Welcome to the world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
New Treatments for Chronic Fatigue
by Dr. Richard N. Firshein
Oxygen is so basic for our every day life, that it is taken for
granted. The medical community is beginning to rediscover how
important oxygen is to our bodily functions.
In a recent article, research has indicated a link between oxygen
and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunctional Syndrome (CFIDS).
What does this have to do with skin care? A person in poor health
or suffering from stress, is reflected in the skin. Proper skin
care requires more than just getting a facial. It requires a
healthy body, proper diet and exercise. The odds are that at
least one of your clients is suffering from CFIDS.
The following is an article by Dr. Richard N. Firshein, which
appeared in the MIDTOWN REPORT, December 28, 1992. I hope you
find it of interest.
"A few weeks ago I attended an international conference on CFIDS
- the epidemic that has swept the country. I discovered
fascinating new information, much of it still in the pioneering
and even theoretical stages, that reflects what I have found in
my own extensive treatment of fatigue patients. Researchers are
indeed learning way to combat this mysterious viral illness, and
are beginning to understand some of its biochemical markers, the
disease's 'footprints,' which help us to chase it down.
Chronic fatigue is a severe, debilitating disorder which can
affect anyone.
It seems to be a viral illness, but nobody has proven that a
single virus is responsible. CFIDS is now such a public health
problem that the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) in Atlanta
receive 3,000 calls a month asking for information and referrals.
Patients describe their fatigue as oppressive - a prolonged,
pervasive weariness that seems to penetrate every cell. Patients
with CFIDS usually suffer from an entire constellation of
symptoms, including severe fatigue, memory loss, difficulty
concentrating, recurrent flu-like illness, low-grade fever,
severe muscle aches and neurological problems.
Though I find that at least 80 percent of fatigue patients in my
practice improve with a variety of innovative treatments, the
disease can be puzzling and frustrating for the doctor and
devastating for the patient. In a conference meeting with top
chronic fatigue experts, including pioneering physician Paul
Cheney, one of the first doctors to describe the disease, I
discovered that many of us have independently arrived at similar
conclusions.
The Breath of Life
Scientists have long known that oxygen is literally the breath of
like, but only recently have studies begun to reveal how
profoundly oxygen metabolism influences health and illness.
Oxygen, indeed, may be a key to helping overcome chronic fatigue.
How can we drench the body with healthy oxygen? Exercise is one
simple way, but regular exercise is an enormous undertaking for
CFIDS patients and often leaves them feeling much worse. I
recommend a special program that allows the chronically exhausted
patients to participate in short bursts of exercise that
oxygenate the cells without requiring sustained effort. Over time
the body builds up more of the precious mitochondria, the energy
powerhouses of every cell. Mitochondria utilize oxygen to produce
energy.
Research presented at the conference revealed some interesting
new links between oxygen and chronic fatigue. One pioneering
Japanese study found that a key amino acid, L-carnitine, which is
very important in oxygen metabolism, is deficient in most chronic
fatigue patients. New research by Dr. Cheney provided yet another
link to oxygen. He has found that giving his patients daily
megadoses of intravenous Vitamin B-12(one of the primary 'energy'
vitamins involved in oxygen metabolism) can significantly improve
fatigue.
Other vitamins and minerals, used both orally and intravenously,
have proved helpful in my own practice, including vitamin C and
magnesium. Magnesium is extraordinarily helpful in alleviating
muscle aches and calming the nerves.
Other pioneering research is uncovering new nuggets of
information about immune-enhancing drugs and nutrients. One
profoundly helpful anti-viral drug, called Ampligen, will soon be
the subject of pilot studies around the country, and we may have
one here in New York. Half the patients on Ampligen are
significantly improved, and can reduce other medications, and
there seem to be no unpleasant side effects to the drug. The only
caveat: the patient may need to take the drug indefinitely to
prevent relapse.
Yet another new prescription substance derived from liver
extracts, called Kutapressin has significantly helped
approximately 70 percent of chronic fatigue patients when given
over a period of months.
I myself have found that innovative nutritional therapies
emphasizing oxygen metabolism and immune enhancement have helped
many of my patients disabled by this disease. Recently I treated
a 35-year-old construction worker so exhausted he couldn't work.
He suffered headaches, fatigue, lack of appetite and sleep
disturbances. Treatment for food allergies, as well as
intravenous therapy with Vitamin B-12 and magnesium improved him
so quickly that he was back to work in a month.
Make Sure It's CFIDS
A final thought: often patients come to me convinced they are
suffering from CFIDS, when in fact the source of their fatigue is
something entirely different. Even though they have many symptoms
of the disease, there are other significant causes of unremitting
fatigue, from allergies to Lyme Disease, parasites and
nutritional deficiencies. Often several of these disorders
coexists in a single patient.
A mother of two came to me last week and thought she had CFIDS.
She constantly felt fatigued and washed out. A routine blood test
revealed she was hyperthyroid - severely deficient in thyroid
hormone. Treatment with thyroid hormone has made her feel better
than she has in years.
In conclusion, CFIDS is becoming more and more treatable. A
combination of new anti-viral drugs, nutrients that enhance
oxygen absorption and boost the immune system, and even
intravenous therapy with key vitamins such as B-12, helps many of
my patients. Great strides are being made in this field, as the
biochemistry of chronic fatigue is unraveled, even the most
fatigues patient will have real cause for hope."
Dr. Richard N. Firshein is a physician in private practice
on the Upper East Side of New York City, and is Board certified
in family medicine.
