For those who may not know of Dr. Cheney, his is one of the most recognized names in CFIDS treatment and research. He was one of the doctors who recognized an outbreak of "something" in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe in 1984 and called in the CDC. He has treated over 3000 patients with CFIDS from 48 states and 15 countries. He currently is Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Nutrition Department at Capitol University of Integrative Medicine in Washington D.C. Dr. Cheney has published numerous articles in peer reviewed medical journals and lectured around the world on the subject of CFS and was a founding Director of the American Association of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (AACFS), a professional association of scientists and clinicians. He has held research positions in tumor immunology at the CDC in Atlanta, the Departments of Pharmacology and Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, and the prestigious Wistar Institute on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cheney was Chief of Medicine at Mountain Home Air Force base hospital in Mountain Home, Idaho and Chief of Medicine at Lakeshore Hospital on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, NV. He was chosen to chair a select panel of nationally known clinicians to discuss treatment at the CFS Conference sponsored by the AACFS and Harvard Medical School in October of 1998. Dr. Cheney has authored, or co-authored, publications and scientific presentations in many fields relevant to CFS including: immunology, virology, clinical epidemiology, metabolism, neuropsychology & neuroendocrinology, exercise physiology, computerized EEG brain mapping, as well as clinical treatment trials of Ampligen. 

This protocol was written by Carol Sieverling based on published materials, a transcript of an office visit in 1998, and a transcript of a 1999 conference presentation. These recommendations are indeed generic, (particularly regarding diet), and constitute a foundation that should apply to most CFS patients. However, each individual will have symptoms that require more specialized treatment, which is beyond the scope of this document. Contact Carol with any questions. 

Basic Treatment Plan Parts

• Perspective
• Basic Diet Recommendations
• Exercise
• Prescription Drugs
• Supplementation: Essentials
• Appendix 

Order through the links above and we make a commission to help our support group. Both books are probably also available from most local bookstores. 

NO SUGAR:

Due to defects in utilization, it produces toxins that cause pain, headaches and neuro-psychiatric problems. Sugar stimulates the growth of abnormal gut microflora, especially candida. It generates a tremendous amount of free radicals and raises insulin levels, both very problematic. If you crave it, try eating carbohydrates instead. If you must, eat sugar (including fruit) with meals, never alone. Some honey and powdered fructose can be used in cooking, as well as the herb stevia. 

REDUCE "BAD" FAT:

Limit daily intake to less than 30 grams due to a defect in fat transport across mitochondrial membrane. Supplementation, however, of essential fats (EFA's omega 3 and 6) is necessary. 

NO NUTRI-SWEET: 

It contains the toxin methanol and can exacerbate neurotoxicity. 

NO RED MEAT: 

High in bad fat & difficult to digest, causing GI tract symptoms & systemic symptoms such as joint pain. 

NO CAFFEINE:

If you can't give up the caffine, at least limit it as much as possible. 

BE CAREFUL WITH THE FOLLOWING:

Eliminate them entirely or try two, separate, three week programs of off/on/off these foods and note if symptoms improve in the off week. 

• Dairy products (can cause GI and systemic symptoms) 
• Gluten (can cause GI and systemic symptoms) It's found in wheat and oats, and thus in cereal, bread and pasta. Gluten free products are available. 

ELIMINATION DIET

The single most common antigen to which we are exposed is food proteins. If food protein is not properly digested, it's a significant inducer of immune activation in the gut, and it can maintain this disease indefinitely. Put another way, as long as you eat indiscriminately, you cannot get well with CFIDS. So ultimately you have to begin a process of determining the foods to which you are reacting, and eliminate them. Perhaps more important is to digest the food in the first place, which I don't think patients do very well. They then get undigested food protein coursing through the small bowel. There are permeability issues that affect the gut. If the gut is permeable, nothing digests completely and the undigested food particles course across the boundary into the bloodstream and get exposed to immune cells that perceive them as foreign bodies and trigger an allergic response and then you're off to the races with this disease. So I think a lot of attention to elimination diets, and improving digestion and gut epithelial function can pay huge dividends in this patient population. I've seen people in 30 days have huge clinical responses simply by this very simplest of moves. 

