by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD
COVID-19 deaths have been the main media focus for over a year now. But with time, something else has become clear: We’re focusing largely on the death statistics. Now, with the first wave of the battle done and the casualties counted, we are realizing that it is time to focus on the people who didn’t die—but who also don’t completely recover.
Many infections trigger chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS). For example, 40% of 369 SARS survivors studied in China reported a “chronic fatigue problem,” while 27% met the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).1 Numerous infections have also been shown to cause postinfectious CFS and fibromyalgia, including Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), where post-mono CFS occurs in 23% of college students, 2 Lyme, and over a dozen others.3-10
We are now seeing a similar situation post-COVID 19. For example, in one study three-fourths of a group of patients who received care for coronavirus at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital were still suffering ongoing symptoms three months later.11 In another study of 128 participants, more than half reported persistent fatigue (52.3%; 45/128) at 10 weeks (median) after initial COVID-19 symptoms. There was no association between COVID-19 severity (need for inpatient admission, supplemental oxygen or critical care) and fatigue following COVID-19.12
Dr. Fauci has noted that post viral CFS/ME is what these persistent post-COVID symptoms represents,13 and I concur with him on this.
One silver lining? Because of COVID 19, CFS/FMS is finally being taken seriously, with the NIH CFS/ fibromyalgia budget increasing from $28 million in 2019 to $1.15 billion over the next four years for post-COVID CFS.14
Although estimates vary dramatically, my estimate is that about 10% of symptomatic cases will end up having persistent disabling fatigue and other symptoms. This is similar to the estimates made by doctors Komaroff and Bateman.16 The bottom line:
- About 10% of symptomatic cases of COVID-19 will have persistent disabling fatigue and other symptoms (essentially post-viral CFS and fibromyalgia).
- This translates to about 3.7 million17 new US cases of CFS and fibromyalgia.
- The healthcare system will continue to largely focus on finding expensive new medications for this condition, which will take over a decade to develop and get through the regulatory system.
- These people will soon be looking to holistic medicine for help.
The Good News
Fortunately, people with persistent symptoms of post-recovery do not transmit the virus, so they do not need to worry about being contagious.18
Both the post-viral CFS and effects on the heart, brain, and lung are very treatable, using a CAM mix of natural and prescription therapies. In this article, I will teach you what is needed to help people effectively recover.
How I Got Interested in Post-Viral CFS/FMS
The same way so many holistic practitioners do. Having the illness, or a family member who had the condition, and having been failed by the standard healthcare system.
In 1975, I came down with a nasty viral illness that I call the “Drop Dead Flu.” It knocked me out of medical school and left me homeless for good part of the year. But it was as if the Universe put a “Holistic Homeless Medical School” sign on my park bench. Naturopaths, herbalists, energy healers, nutritionists, and a wide array of other healers found their way to my park bench. Sometimes they even had a pizza with them, and I ate. But this was the venue in which I learned the bits and pieces of what I needed to recover from my own post-viral CFS and fibromyalgia. I was able to return to medical school, get honors in medicine, and I have spent the last 45 years researching, writing, treating, and teaching about effective treatments for these conditions. This includes four new treatment studies that I have been principal investigator on in the last 18 months.
The Treatment Protocol – Step One
Begin with the basics: shutting down excessive inflammation and free radical reactions. This is a critical first step in the healing process. Because so many systems go off-line in post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome, and post-COVID presents with even additional organs that need assistance, I find it essential to use supplements that not only are high-quality and research-based, but which maximize absorption and effectiveness with the smallest number of pills. For this purpose, I find products by EuroMedica® (available at Emerson Ecologics® and Fullscript®) to be superb. I would note that I take no money from this company. Payments I receive for being on their scientific advisory board go to charity. So let’s begin.
Balance the inflammation and free radical excess with a mix of Curaphen® and Clinical Glutathione™. These are my two favorites. The former is a mix of curcumin and turmeric essential oil, which increases absorption of the curcumin about 693%. To put this in perspective, turmeric is only about 2% curcumin. So it takes 50 pills of turmeric to get the active amount of one capsule of curcumin. Then the absorption of curcumin is increased almost seven-fold by adding in the turmeric essential oil. Translation? One Curaphen replaces handfuls of turmeric pills.
Meanwhile, while the curcumin is balancing the cyclooxygenase inflammation system (e.g. – joints), the Curaphen also contains boswellia (a.k.a. frankincense), which balances the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway of inflammation, which is so important in the gut and lungs. Curaphen also has phenylalanine to increase endorphin levels for pain and nattokinase to help break down the debris from the excess clotting and inflammation. As you can see, this single compound is outstanding for healing. It is also the first thing I go to in helping most people who have chronic pain, and it has been a pain relief miracle. Bottom line? Start with one-to-two caps, three times of Curaphen daily
I also consider Clinical Glutathione one tablet twice daily. This contains the glutathione in a reduced and highly absorbable form. So this simple mix can go a long way to shutting down any persistent inflammation.
