Shortness of Breath in CFS/FMS and Post-COVID
Vitality101 Newsletter
Hello Reader,
Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia suffer with intermittent unexplained shortness of breath. This is becoming especially common with post-COVID.
If you are experiencing this, begin by seeing your family doctor. Unfortunately, most physicians are exceedingly unfamiliar with long COVID or CFS/FMS, so you are only looking for them to rule out heart or lung problems (which medically is straightforward), and any other medical issues they are familiar with. If they aren't able to pinpoint the problem, the information below may help.
Use a Pulse Oximeter
Even before seeing your physician, you can begin to self-examine by using a home pulse oximeter. These are small devices you clip onto your fingertip that can measure your blood oxygen saturation levels, pulse rate and pulse strength. They typically cost $20-$50 and can display results on an LED display in about 10 seconds or so. I would note, however, that there is a lot of variability with how reliable they are. (I bought this one on Amazon and it seems to work fairly well.)
Impact of Sleep on Weight Loss
A JAMA study shows that in people sleeping 6 ½ hours or less nightly, counseling to increase sleep by two hours a night resulted in an average two pound weight loss after two weeks
Featured This Week
Curamin® (60ct) — An 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!*
(MSRP $38.95)
Clinical Glutathione™
Glutathione supports brain, heart, cardiovascular, and immune system health. Clinical Glutathione™ is protected by a unique, patented process. A human study reported an unparalleled 230% improvement in healthy glutathione ratios compared to unprotected glutathione.*
(MSRP $67.95)
Q&A With Dr. T
Question: I recently started taking ribose in a relatively low dose and did well on it. I then increased to the recommended 5-gram serving size, but after about a month I began to experience sweating, shaking and a racing heart. What do you think caused this?
Answer: When ribose makes people over energized or anxious, it's often due to adrenal fatigue, because ribose lowers blood sugar while your adrenal works to prevent blood sugar from dropping. Taking ribose with food often resolves this. Taking adrenal support (e.g., Adrenaplex) can also help, and can help you feel much better overall if this was the problem.
Do you have a question for Dr. T? Visit Ask Dr. T at our website and send it to us (if a generally helpful question, we may ask for your permission to publish it here anonymously).
From the "What Will They Think of Next?" File...
Meet Pixy, the flying camera that follows you, circles around you, and makes taking selphies with your outstretched arm a thing of the past.
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.