(Editorial Note: Cheney uses the ALCAT test to determine food sensitivities, most of which are temporary, and he is now using bioenergetic testing as well. This is also sometimes referred to as electrodermal testing.) 

Golden Rule:

Find the boundaries of what you can do and then stay within them. Both trying to do too much, or pulling back and doing too little are counter productive. Limit setting is probably the most important thing you can do. Patients are very susceptible to push-crash phenomena and you need to learn to stay within certain boundaries. To the extent you do that, you will tend to do better. To the extent you don't, you likely will not do well.

Aerobic Training:

Beyond certain limits this cannot be attempted until you are much improved. Be cautious about any aerobic exercise (any sustained activity, such as running, walking, or swimming, designed to raise the heart rate and increase oxygen flow throughout the body). The aerobic system is injured and reactive oxygen species (free radicals) generated in the mitochondria by excessive training may not be detoxified with resulting injury which can potentially be permanent (DNA damage). Walk, cycle or swim only as much as your body will allow, no more than 20 minutes, three times per week. Aerobic exercise past a certain point can dramatically worsen this disorder. 

Anaerobic Training:

The anaerobic pathway is largely intact in CFIDS. Weightlifting, isometrics, and stretching can maintain muscle tone and strength and improve the elimination of toxins formed by the pathway itself. Do low level weight lifting with 1 to 20 pounds, using all muscle groups. Lift for 10 seconds, rest for 60 seconds - repeat for each muscle group. Do lift/rest cycles no more than 20 minutes three times per week. Sequential isometric contractions can be substituted for weight lifting. (This can be done while lying down.) Still use the 10 seconds on and 60 seconds off rule. 

Rebound Exercise:

The bounce-back chair (a tall bungee cord-like contraption) is probably the best form of exercise for CFIDS. Low level, non-vigorous bouncing for ten to fifteen minutes every other day is best. Less ill patients can add aerobic exercises between five-minute periods of bouncing per the video-tape instructions. Its advantages include correcting dysautonmia, the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system that underlies many of the symptoms in CFIDS. 

 

 
 
 

The Bounce Back Chair was studied by NASA to treat astronauts returning from orbit who fainted upon standing. After six months in orbit, you lose your autonomic nervous system capacity to stand in a gravitational field. You simply faint and seize. If you remember these astronauts, when they took them out of the capsule they had to drag them out vertically because they would faint on standing. They end up with a dysautonomic condition similar to chronic fatigue syndrome patients. NASA figured out that the best way to bring back the autonomic nerve system was to bounce. So they put them in these bungee cord contraptions and they just bounced them--this up and down motion essentially regulates autonomic tone and improves the autonomic nervous system. 

Rebound exercise is very easy, it's non-weight bearing, and you can add in arms, legs and abdominal motion while bouncing, to tolerance. It also improves immune regulation by pumping lymphatic fluid back into the blood. Lymph acts just like gamma gobulin. Finally, this exercise was shown by NASA to be 68% more efficient as an exercise routine than running. ("Efficient" means maximum gain for minimum effort.) It is therefore ideal for people with little energy to spare. 

The Bounce Back Chair is available from Sun-Ray Supply at 1-800-437-1765. It costs around $400. Those who do not suffer from balance problems can achieve many of the same benefits from a mini-trampoline.

Klonopin (generic: clonazepam) (0.5mg) 

This is a long acting benzodiazepine, and my most effective drug over the years. It can improve sleep and reduce NMDA receptor mediated neurotoxicity (see The CFIDS Chronicle, Summer 1995, page 38). The injured brain fires at lower stimuli, resulting in increased sensitivity to light and noise, as well as pain amplification. Klonopin and magnesium raise the sensitivity threshold, blocking this brain response, and may be two of the most important treatments for patients. Recommended dosage is 2 or more tablets at night. Paradoxically, very small doses (usually a quarter to a half a tablet in the morning and mid-afternoon) improve cognitive function and energy. If the daytime dose is low enough, patients will actually get a lot clearer and think better. If the daytime dose is too high patients will become drowsy. Patients need to adjust their dose for maximum benefit. Adjust the morning dose first, then take the same amount mid-afternoon if needed, then take three to four times the morning dose at bedtime. Consider doubling the dose during severe relapses. For more information, see Klonopin: Protecting the Brain.