The third arm of balancing both the immune system and clotting systems are the omega-3s. Most fish oils have a relatively small percent of omega-3’s, and the remainder are largely useless oils that goes rancid and causes “fish oil burps.” Through a process called “vectorization”, the omega-3s in EurOmega-3® are extracted using enzymes and water, rather than intensive heat or chemicals. The result is that the omega-3s are bound to phospholipids instead of triglycerides, and the tablet also provides peptides not found in other supplemental sources. This stability and structure means that one tablet twice daily can replace seven large fish oil pills.
I give the above three supplements to rebalance the immune system for 6-12 weeks.
Step Two
Restore energy production and mitochondrial and hypothalamic function with the SHINE Protocol.
Basically, post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia represent an energy crisis with resultant mitochondrial and hypothalamic dysfunction. The hypothalamus is like a “circuit breaker,” which controls the following:
- Sleep, so inability to get restorative sleep is critical. I use a mix of natural and low-dose prescription treatments for this.
- Almost the entire hormonal system, especially thyroid, adrenal, and ovarian/testicular. Function needs to drop by well over 50% in many cases before the blood tests become “abnormal.” So, diagnosis should be based on symptoms and response to treatment.
- Autonomic function.
Gravity causes blood to drop to our legs when we stand up. The autonomic system is what sends it back to our muscles, and the brain and other organs. When this does not work properly, the person develops postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or neurally mediated hypotension (POTS/NMH). These can be easily screened for with a two-minute quiz or a 10-minute pulse test. It is often remarkably simple to treat as well, starting with medium pressure (20-30 mm) compression stockings, increasing salt intake and adrenal support, and then progressing to numerous available other treatments as needed. Orthostatic intolerance has been found to be common in CFS/FMS and long hauler syndrome.19-20
To address this mitochondrial/hypothalamic dysfunction, several of my published studies, including a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled prospective study, showed that the SHINE Protocol resulted in an average 90% increase in quality-of-life (p<.0001 vs placebo) in people with CFS/fibromyalgia, including post-viral.21-22 The SHINE Protocol optimizes Sleep,
Hormones/Hypotension, Immunity, Nutritional support, and Exercise as able (mild to avoid postexertional malaise).
How to apply the SHINE Protocol is discussed in depth in earlier articles and in the newest 4th edition of my best-selling book From Fatigued to Fantastic (Penguin/Avery June 15, 2021). It is geared for both practitioners and the public and will make you an expert in these conditions.
An easy way to get started is with free treatment tools that I am happy to send you. Simply email me at FatigueDoc@gmail.com and ask for the free treatment tools (SHINE Protocol overview, intake and treatment protocol check lists, orthostatic intolerance information sheet and quick screens, etc.). Do let me know if you are a health practitioner, so I know what to email you. These will help get you up to speed much more quickly.
Step Three – (or an easy way to begin)
Because of this severe need, my research team and I recently completed a series of four studies on new supplements we were finding to be highly effective at improving energy and function.
The first two studies were done using a unique oral European serum bi- and tri-peptide formula. Many of you are familiar with the blossoming use of these peptides intravenously, but so many find it unaffordable. My colleague, Gaetano Morello, ND, stumbled over an oral preparation that had been used in African hospitals to treat severe malnutrition for over a decade. In addition to being exceedingly safe and effective in helping people recover from their severe malnutrition, numerous other conditions seemed to resolve. Gaetano found that 60% of people in his fibromyalgia and complex illness clinic had dramatic benefits. I asked him if he had a few bottles I could try with the people I treat, and I got the same results. Which are simply stunning! We decided to do an initial study that confirmed what we found clinically. Then COVID with its persistent post-viral debilitation hit, so we did a second study looking specifically at persistent post-viral debilitation. Here’s what we found:
Recovery Factors – A Remarkable Tool for Speeding Recovery. This unique mix of European oral bi- and tri- peptides has been life-changing for people. Whether they are nonfunctional, or high-level athletes. Benefits are most often seen within one bottle (a month) and often within days. They are available to the public from www.RecoveryFactors.com. A practitioner affiliate program is also available. I encourage people to follow the dosing instructions on the website.
The study23 included 100 people (about half post-viral), who had at least a 50% decreased function. Sixty percent improved:
1. 79% average increase in energy (p<.001)
2. 84.2% average increase in overall well-being (p<.001)
3. 45.7% average improvement in sleep (p<.001)
4. 52.2% average improvement in mental clarity (p<.001)
5. 22% average decrease in pain (p=.001)
6. 54.4% average composite improvement in the above five domains (p<.001)
7. 35.3% average decrease in anxiety (p<.001)
8. 57.1% average improvement in digestive symptoms (p<.001)
9. FIQR decreased from 61.9 to 39.3. (36.5%) (p<.001)
This is what I recommend for anybody whose symptoms and debilitation requires “Intensive Care” nutritional support, and for athletes who want to increase performance. In a subset with total IgG or IgG subset deficiencies, these protective antibodies increased an average of 14%.24 Feel free to email me at FatigueDoc@gmail.com if you’d like me to send you the study reports.
