Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Liver

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Liver

 

Unedited version later printed in Herbs for Health

http://www.hobbs-live.com/Articles/Chronic%20Fatigue.doc

 

Christopher Hobbs L.Ac., A.H.G.

 

“I knew I wouldn’t be taken seriously when I went in to the doctor after the

news media began calling my ailment the “yuppie flu,” began Betty during her

first clinic visit. This deliberate woman had been dealing with chronic fatigue

for nearly 10 years.

 

She had been to see all manner of physicians and many other health practitioners

over those years. She had tried chiropractic treatments, acupuncture and herbs,

reiki, and a number of fairly involved medical treatments, including several

rounds of antiviral drugs. Some offered temporary results, but the results

hadn’t lasted, and Betty found herself finding it difficult to get out of bed at

noon.

 

When I asked her to talk about specific symptoms she experienced with the

ailment, she spoke as if reading from a list in front of her: “severe fatigue,

memory problems, a feeling of ‘spaciness, or otherworldliness,’ persistent

muscle aches, depression, sleeping problems.” She had obviously explained her

symptoms numerous times. She managed a smile after about the 20th symptom.

“Sounds great, doesn’t it?”

 

I could feel very sympathetic because I experienced about 4-6 months of similar

symptoms years ago when I was just beginning to shift my career from electronics

to herbalism and natural health, a very stressful period. It’s a feeling as if

you will never get better, because you simply don’t have enough energy and

enthusiasm to overcome such a bad feeling.

 

CFS, also called chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), is

defined as a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound

fatigue, pain, and cognitive problems not improved by bed rest and that may be

worsened by physical or mental activity. The syndrome can affect people from all

walks of life, and nearly any age. Persons with CFS function at a substantially

lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of the

illness. CFS is often closely associated with two other syndromes, fibromyalgia,

and orthostatic intolerance. No sure cause has been identified.

 

CFS is a most complex disorder, and at first researchers and medical

practitioners did not take people seriously who described the complex of

symptoms, especially persistent, debilitating fatigue. Many theories exist to

explain its origins.

 

A genetic predisposition for immune-suppression due to the plethora of new

synthetic chemicals and modern stressors in our lives today, then infection from

opportunistic viruses like Epstein-barr, or cytomegalovirus perhaps. Or a

metabolic disorder related to a commonly observable orthostatic hypotension

among chronic fatigue patients, a feeling of faintness when one stands up too

suddenly. An ongoing study is following 150 twins, where one of the pair has CFS

to check for genetic predisposition.

 

One problem with CFS is the lack of clear diagnostic tests to make a clear

diagnosis. The common symptoms of persistent chronic fatigue and muscle aches,

and possibly hypotension my be the clearest signs.

 

In fact the diagnosis of CFS is often made only when all other causes, such as

diabetes, have been ruled out. Guidelines from the CDC (Center for Disease

Control) also has physicians look for four or more of the following symptoms for

over 6 months to make the diagnosis: impaired memory or concentration, sore

throat, tender cervical or axial lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain, new

headaches, unrefreshing sleep and post exertion fatigue lasting more than 24

hours.

 

Betty knew quite a lot about CFS, no doubt more than I did. She had done her

homework. She came in to my clinic because she was interested in my approach,

which is to blend an understanding of western medicine with concepts from

traditional Chinese medicine and the use of western and local herbs.

 

CFS is not a clear disease with an easily-predictable outcome, and so

traditional Chinese medicine has a lot to offer CFS sufferers in the sense of

looking more closely (and clearly) at the individual and their imbalances

through the experience of thousands of medical practitioners refined over

thousands of years, rather than taking an unclear and uncertain look at a

disease that medical science knows little about.

 

As I looked at Betty’s tongue and felt her pulse and abdominal region, after 40

minutes of discussion, a clearer picture of her condition began to emerge.