Doxepin Elixir (10mg/ml) 

At low doses this tricyclic anti-depressant acts as a very potent antihistamine and immune modulator. I suspect it's the most powerful antihistamine known to man and gets into the central nervous system. I think it adjusts the histamine receptors, which are the grand maestro of the central nervous system, and down regulates it, which is beneficial. It acts synergistically with Klonopin for sleep and may improve pain. Patients are very sensitive to Doxepin, which can cause morning fog and fatigue if the dose is too high (5 to 10 mg. or higher). I recommend starting at two drops a night and advancing for sleep improvement vs. morning fog, up to half a cc. Elavil may prove more beneficial for some (10 to 75 mg at bedtime)

Kutapressin

is a broad-spectrum anti-vial. I prescribe it for those who test positive for a reactivated virus: EBV, CMV, HHV6, etc. Benefits may not peak until four months or longer. Daily sub-Q doses of 2cc or greater seem to work best. 

B-12 Injections
(10,000 mcg/ml of hydroxycobalamin, 1cc or more daily, given subcutaneously or intramuscularly.) This form and dosage of B-12 is a potent detoxifier, increases energy, may assist with sleep if taken at bedtime, and provides pain relief for some. When using B-12 as a detoxifier high doses are needed--at least as many B-12 molecules as there are toxins. It's brain specific. And two-thirds of CFS patients have no detectable B-12 in their brains, even though blood levels are normal. B-12 is highly compartmentalized, so levels could be normal in the blood but absent in the brain. I believe it is absent because it is being coupled to toxins--neurotoxins, probably xenobiotics- -because B-12 couples to nitrogen. 

Nitrogenous waste molecules in the brain are coupling out the B-12 as fast as it's leaking in, and you end up with no B-12 in the brain. The British used 5 gm infusions of hydroxycobalamin to successfully detox people with cyanide poisoning. Another study documents the use of up to 26 mg a day of B-12 with great benefits and no side effects. At these high doses hydroxycobalamin rather than cyanocobalamin must be used to avoid the toxicity of the cyanide in the later. To the extent that cyanocobalamin might be a good detoxifier, which it isn't, you just trade cyanide for the toxin it removes. A few patients have reported feeling hyper/jittery or lethargic, or experience acne and diarrhea when taking the hydroxycobalamin. Reduce the dose if this occurs - it's pulling out toxins too fast. It's important to supplement other B vitamins moderately when taking high dosages of B-12. 

This form of B-12 is available only through a compounding pharmacy. If there isn't one near you, the Wellness Pharmacy (1-800-227-2627, mail order) offers 30 1cc injections for around $80. Hydroxycobalamin is heat sensitive, refrigerate it. See appendix  for abstracts of the three studies referred to in this paragraph.
 
 

Magnesium

is extremely important. It prevents neurotoxicity (see Klonopin), improves energy, helps sleep, and reduces muscle pain. I strongly recommend magnesium glycinate, which is magnesium chelated to glycine, the smallest amino acid. It has superior bioavailability and transports well across the blood brain barrier and into cells. Oral magnesium, especially if not in the glycinate form, can cause diarrhea. Reduce dose if this occurs. 200 to 500 mg a day. 

Multi-vitamin

a good multi-vitamin with selenium and without iron or copper is essential. Iron and copper increase oxidative stress (free radical damage), which is a major problem in CFIDS. Unless you test low in iron, get a multi without it. 

