awareness
11. Difficulty concentrating
12. Lack of focus
13. Confusion
14. Spaciness or Absentmindedness
15. Trouble learning new tasks
16. Trouble solving problems
17. Decrease in creativity
18. Decreased mental stamina

This list is courtesy of MyAdrenalFatigue.com.

Thanks so much, Cinda Crawford
Your host of the Health Matters Show