New Treatments for Chronic Fatigue
by Dr. Richard N. Firshein
Oxygen is so basic for our every day life, that it is taken for
granted. The medical community is beginning to rediscover how
important oxygen is to our bodily functions.
In a recent article, research has indicated a link between oxygen
and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunctional Syndrome (CFIDS).
What does this have to do with skin care? A person in poor health
or suffering from stress, is reflected in the skin. Proper skin
care requires more than just getting a facial. It requires a
healthy body, proper diet and exercise. The odds are that at
least one of your clients is suffering from CFIDS.
The following is an article by Dr. Richard N. Firshein, which
appeared in the MIDTOWN REPORT, December 28, 1992. I hope you
find it of interest.
"A few weeks ago I attended an international conference on CFIDS
- the epidemic that has swept the country. I discovered
fascinating new information, much of it still in the pioneering
and even theoretical stages, that reflects what I have found in
my own extensive treatment of fatigue patients. Researchers are
indeed learning way to combat this mysterious viral illness, and
are beginning to understand some of its biochemical markers, the
disease's 'footprints,' which help us to chase it down.
Chronic fatigue is a severe, debilitating disorder which can
affect anyone.
It seems to be a viral illness, but nobody has proven that a
single virus is responsible. CFIDS is now such a public health
problem that the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) in Atlanta
receive 3,000 calls a month asking for information and referrals.
Patients describe their fatigue as oppressive - a prolonged,
pervasive weariness that seems to penetrate every cell. Patients
with CFIDS usually suffer from an entire constellation of
symptoms, including severe fatigue, memory loss, difficulty
concentrating, recurrent flu-like illness, low-grade fever,
severe muscle aches and neurological problems.
Though I find that at least 80 percent of fatigue patients in my
practice improve with a variety of innovative treatments, the
disease can be puzzling and frustrating for the doctor and
devastating for the patient. In a conference meeting with top
chronic fatigue experts, including pioneering physician Paul
Cheney, one of the first doctors to describe the disease, I
discovered that many of us have independently arrived at similar
conclusions.
The Breath of Life
Scientists have long known that oxygen is literally the breath of
like, but only recently have studies begun to reveal how
profoundly oxygen metabolism influences health and illness.
Oxygen, indeed, may be a key to helping overcome chronic fatigue.
How can we drench the body with healthy oxygen? Exercise is one
simple way, but regular exercise is an enormous undertaking for
CFIDS patients and often leaves them feeling much worse. I
recommend a special program that allows the chronically exhausted
patients to participate in short bursts of exercise that
oxygenate the cells without requiring sustained effort. Over time
the body builds up more of the precious mitochondria, the energy
powerhouses of every cell. Mitochondria utilize oxygen to produce
energy.
Research presented at the conference revealed some interesting
new links between oxygen and chronic fatigue. One pioneering
Japanese study found that a key amino acid, L-carnitine, which is
very important in oxygen metabolism, is deficient in most chronic
fatigue patients. New research by Dr. Cheney provided yet another
link to oxygen. He has found that giving his patients daily
megadoses of intravenous Vitamin B-12(one of the primary 'energy'
vitamins involved in oxygen metabolism) can significantly improve
fatigue.
Other vitamins and minerals, used both orally and intravenously,
have proved helpful in my own practice, including vitamin C and
magnesium. Magnesium is extraordinarily helpful in alleviating
muscle aches and calming the nerves.
Other pioneering research is uncovering new nuggets of
information about immune-enhancing drugs and nutrients. One
profoundly helpful anti-viral drug, called Ampligen, will soon be
the subject of pilot studies around the country, and we may have
one here in New York. Half the patients on Ampligen are
significantly improved, and can reduce other medications, and
there seem to be no unpleasant side effects to the drug. The only
caveat: the patient may need to take the drug indefinitely to
prevent relapse.
Yet another new prescription substance derived from liver
extracts, called Kutapressin has significantly helped
approximately 70 percent of chronic fatigue patients when given
over a period of months.
I myself have found that innovative nutritional therapies
emphasizing oxygen metabolism and immune enhancement have helped
many of my patients disabled by this disease. Recently I treated
a 35-year-old construction worker so exhausted he couldn't work.
He suffered headaches, fatigue, lack of appetite and sleep
disturbances. Treatment for food allergies, as well as
intravenous therapy with Vitamin B-12 and magnesium improved him
so quickly that he was back to work in a month.
Make Sure It's CFIDS
A final thought: often patients come to me convinced they are
suffering from CFIDS, when in fact the source of their fatigue is
something entirely different. Even though they have many symptoms
of the disease, there are other significant causes of unremitting
fatigue, from allergies to Lyme Disease, parasites and
nutritional deficiencies. Often several of these disorders
coexists in a single patient.
A mother of two came to me last week and thought she had CFIDS.
She constantly felt fatigued and washed out. A routine blood test
revealed she was hyperthyroid - severely deficient in thyroid
hormone. Treatment with thyroid hormone has made her feel better
than she has in years.
In conclusion, CFIDS is becoming more and more treatable. A
combination of new anti-viral drugs, nutrients that enhance
oxygen absorption and boost the immune system, and even
intravenous therapy with key vitamins such as B-12, helps many of
my patients. Great strides are being made in this field, as the
biochemistry of chronic fatigue is unraveled, even the most
fatigues patient will have real cause for hope."
Dr. Richard N. Firshein is a physician in private practice
on the Upper East Side of New York City, and is Board certified
in family medicine.