Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Managing the most disruptive symptoms first - CFS/ME my experience - Sleep & brain health

Classical sleep studies have failed to find the cause for the sleep problems in ME/CFS Several recent studies suggest low heart rate variability (HRV) could play a role Low HRV suggests the ‘fight or flight’ system is turned on even during sleep in ME/CFS This enhanced ‘fight or flight’ activity may produce microarousals that interrupt sleep. One study suggested stress or pain wasn’t keeping ME/CFS patients from getting a good nights sleep; it was simply sympathetic nervous system activation[1].  Patients with CFS require treatments to increase sleep pressure or tactics to maintain REM sleep[2].

While the studies are limited to unearth all the facts and appropriate solutions for the sleep disorders associated with ME/CFS, couple of important and helpful approaches would be to maintain
Sleep Hygiene, correct sleep positions, Correct Breathing  (diaphragm breathing) and sleep support supplements/medications. While physicians prefer to prescribe Sleep Medications , I would differ here, because, multiple chemical sensitivities are very common in CFS patients. In addition, these chemicals are addictive and these not only have severe withdrawal symptoms, but also, once the medicine is stopped, CFS patient reverts to previous sleep disorder status.
After experimenting several OTC products /supplements and herbs cocktail, I am finally getting support from the below combination:- Passiflora incarnata mother tincture 60% 10 drops in 5ml of water 3 times a day, the last being just before sleep; Valerian  Capsule 500mg when I wake up first (mostly in 3 hrs); Brahmi  (Bacopa Monniera)  Capsule 250mg when I wake up next (in another 3 hrs) which gets me another 3 hrs of sleep. In addition, during the menstrual cycle, phyto hormone (Shatavari)  is used to check sleep disturbance and PMS headaches[3].
It is true that there is still at least 1-2 awakenings, however, the sleep quality has improved tremendously and started feeling fresh in the morning. In addition, many of the stress symptoms are relieved with the above approach. Additional supplementing of Vitamin BComplex and B12  (injections/sublingual) in the morning helps in improving the calmness of brain and helps in preventing nerve damage due to continuous stress. In fact I take Ashwagandha (250mg Capsule in the afternoon) that keeps my irritability under control. Checking the adrenal function and appropriate management in consultation with a physician is another important step to manage stress.
Brain fog is another major problem in CFS/ME, which I have early on experienced, and which scared me very much. However, over a period of time, with the above approaches that improved sleep and reduced stress, brain fog and cognitive decline were arrested. Another important factor to note is the changes in brain (may be an MRI, PET etc., would be helpful), especially, because of lack of sufficient blood supply and oxygen to brain, white matter hyper intensities could be common in CFS patients. Additionally, a recent study indicated nerve cell inflammation in the brain. The above regime coupled with nutrient strategy, pacing and hydration helped me improve brain health. I have only done an MRI, not a PET scan yet.
With the above approaches, I am also relieved from unpredictable and debilitating headaches. However, at the onset of head ache any time, I have found mefenamic acid tab (500 mg) helpful.

No comments:

Post a Comment