Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

At the DaSilva Institute, we know the fatigue, pain, and other symptoms you are experiencing are not all in your head. They are real, and they have a cause. More important, we can help.

The Conventional Approach to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affects an estimated 800,000 to 1 million Americans, the bulk of them women between the ages of 25 and 55 years. Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome include: post-exertional exhaustion, unrefreshing sleep, wide-spread muscle and joint pain, sore throat, headaches, cognitive difficulties, chronic, often severe mental and physical exhaustion. Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may report additional symptoms including muscle weakness, increase sensitivity to light, sounds and smells, orthostatic intollerance, digestive disturbances, depression, and cardiac and respiratory problems. It is closely related to fibromyalgia—so close, in fact, that the two conditions are in some cases indistinguishable. They share symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, depression, and poor concentration. But people with fibromyalgia also suffer with chronic deep aching or sharp shooting pain in soft tissues throughout the body. In severe cases, pain and overwhelming exhaustion are so debilitating that they interfere with normal activities.

As you may have already discovered, conventional medicine has little to offer people suffering with chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. Most doctors today are baffled by these conditions, and many dismiss them altogether, telling patients that the symptoms are psychosomatic or, “all in their head.” Their solution is to prescribe a lengthy list of drugs, which include antidepressants, anti-inflammatory medications, sleeping pills, and painkillers. When these fail, patients are simply told to “live with it.” The quality of life is particularly and uniquely disruptive.

How We Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

At the DaSilva Institute, we know the fatigue, pain, and other symptoms you are experiencing are not all in your head. They are real, and they have a cause. More important, we can help. The DaSilva Institute doesn’t just treat the symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia—we prescribe a nutritional approach and targeted therapies that have the potential to alleviate pain, increase energy, and actually reverse these stubborn conditions.

Personalized Lifestyle Program for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, diet can make a huge difference in how you feel. First, we look for undetected food allergies, which are an overlooked but frequent cause of fatigue and pain.

If you’re suffering from low energy and sore muscles, the idea of exercise probably strikes you as absurd. However, exercise is one of the best-researched therapies for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and it is essential to your recovery. Exercise improves sleep, enhances mood, alleviates anxiety, and increases energy. While you’re here at the clinic we’ll instruct you in a personalized exercise program aimed at boosting metabolism, strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and increasing your activity level. Better still, we’ll teach you how to implement and stick to your exercise regimen at home.

Unique Therapies for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

At the DaSilva Institute, we combine lifestyle measures with powerful interventions to boost immunity, increase energy, and alleviate pain.

A number of targeted nutritional supplements, they are aimed at improving mitochondrial function, has been proven to relieve the pain of fibromyalgia and the overwhelming exhaustion of chronic fatigue. Guy DaSilva, MD will prescribe a comprehensive supplement program to address these concerns as well as other issues that often accompany fibromyalgia, such as insomnia and depression.

Research has shown that patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue often have much lower levels of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and Cortisol than healthy people of the same age. Many are also deficient in thyroid or growth hormone. At the DaSilva Institute, we test for hormone deficiencies and, if levels are low, prescribe natural hormone replacement therapy. We also rule out heavy metal toxicity, which can sap energy and cause aches and pains. Ridding the body of these toxins via a course of EDTA or DMPS chelation is an important step on the road back to health.

We also work to improve immune function with intravenous vitamin C and other nutrients. We may also prescribe low-dose Naltrexone (LDN), a safe, nontoxic drug and powerful immune booster that is making inroads as a therapy for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.

For More Information Contact Us

To schedule an appointment at the DaSilva Institute, contact a Patient Services Representative at (888) 832-7458 or click Become a New Patient.