“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)” and “Fibromyalgia (FM)” are two disorders which share common symptoms like extreme fatigue, ache, sleep disorder, and chronic disorders. These are the two serious and devastating problems however they do not have any confirmed causative factors so very limited treatment options are available. They interfere with the day to day activities and affect women mostly in 30s and 40s.CFS and FM cause a kind of tired feeling which doesn’t go with bed rest and might last for years. Information about their causes is very confined so diagnostic tests and treatment is not available. Both of these are usually confused with each other as their symptoms are quite common.
However, Dr. Kent Holtorf, M.D., Medical Director of the ‘Holtorf Medical Group Center for Endocrine’ in Torrance, California, conducted an in-depth analysis of 50 published studies related to these syndromes. He found that these disorders interfere with the functioning of hypothalamic-pituitary and thus resulting in abnormal adrenal function. The review also showed that treatment could be administered for this adrenal dysfunction. This analysis has been recently published in the “Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”. It also verified that ‘cortisol’ as part of a multi-system treatment brought noteworthy improvement in the symptoms.
Dr. Holtorf says that a well defined treatment protocol of early administration of cortisol could be of much help to “improve and reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.”
The ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’ shared its results that millions of Americans suffer from these disorders however there are no accurate tests devised to detect them. It adds to the plight of the patients as there could be no clear path designed for the treatment.
A further study has been conducted which confirms Dr. Holtorf’s research. The conditions of 500 patients from his clinic were followed up, where ‘cortisol’ was administered as a part of the treatment. It was observed that after the fourth visit sizeable portion of patients displayed improvement in the symptoms. It also boosted energy levels and a general sense of well-being among the patients.
It has been recommended in the journal that the patients can take dose of 5 to 15 mg of ‘cortisol’ in a day. There have been no proven associated risks with this medication. “Cortisol treatment carries significantly less risk and a greater potential for benefit than treatments considered to be the standard of care for both conditions,” Dr. Holtorf explains.
