1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

This may help with chronic fatigue

Posted , 10 users are following.

sue81694
sue81694

A family member has been suffering on an off for two years with CFS/ME symptoms.  Its affected his life - work, social etc.  A few months ago he went to a doctor who did a lot of PHYSICAL tests on him including blood, stomach, urine etc.  There was a lot of bad bacteria in his gut.  He had bad smelling wind.  As a result of this the doctor prescribed a complete change of diet to a high protein and high fat type regime.  ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR at all - not even fruit. Also vitamin supplements D, C, Amino Acids and a few others I can't remember.   The change has been remarkable.  While not up to previous energy levels he is 90% better.  He has lost weight and eats chicken, meat, fish and loads of vegetables, eggs and dairy.  The gut is the body's brain and if we put rubbish in it like sugar this may be one of the results.  Just one person's experience but it may help other's too.

I also want to add that I wonder whether this thread is in the wrong place being in the brain and nervous system section.  If CFS is indeed connected to diet then the thread is in the wrong place.  Since no one knows what it is why has it been put here?

2 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

Next
  • georgia66685
    georgia66685 sue81694

    Posted

    I find this very interesting and helpful. I suffer the same symptoms and have been thinking for some time that sugar is involved. Are you able to tell me about his sugar intake, I know you said he doesn't eat any but I was also wondering if, based on everything having some form of sugar if he has little amounts of it or if he was very strict about what he eats? Thanks in advance!
    • sue81694
      sue81694 georgia66685

      Posted

      Hi - he has made drastic change to his diet.  He is 31 by the way.   For example they will roast a chicken and then boil up the chicken with vegetables and have it for breakfast for a few days until the next time they have roast chicken - an unusual breakfast.  Doesn't eat bread or any carbohydrates on account that they turn to sugar when digested.  Eats nuts, vegetables apart from tomatoes as its a fruit.   Also can't eat mushrooms.  No idea why. 

      I appreciate what you say regarding everything having some sugar content. I guess this is unavoidable.

      The other week on Pancake day he had some sugar and felt fatigued for two days.  He is going back to the docs for an assessment next week.  It will be interesting to hear what she says after two months on the diet and to see if the bacteria in his gut has changed or gone altogether.   Regards Sue

  • georgeGG
    georgeGG sue81694

    Posted

    Hi Sue,

    A repeat in CFS might be a kindly solution. I know one ME and fibro sufferer who does better on big servings of meat but still includes sugar, fruit and starch. Your diet would be worth trialling. 

    If if you prefer I shall open a discussion in CFS group pointing to your discussion.

    • sue81694
      sue81694 georgeGG

      Posted

      Hi - You may be right.  If you think it might be helpful to a wider number of people then do open a new discussion pointing to this discussion.  I have to admit I really don't have the knowledge to advise on this.  I only know that it seems to work in this case and was advised by a doctor who said they had seen this before and this was the first step.  I will try to keep you informed of the next and subsequent treatment and if it continues to help.   Also the consultation was very expensive and it would be hard to afford for most.  
    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 sue81694

      Posted

      there are many different pathways to getting ME/CFS & likewise many pathways to dealing with it. some ppl. have tried everything to no avail. many others have relief from a variety of approaches. however, the one thing that's sure, is that no one approach suits everybody. things that work for some do noting for others and v.v. usually the 'paleo' diet is accompanied by other interventions to directly cobat the microchondrial failure. a number of ppl on here have posted re this diet as recent as a few days ago. so many do know about it.

      Caitlin

  • Fidd
    Fidd sue81694

    Posted

    As CFS is a diagnosis given to people likely to be suffering from a range of different conditions, the 'Brain and nerves' classification is just a sensible placeholder until we have a better understanding of causes.

    Pleased to hear about your friend feeling better. I'm not aware of any good evidence that this sort of diet helps people, but I'm not sure if it's ever been properly tested. There is a chance that as your friend had only been ill for a couple of years they would hae improved anyway and the diet was just a coincidence (prognosis is generally better in the first two years), but trying to eat healthily is also generally a good idea for anyone.

    • sue81694
      sue81694 Fidd

      Posted

      I was drawn to your last comment about eating healthily.  Apart from not eating processed foods, alcohol and sugar and other rubbishy foods  I am coming to think that each of us needs a personalised diet as our bodies are unique.  This paleo diet clearly works for some and not for others which tells me that the others need a different approach.

      Re my friend - when he ate sugar on one occasion last month he became fatigued and felt bad for a few days.  He is pretty sure this was because of the sugar intake immediately before the relapse.  He still has a way to go and isn't completely recovered.

      Also have a feeling that genetics may have a part to play too.  Not sure how though.    

    • Fidd
      Fidd sue81694

      Posted

      I expect that 'eating healthily' does mean different things for different people. It's one reason to be cautious about comitting to a diet because others say it will help rather than because you find it helps yourself. I also think that lots of people with CFS will not find any diet that does much to help.
  • jackie00198
    jackie00198 sue81694

    Posted

    From everything I've read, ME/CFS is widely thought to be a virus that attacks the brain and central nervous system. This results in many secondary problems, like gut issues. 
    • sue81694
      sue81694 jackie00198

      Posted

      Hi - I am fairly new to this subject but have read a little about it.  There was an article by two doctors researching into CFS who suggested four spectrums. From memory they were,  physical, mental, environmental and lifestyle all interracting which I found to be most interesting.   So I learnt from this that there may not be one single cause but a number of interracting things. I feel safer not attributing it to a virus alone as this would ignore other factors.  

      My relative had a virul infection round about the time the problem started but what if  the gut issues were responsible for this virus and not the other way round?  Sue

    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 sue81694

      Posted

      new phonomnia keep coming to light in respect of causes & amelorative interventions for ME/CFS. however, there are still no ''definite'' or consistent bio-markers across the board that can reliably diagnose the condition. different bio-markers have been found in diffferent groups of sufferers. for example brain anomolies have been found in advanced cases of ME/CFS. cardiac bio-markers have been found in others. for many an infection set the condition off. however, why some ppl succumb to infection and not others is still not known. so there's a lot of work to be done in this field.

      Caitlin

    • sue81694
      sue81694 caitlin39841

      Posted

      Thats interesting.  I wonder if it would be wise to have brain scan and cardio testing done at this, early stage to see if these conditions precede, accompany or are as a result of long term CFS.  

      Re infections and who succumbs to them suggests a strong connection with a depressed immune system at the outset. 

    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 sue81694

      Posted

      hi Sue. scientific research has confirmed that the brain and heart anomolies are caused by ME/CFS. in respect of dummed down immune response as happens with ME/CFS, we don't know what causes this yet.

      Caitlin.

    • bronwyn97278
      bronwyn97278 sue81694

      Posted

      good comment re Virus and Gut.....having read all of the above comments...(and I was one of those who thought along the lines of it being started by the Herpes Virus)..but, I still feel that with ALL of the people on this site, researching/giving their knowledge, it must help for all to learn and try....Bron
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.