 

She was obviously “deficient,” in the sense of depletion of body substances and

vital energy. In TCM, a deficiency can occur of either yin (involving hormones,

enzymes, neurotransmitters), yang (metabolic activity), Qi (vital energy), or

blood.

 

In Betty’s case, her liver pulse was very weak, and the sides of her tongue were

devoid of a normal white coating. Based on everything I observed, my first

diagnosis was severe liver yin deficiency, which meant her liver was not working

well to manufacture proteins, hormones, and immune substances, and it was not

efficiently helping the body to eliminate certain waste products.

 

Here is what I recommended to start with for 2 weeks for Betty:

 

*Her diet was fairly good, but a little deficient in protein and high in foods

with simple sugars. This is common, because simple sugars often give chronic

fatigue sufferers an immediate boost.

Fish, and a sparing amount of organic meats is useful to provide protein

building blocks for neurotransmitters and to repair body tissues.

Fifty to seventy grams, depending on body size, is often fine.

 

*As usual with any condition where immune weakness and energy is an issue, I

strongly recommended bitter herbs to improve assimilation.

 

Gentian root (2-4 caps, twice daily before meals) is the main herb. I also have

people add other digestive aids when necessary if they have symptoms such as gas

and pain after eating or loose stools, such as a good digestive enzyme

supplement, or warming digestive herbs like ginger tea with orange peel.

 

*Since her liver was the main organ affected, I recommended an herbal formula to

take for 6 weeks to start that would help build “liver yin,” or support her

liver’s ability to manufacture bile, proteins, hormones, and immune substances.

 

The best herbs in this regard: ligustrum, American ginseng, and lycii berries. I

gave her a powdered extract in capsules that had these 3 herbs in equal

proportion and she was to take 3 “00” caps, twice daily. This would supply the

equivalent of 30 grams of herbs each day. These 3 extracts are available in 100

gram bottles from Mayway (Plumflower Brand), and are quite affordable to use in

this way. The powders can also be mixed together and blended into a little soup

broth or ginger tea. 2/3 teaspoon equals about 3 capsules, and this dose can be

taken up to 3 times daily.

 

*Add foods that support the liver like aduki beans several times a week.

 

Soak the small red beans overnight with a little seaweed like wakame, nori, or

kelp, then slow cook for at least an hour.

 

Other beneficial foods include cooked yams, other beans, fish, and root

vegetables in general like burdock (gobo), parsnips, and turnips.

 

Betty began the herbs and added more liver-building foods to her diet.

 

She came in each week for acupuncture, and I had a chance to encourage her to be

faithful with the foods and herbs. Six weeks went by and although her symptoms

were better, she told me she had had periods of increased energy and less pain

before when she started a new treatment.

 

But if her tongue was an indication, we were on the right track. The sides were

less red and the coating was beginning to come back. Although her liver weakness

was unlikely to be the key to all her symptoms, I was convinced that this work

would eventually, after a few months, bring her some real and lasting benefit.

 

Complex ailments like CFS are often a result of a few layers of imbalances, and

it is important to start with the most clearly identifiable. After this layer is

resolved, one can go further.

 

I can report that after 6 months she did have some lasting improvement, although

she had a few dips along the way. Betty keeps coming, and seems to be

enthusiastic about her progress. When any ailment has persisted for at least 10

years, it often takes time to unravel its mysteries, and I feel fortunate when a

patient progresses in a positive way through the months. With the clarity and

wisdom of TCM and fresh, local herbs as allies, I always feel hopeful, even for

so-called “incurable” diseases.

 

I find that simplicity and clarity of treatment is best. Especially for

something so complex as CFS, my strong council for Betty was, and continues to

be, focus on a few health practices you can keep track of, and feel comfortable

with.

 

The concepts about strengthening her liver, which in turn could positively

affect her immune status, hormone balance, and nutrition, was one that she could

relate to and which made sense to her.

 

Over the years, I have found that liver weakness is likely to play a role for

many people with CFS.

 

 

 

For more information, call 1-800/442-3437 or visit www.cfids.org.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

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