Reduced L-Glutathione

Glutathione plays a major role in the body's detoxification pathways and in its viral repression mechanisms. It is also a very potent anti-oxidant (counteracts free radical damage/oxidative stress/reactive oxygen species). Most CFIDS patients show significant glutathione deficiency. Many patients notice improvement in headaches with this supplement. Always take it with food. The dosage range is 500 to 800 mg. a day. Start low then increase. Use higher doses during relapses if symptoms are improved on high doses. Rare patients will not do well on glutathione and it should be stopped in those patients. (Editor's note: Dr. Cheney is now recommending ImmunoPro, a specialized undenatured whey supplement which is believed to raise the intracellular glutathione levels much more effectively than supplements or injections of glutathione. See the section below on whey.

Coenzyme Q10

(CoQ10) is a co-factor in mitochondrial production of ATP (cellular energy). It is also a powerful anti-oxidant and critical in the protection of DNA. It can influence fatigue, muscle function, and perhaps cognition. In terms of dose, I think the more the better, but realistically 200 mg. We tend to use it crunched under the tongue since it's not very well absorbed, although there are other absorbable forms that can be swallowed. 

Lipoic Acid

is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps protect the brain. It may be one of the most important supplements, particularly for the central nervous system. 100 to 300 mg. daily. 

Essential Fatty Acids

(EFA's) are very important in cell membrane and immune function and intracellular regulation of the inflammatory process. They can help regulate menses and reduce PMS. Testing reveals that most patients are low in EFA's to begin with, and a low-fat diet places one at even greater risk. Omega 3 EFA's are found in DEPA (marine lipid concentrate) capsules or Flaxseed Oil Capsules. Omega 6 EFA's are found in Ultra G.L.A. (borage oil) capsules. If in doubt, red blood cell EFA testing can determine exactly what you need. 

Probiotics

are essential in replacing the healthy micorflora of the intestinal tract that are killed off as the unhealthy microflora, bacteria, parasites, yeast, etc. multiply and set up the intestinal permeability that causes so many systemic problems. A good product will contain acidophilus, bifidus, bifidum, rhamnosus, etc. Around 10 billion organisms is a good daily dose. Though important at any time, it is critical to take probiotics if you are taking antibiotics. (Editor's note: Cheney recommends "Flora Source" that has 15 billion units and 14 strains per capsule. It is available from NEEDS (1-800-634-1380). NEEDS carries most of the products in this document.

NOTE:Products which are anti-oxidants (Co-Q-10, Lipoic Acid, L Glutathione, etc.) are especially important even though you may not notice any significant improvement in current symptoms. They can prevent permanent damage caused by free radicals (oxidative stress) and increase the possibilities of a good recovery in the future. 

Bioflavanoids

Plant bioflavonoids are very important. If you just use multi-vitamins, you don't get much improvement in lipid peroxidation until you add in the plant bioflavonoids, which I think act to couple, oxidize and reduce these vitamins. Otherwise, the vitamins don't work very well. Examples of plant bioflavonoids are proanthocyanadins, pycnogenol, silymarin, quercetin, ginko biloba, green tea, grape seed extract, and many others. Bioflavanoids not only augment the effects of anti-oxidants by recycling them to their reduced state, they also reduce the chance of a pro-oxidant effect (oxidative stress/free radical damage). Pycnogenol has a particularly potent effect in the brain, and silymarin in the liver. 

Vitamin C

Take 2000 to 4000 mg. in addition to your multi-vitamin. Take mega doses (10 to 20 gms) with caution: they can actually cause a glutathione deficiency (with a resulting crash) and in some patients augment feriton chemistry injury by iron. 

Vitamin E

Take 400 to 800 IUs, preferably unesterified. Most patients are deficient in E. P-5-P - (activated B-6) is recommended to treat the B-6 deficiency in the brain which is evident in many patients. This supplement is also important if you are taking the very high doses of B-12 that are recommended. 50 to 100 mg. a day are recommended, in addition to the multi-vitamin. 

Digestive Enzymes

can greatly improve digestion and improve gut ecology and function. They will also improve energy, since they assist with energy intensive digestion, allowing more energy for other uses. One to three caps with each meal are recommended. Some patients respond best to animal enzymes, others to plant enzymes. Only trial and error can determine which is best. 

Betaine HCL

is important to add to certain acid dependent digestive enzymes so that they work better. Too much causes diarrhea and too little causes reflux heartburn.

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