Dysautonomia
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Chronic Inflammatory Respiratory Syndrome (CIRS), Dysautonomia and Long Covid are differing diagnoses with similar, overlapping symptoms. A person may be suffering from more than one at a time. They can strike at any age, typically following a virus such as Epstein Barr or more recently Covid; and they disproportionately affect women more than men.
Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms that may be found in all of them, with the emphasis determining the diagnosis - for example, fatigue for CFS, pain for fibromyalgia, whereas orthostatic issues are the hallmark of POTS. Symptoms vary between individuals. The range of symptoms that may be observed includes:
Fatigue (not relieved by rest), Pain (many types), Sensitivity (light/sound/smells), Post-exertional malaise/ exercise intolerance, low blood pressure, Tachycardia/heart palpitations, Difficulty concentrating, Poor memory, Brain fog, Lightheadedness, Dizziness/vertigo, Feeling hot/cold, Diarrhoea/constipation, Nausea/vomiting, Bloating/IBS, Itchy skin, Rashes, Fainting, Sleep disturbances, Poor balance, Stress intolerance, Frequent urination, Shortness of breath, Low blood sugar, Migraines/headaches, Anxiety, Depression, Sore throat, Inflammation.
Recovery
These are complex, chronic and multi-systemic conditions which require a holistic approach.
Everything in the body is connected, so when you intervene in one area, it will have up- or downstream effects elsewhere. These effects can be both good and bad, ie they may make other symptoms worse or better. So to treat these conditions, it is not only important to work on all the affected systems in the body, but this must be done carefully and in the right order. This ensures a recovery that is self-sustaining as each improvement in symptoms has knock on positive effects elsewhere in the body.
It is easy to confuse the trigger with the cause. Long Covid is a good example of this. Many sufferers of Long Covid focus on the coronavirus and its associated spike protein, believing that will provide the key to their recovery, when in fact it was only the trigger. Many people got Covid, but didn’t develop Long Covid.
Health is not the absence of disease.
It is very likely that things were actually starting to go wrong in the body before the virus came along. The person may or may not have been aware of this, either because symptoms weren’t yet showing, were very mild or seemed unrelated. Then the virus enters the body and ‘tips the apple cart over’ - the body, which had previously been coping, is now overloaded, overwhelmed and cannot cope with the additional virus as well.
The key to recovering from these types of conditions is therefore not by focusing on the trigger but instead understanding what was starting to go wrong in the body before you got the virus, because that is what is preventing you from recovering. This will be unique to you.
It is this individual uniqueness which explains why different people get different symptoms with varying severity; and why the effective treatment will vary individually too.
But here are a few gentle tips which may help:
Tips
Blood sugar balance - especially when you are feeling exhausted, it is tempting to reach for something sweet and sugary. These foods give you quick ‘energy’ and don’t need preparation or cooking. But the truth is that they actually steal, instead of provide, energy, You feel an ‘energy’ spike initially, but that is quickly followed by a crash, often leaving you at a lower level than you started. Plus this spike/crash is stressful for the body which then releases adrenaline and cortisol, again making you feel like you have ‘energy’ but which is actually depleting your real energy.
Eat fresh whole foods including adequate protein and a variety of colourful fruit and vegetables. Avoid processed foods - although they are more convenient and you may not feel like cooking, they are usually lower in nutritional value and may even be harmful.
Lowering inflammation is important in all these conditions, especially CIRS. Improve your Omega 3:6 ratio by including some oily fish (eg salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines) or snacking on walnuts.
Buy organic as much as possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides, antibiotics and added hormones. Minimise other toxins - they are contributing to the body’s ‘overload’.
Batch cooking will save you so much time and energy in the kitchen. Instead of cooking meals individually, make larger quantities, divide into portions and freeze. Then you have your own ‘ready meals’ which will help when you don’t feel up to cooking. This works well for soups, casseroles, stews, curries, chillies etc.
Invest in a slow cooker. This gentle healthy cooking method keeps all the nutrients inside, does the work for you, and makes batch cooking easy.
Eat little and often. You may find smaller meals eaten more frequently easier to digest and to maintain your energy levels. Never skip any meals and always eat at least a small breakfast, even if you don’t feel like it.
Move and spend time outside. Whatever your current activity capacity is, it’s important to keep your body moving and to connect with nature daily. This could range from going for a walk or doing some gentle yoga to simply drawing back the curtains, opening the window and allowing the fresh air to fill your lungs and if you’re lucky the sunlight to fall on your face while you gently stretch your body.
Breathe. Use your breath to help your autonomic nervous system into a parasympathetic state. There are many different types of breathing techniques, often originating from yoga. Start with a gentle one - the key is to elongate your exhale.
Digital detox - take a break from your phone and computer, and allow yourself a moment of peace. I recommend doing this at the end of the day for better sleep.
Olivia Smart, MA Cantab Dip CNM mANP mGNC
Registered Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist, Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner
A note about Olivia:
As a teenager, she became severely ill with what she later discovered was ME/CFS. Through a combination of personal research, formal training and open-minded willingness to ‘try anything’, not only did she eventually recover, but she also trained in what had actually worked. She has specialised in helping others with these conditions ever since.
If you would like to chat to Olivia to find out more about how she can help you, you can book a FREE 15 minute discovery call with her or if you are ready to book an appointment, please click here