10 Tips to Help Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

1. Have a good sleep routine

It may sound obvious, but to manage chronic fatigue syndrome you really have to make sure that you get plenty of sleep.

The best way to ensure that you do this is to formulate a proper daily schedule and stick to it. Work out what time you are going to go to bed each night, allowing a minimum of 8 hours for you to get your vital sleep, and factor in some down time beforehand, where you relax and avoid caffeine and staring at computer screens.

Try and go to sleep and get up at the same time every single day, even at the weekend, so that you set your body clock to a good rhythm and keep it that way.

2. Don’t overdo it

If you manage to get a good routine underway, this should be easy enough.

Factor in some time every day where you do nothing but relax, and accept that you may not be able to do quite as much as someone not suffering from CFS.

If it gets to the time that you’re supposed to be relaxing, ignore the fact that there’s a bit of ironing to do, or that the floor needs vacuuming.

It can wait until tomorrow, and your health is more important. You don’t want to do too much and make your symptoms worse, even if you feel OK at the time.

3. Keep an eye on your mental health

This one is really important. Many people with CFS suffer from some form of mental health problem.

Whether or not these illnesses just have a tendency to occur side by side (like CFS and fibromyalgia, for example) or whether sufferers of CFS are more prone to mental health issues because of the strain the illness puts on their life hasn’t been determined yet.

But it’s a problem for many people, and you should talk to someone if your mood gets low, as there’s no need to be ashamed.

Doing your best to keep a positive outlook and having friends and family to support you are the most important things, but cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help some people to deal with their illness better, helping with not just your mood but how to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.

4. Set priorities for improvement

Some people can hinder their recovery by trying to become their normal selves in every aspect of their life straight away.

What you really need to do is work out what the most important things in life are to you and what you want to achieve, and deal with these as a priority over the less significant ones.

You can use a profit and loss system, where you give something an importance rating out of a hundred, (the profit) and then give it a difficulty rating (loss). Try and do the things that will leave you in profit first.

5. Exercise

Even sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome should exercise if they can. It’€™s just all about moderation, and not pushing yourself too far.

Some people can swing in the complete opposite direction by overdoing it, and spending too much time inactive. But the best way to maintain your energy levels when you’re going through a good patch is to keep your fitness levels and exercise tolerance up with gentle exercise a few times a week.

6. Try ginseng to combat fatigue

Traditional Asian medicines have used ginseng for centuries as a tool to help combat fatigue, and a recent survey at the University of Iowa confirmed that it does help increase some people’s energy levels.

It actually came out as one of the more effective treatments available for CFS, so it’s well worth a try.

7. Take in plenty of essential fatty acids

Studies suggest that fatty acids can help with the symptoms of CFS, as viruses can hamper our cells€™ ability to make these vital acids.

While we get some from our natural diet, people with CFS can benefit from additional supplements. Fish oil and evening primrose oil, taken daily, could help with fatigue and other symptoms.

8. Try carnitine supplements

Carnitine is a natural substance found in our cells that transports long-chain fatty acids to our mitochondria, but many people with CFS have decreased levels of carnitine.

Taking L-carnitine can help with vital fatty acid absorption, and can improve symptoms in some people with CFS.

9. Take a good multivitamin

Many sufferers of CFS have many different deficiencies of different things, so take good multivitamins and minerals every day to try and keep such complications to a minimum.

People with CFS often particularly need more magnesium, calcium, iron, folic acid and B vitamins, so try to identify a supplement which can meet all of your needs, or take a combination of pills.

However, try not to combine pills in a way that means you take two pills which both have your 100% RDA of one vitamin or in€“ it is possible to overdose, even on vitamins.

10. Eat a healthy diet

Vitamins, minerals, herbs and extra fatty acids can all help, but you need to do your best to eat a healthy diet too. You need at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and should try and eat wholegrain foods where possible (choosing brown bread instead of white, for example).

Avoid refined carbs and sugars, and try and cut out all sugars that don’t occur naturally. There’s nothing wrong with red meat twice a week, but balance it with plenty of oily fish, which will help keep your brain at its best.

With these tips to help treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you may well find your problem eased by natural methods and holistically, rather than having to take a cocktail of drugs which only target some of the symptoms.

Health by choice, not by chance.

-David Aston