Vitality 101 Newsletter
10 Tips for Simpler, Cheaper Treatment of CFS & Fibromyalgia (Tips 1-5)
Hello Reader,
As a physician, treating CFS and fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS/ME) can be personally satisfying, because with proper treatment even those who are severely ill usually improve, sometimes to a complete recovery. But treatment can be remarkably complex, and both patient and practitioner can easily suffer burn out if not using the proper tools to simplify care.
I've frequently discussed effective CFS/FMS treatments in my health blog, and published with much more detail in my books From Fatigued to Fantastic (better suited to those with a scientific bent) and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution (an easier read for people with the illness). CFS and fibromyalgia result when people essentially "blow a fuse" (the hypothalamus), which causes an energy crisis in their bodies. My approach to resolving this condition is a treatment protocol I developed that I call the S.H.I.N.E.® Protocol. S.H.I.N.E.® is an acronym that stands for Sleep, Hormones, Infections, Nutrition, and Exercise as able. Optimizing these five key health areas can restore energy production and "reset your system." In a randomized placebo-controlled study we published, 91% of those with CFS/FMS improved by an average 90% increase in quality of life through following S.H.I.N.E.®. So we know that these are very real and very treatable conditions.
In this first of a two-part series, I'm presenting my first 5 tips for simplifying and lowering the cost of recovering from CFS/FMS. I'll send the second 5 tips in my next newsletter.
Berberine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Berberine is one of the most underappreciated herbals in the world. In addition to lowering sugar in diabetics as effectively as metformin, it's also very effective at killing many kinds of gut infections and restoring healthy gut bacterial/fungal balance. It's effect on gut health is supported by a new study of people with IBS/Spastic colon that showed that taking Berberine 200 mg 2x day for 8 weeks improved healthy gut function and lessened rectal urgency by about 64%.
New Book on Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia: Hope Beyond the Pain, by Kelly Hemingway, is an excellent new book on fibromyalgia, and it's the #1 new release in the "Pain, Medicine, Pharmacology" category on Amazon!
Kelly was born in Michigan and had a lifelong desire to be a nurse. She achieved her goal after a rough start in life and worked her way up from welfare through nursing school to ultimately achieve her Master's degree in Nursing, which allowed her to become a critical care nurse and a nursing educator at a community college. However, as unfortunately too many people have experienced, her career was stolen from her when, in 2010, she had a nearly fatal allergic reaction to a prescription medication. The reaction was so severe that she was left with multiple chronic health conditions that forced her to give up her career and go on disability.
But that didn't stop Kelly! As she notes, "I'm turning my mess into my message and my test into my testimony. I've had the pleasure of speaking at multiple state nursing conferences for educators. Additionally, I spoke at an LPN state nursing convention regarding fibromyalgia and was able to put a face on this unfamiliar and devastating illness."
Kelly is learning how to recover, and how to help others to recover as well. If you feel alone and hopeless, visit Kelly's website to learn more about this wonderful new book (or buy it at Amazon).
This Week's Specials
Traumaplant® Topical Comfrey
Topical Salve for Minor Wounds
Traumaplant® helps you smooth out life's bumpy road. It provides all the beneficial components of the plant, so you get the choline, rosmarinic acid derivatives, and allantoin you need for outstanding care. Simply apply, and let the amazing power of comfrey do the rest.*
Sale Price $19.96 | 20% off MSRP $24.95
Curamin® | Amazing Herb for Pain Relief
An amazing leap forward in herbal medicine has been the development of a very highly absorbed form of curcumin called "BCM 95." This has increased absorption over the previous best products by 693%, meaning 1 capsule replaces 7 old ones!*
Over 1,000 studies show curcumin to be a very promising herb. What really caught my attention was that we were getting some near miraculous reports of pain relief from many people who had suffered for years. It can be taken with other pain meds and supplements.*
Sale Price $31.16 | 15% off MSRP $38.95
Plus, see our guaranteed lowest prices policy on EuroPharma, BioEnergy ribose, and select Enzymatic Therapy products.
Consultations With Dr. T
I treat people with CFS and fibromyalgia all over the world by providing consultations over the phone or in person, with a comprehensive "new patient" consultation session including four hours of one-on-one time with me. During this initial session, I'll review your medical lab records, thoroughly discuss the experiences you've had with this illness, answer all of your questions, and recommended a detailed treatment protocol for your case.
In the News
Newsmax Health | Which Thyroid Treatment Is Best?
Q&A With Dr. T
Dr. T invites readers to ask him questions through his website's Ask Dr. T page. Some Q&A that may be generally helpful to the public will be answered in this newsletter (with permission).
Question: Does having the MTHFR gene have any connection to CFS and fibromyalgia?
Answer: Methylation defects are one of many contributing factors to the energy crisis occurring in CFS and fibromyalgia. However, there is no single MTHFR gene. Rather there are many genes that contribute to this, and many variations that have been called "defects," but actually are simply variations. This is clear because the majority of the healthy population have at least one of these so-called defects, without it causing the slightest problem. Because of this, I don't find genetic testing to be helpful. I think a better approach is to try a treatment trial addressing methylation and see if it helps.
Funny Stuff
Clever Business Signs
Sign in a shoe repair store in Vancouver:
We Will Heel You
We Will Save Your Sole
We Will Even Dye for You
Sign over a gynecologist's office:
Dr. Jones, at Your Cervix
Sign at a a podiatrist's office:
Time Wounds All Heels
Sign on a septic tank truck:
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
