On the breakfast news this morning on BBC One they were discussing ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis – also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)) and the recent findings of a small-scale study which suggests that child sufferers of ME/CFS were fighting off an infection. This was due to the finding that these children all had abnormalities of white blood cells.
Herbal Approach to ME/CFS
Our training as herbalists always treated ME as a post-viral fatigue, so this is not any great news to us. But we thought this would be a good time to discuss ME from the herbal approach, using natural remedies.
You can read the article yourself here.
Chronic Fatigue often brushed off
On the news this morning they were speaking about the way in which the idea of ME/CFS is often brushed off by the medical profession, since there is some controversy over its existence.
My personal attitude to that would be ‘try saying that to an ME sufferer’!
How do you Treat a Patient with ME/CFS
We are very fortunate as herbalists that each medicine that we prescribe is individual. It is closely tailored to what that patient needs, so whether they have been diagnosed with ME/CFS or not, we will treat them based on the symptoms they are reporting to us, not only blood test results, or whether they fit into an orthodox disease label. This is because whether somebody has been diagnosed with ME/CFS or not, if they are experiencing severe tiredness, muscle pain, tender lymph nodes, multi-joint pain, headaches and so on, you do your best as a herbalist to help them.
We see many patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and then many many more who are ‘on the cusp’ of a condition like this. And we love to help them both. For those people on the cusp, often the biggest improvement people can make is to change their lifestyle, since for some people the tiredness comes about since they are racing around at 100mph. For other people with ME/CFS they had an infection some time ago and have never been the same since. For others the pathology is more complex.
Fight the Infection, Support the Immune System, Help Energy Levels
When it is a case of a persistent infection causing whole-body symptoms, a multi-angle approach is needed. Yes, treatment is needed to help to fight the infection, whatever type it may be, but also the immune system needs some more general support. Because it is often the case that if an infection has gone on for a long time and not been fought off by the body, then the actual function of the immune system can be altered. It can cease to fight the infection it is supposed to fight and can instead start attacking itself and its own antibodies. So it is very important that the function of the immune system is restored to normal.
As well as this, there are herbs known as adrenal agents or adaptogens (we use these in our Energy Tonic Mix) that work to assist the body with its energy balance. They moderate the body’s response to stress (physical and/or emotional) and encourage the body’s endurance.
We are all different
The quote I found most interesting in this article was this:
‘Some doctors have said that the idea that different types of chronic fatigue are all caused by a single virus is not plausible’
I would tend to agree. Each person with ME/CFS is an individual and the reasons for this illness can be multi-factorial.
For individual cases of CFS/ME other herbs can be employed such as mood-lifting herbs, anti-fungals (if there is a yeast component to the illness – Candida), lymphatic herbs to assist the function of the lymphatic system and clear the tender lymph nodes, hepatics to support eh liver, and nervines to assist the nervous system, relaxation, energy and sleep.
Hayley Jones BSc (Hons) MNIMH GHR Reg.
Medical Herbalist and Hypnotherapist
