PATRICIA DRAZNIN
FOR YEARS, MILLIONS of sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia have borne the burden of these disabling diseases with little hope of relief. But today, Jacob E. Teitelbaum, MD, reports that help is here. Director of the Annapolis Research Center for Effective CFS/FMS Therapies, Dr. Teitelbaum authored the lead article in the current edition of the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome entitled "Effective Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and FibromyalgiaÑthe Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study."
According to the two-year study, the average quality of life improvement was a whopping 90 percent with pain decreasing on average over 50 percent, while the placebo control group experienced little change. After treatment, many patients were no longer diagnosed with CFS or fibromyalgia. These results are 25 to 30 times more effective than any treatment previously studied in long-term placebo controlled studies.
"After decades of work by hundreds of researchers," says Dr. Teitelbaum, "we've reached the point where these symptoms are understood and effective treatment is now available. Contrary to previous medical assumptions, the study proves that these syndromes are very real and can be effectively treated."
Understanding CFS and fibromyalgia and their causes Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS or CFS) is a group of symptoms associated with severe and almost continuous fatigue. Other symptoms include poor sleep, aching, weight gain, low sex drive, and "brain fog," which includes weakness in short-term memory, concentration, word finding and substitution, and disorientation. It also includes increased thirst, bowel disorders, and recurrent infections. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a related disorder commonly experienced along with CFS, produces painful knots in the muscles along with chronic pain.
"What these illnesses have in common," Dr. Teitelbaum says, "is that they can suppress the hypothalamus, the major control center in the brain governing sleep, hormones, and other functions. Inadequate deep sleep causes pain and poor immune function. When we realized this, the range of symptoms suddenly made sense, and this led us to the treatment."
According to Dr. Teitelbaum, an internist who suffered these disorders as a medical student, CFS/FMS can be triggered by many causes. In cases where the illness is caused by infection or injury, patients can tell you the time their illness began, almost to the day. In other cases the illness has a more gradual onset, often associated with hormonal deficiencies such as low thyroid, or from factors such as chronic stress, antibiotic use or nutritional deficiencies. In total, Dr. Teitelbaum has found well over 50 common causes.
Finding the best treatment Dr. Teitelbaum, who has brought relief to over 2,000 CFS/fibromyalgia patients, notes that CFIDS causes an unlikely spectrum of symptoms that physicians frequently misdiagnose or dismiss. But for fatigued and pain-ridden sufferers, there's no question that the symptoms are real. For this pioneer MD, thorough patient evaluation is the keyÑto the tune of three to six hours of one-on-one time, which he spends with each new patient. And since few doctors can offer anywhere near this amount of timeÑif he or she can treat you at allÑhe now makes his treatments available for everyone via an exceptional physician-online service at www.endfatigue.com.
Among the many resources offered by this extensive site is a sophisticated computerized CFS/fibromyalgia "specialist" that 1) gathers a detailed medical history and supplies you with a prescription for the lab testing you need, 2) creates a complete medical record of your case for your doctor, 3) analyzes your symptoms and lab results to determine the underlying factors, 4) determines the most helpful treatments.
While his programs usually include some prescriptions, Dr. Teitelbaum's approach integrates the best of traditional and complementary medicine. And since most of the remedies are natural, a large part of the treatment can be self-administered. Detailed in his new book, From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery Press, August 2001), these remedies include herbs, dietary and vitamin/mineral supplement recommendations, physical therapies and detox techniques, yoga and meditation.
Nancy Russell, MD, is Director of Combined Health Care Professionals in Kansas City and uses Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol. "My patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia see results they haven't seen with other doctors or therapies," she says. "It's equally rewarding for me to help relieve them of their chronic pain and fatigue. Recovery doesn't happen overnight. But it can happen. And that's what counts."
In addition to his programs, what makes Dr. Teitelbaum special is his energy, enthusiasm, and compassion. As a former sufferer of CFS, he is thrilled to provide people with solutions they'd long given up on. "After 25 years, it's so fulfilling to finally prove the effectiveness of these treatments," he says. "Now our job is to get the word out to millions of people worldwide to allow them to reclaim their own vibrant health."
Dr. Teitelbaum is a board-certified internist and Director of the Annapolis Research Center for Effective Fibromyalgia & CFIDS Therapies. Having suffered and overcome these illnesses in 1975, he spent the next 25 years researching, creating, and teaching effective therapies. His office is in Annapolis, Maryland (410-573-5389). Visit his website to learn more about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia.