Close on the heels of my root canal, I came down with the flu. It has wiped me out completely. You know, prior to this, I never really connected that CFS "feels like" a bad case of the flu. But this time, I noticed how the flu has amplified my CFS symptoms -- CFS on steroids! -- and I can now see the similarities.
I've been a lump on a log. No writing. No blogging. No tweeting. Barely any Facebook. I'm hoping this week is a little more productive for me, but I still plan on taking it easy.
Getting the flu has also made me curious about the immune deficiencies of CFS. I've heard about it but never really understood how it works. I have noticed that although my throat and sinuses hurt, my body doesn't seem to be trying to get rid of the germs -- no mucous. I've been doing a daily nasal rinse to compensate, and I think it's been helpful. Hm. I guess, after four years, there's still more for me to learn and understand about this disease.
Hope you all are doing well -- as good as can be expected, at least! Enjoy your week of Thanksgiving.
5 days ago
2 comments:
So sorry to hear you went through a rough period - yes, any virus can really knock you out with CFS!
Hope you're doing better by now.
Sue
Don't know how well this will post in your comments box, but I read this study and thought of you, Shelli!! I'm just wondering how we tell which chocolates are the ones that will help us? Maybe we just need to keep sampling...
Sue
High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the
symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome
Chocolate is rich in flavonoids that have been shown to be of benefit
in disparate conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The effect of polyphenol rich chocolate in subjects with chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS) has not been studied previously.
Methods: We conducted a double blinded, randomised, clinical pilot
crossover study comparing high cocoa liquor / polyphenol rich
chocolate (HCL/PR) in comparison to simulated iso-calorific chocolate
(cocoa liquor free/ low polyphenols(CLF/LP)) on fatigue and residual
function in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Subjects with CFS having severe fatigue of at least 10 out of 11 on
the Chalder Fatigue Scale were enrolled. Subjects had either 8 weeks
of intervention in the form of HCL/PR or CLF/LP, with a 2 week wash
out period followed by 8 weeks of intervention with the other
chocolate.
Results: Ten subjects were enrolled in the study.
The Chalder Fatigue Scale score improved significantly after 8 weeks
of the HCL/PR chocolate arm [median (range) Exact Sig. (2-tailed)] [33
(25 - 38) vs.
21.5 (6 - 35) 0.01], but that deteriorated significantly when subjects
were given simulated iso-calorific chocolate (CLF/CP) [ 28.5 (17 - 20)
vs. 34.5 (13-26) 0.03].
The residual function, as assessed by the London Handicap scale, also
improved significantly after the HCL/PR arm [0.49 (0.33 - 0.62) vs.
0.64 ( 0.44 - 0.83) 0.01] and deteriorated after iso-calorific
chocolate [00.44 (0.43 - 0.68) vs.
0.36 ( 0.33 - 0.62)0.03]. Likewise the Hospital Anxiety and Depression
score also improved after the HCL/PR arm, but deteriorated after
CLF/CP.
Mean weight remained unchanged throughout the trial.
Conclusion: This study suggests that HCL/ PR chocolate may improve
symptoms in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Author: Thozhukat SathyapalanStephen BeckettAlan RigbyDuane MellorStephen Atkin
Credits/Source: Nutrition Journal 2010, 9:55
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