Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome share a number of symptoms, and the names are often used interchangeably in medical literature. Many experts believe that fibromyalgia and CFS are the same - or at least variations of the same disease.

The American College of Rheumatology have developed a diagnosis and protocol that links many of the symptoms of FM/CFS to rheumatic type conditions. Typical symptoms are pain in the muscles and joints. It is also associated with poor sleep and depression. Stress or lack of sleep tends to make the condition worse.

Fibromyalgia is thought to be traced to an injury, or physical or emotional trauma, where as CFS seems to be related to a flu like onset. Plant sterols, and the right antioxidants, have been shown to alleviate many of the symptoms of this disease.

Plant Sterols

Chronic viral and bacterial infections are a characteristic of this condition, and are the results of a reduced immune response. IL-6 is the inflammatory process that causes inflammation and pain. ImmunoCare can help to modulate the immune system to reduce viral and bacterial infection and, perhaps more importantly, to control the production of IL-6 (1). Control of the production of IL-6 can reduce the chronic pain associated with FM, and allow the immune system to begin the healing process.

Antioxidants

Research by Bagis and Tamer et al at the Mersin Medical School in Turkey (2) has indicated a link between FM and oxidative stress. In a study involving 85 women, suffering from primary fibromyalgia, malon-dialdehyde, the toxic metabolite of lipid peroxidation, was used to determine oxidative damage in the body. Tender points were stressed by palpitation. Age, smoking, body mass index and duration of the disease were recorded.

Malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher in the fibromyalgia patients than those in the control group. Age, BMI, smoking and duration of disease did not affect these parameters. It was shown that oxidant/antioxidant balances were changed in fibromyalgia patients. The research showed that free radical levels maybe responsible for the development of FM. The initial research  may support the hypothesis of FM as an oxidative disorder.

Research by Fulle, Mecocci et al. at the University of Perugia in Italy indicated oxidative damage to DNA and lipids in muscle specimens of CFS patients as compared to age-matched controls (3). Interestingly, research by Senthilmohan and Zhang et al. at the University of Canterbury showed DNA damage reduction, as measured by the comet assay when diets were supplemented with Enzogenol and vitamin C (4).

Immuno-Care contains both a high plant sterol content and Enzogenol, a broad spectrum aqueous pine bark extract (pinus radiata). This antioxidant complex has been extensively researched at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and contains the broadest spectrum of polymeric proanthocyanidins commercially available. The synergistic effect of this combination is enhanced with the addition of Cellasate, a proprietary essential fatty acid complex that is designed to facilitate the absorption and retention of the sterols and antioxidants.

In some patients this combination could play an important role in alleviating the inflammation and oxidative stress associated with fybromyalgia and CFS. This combination can also play an important role in alleviating other immune system disorders such as seasonal allergies, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, colds and flu. This is been particularly well illustrated by the observations of two patients who have taken ImmunoCare to combat fibromyalgia:

“I am writing to thank you with all my heart for giving my mother your wonderful product ImmunoCare. She followed your suggestion by taking two caps a day for the first week and then continued with one a day. In the short time span of 10 days she has had a wonderful improvement and your supplement is the sole change that she has made in her life. She is so excited that she wants to tell the world and distribute your product to everyone suffering from fibromyalgia.”

“My problems began back in 1996...I lived with daily unbearable body pain, severe headaches, insomnia and depression...I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia… I spent time in hospital and was prescribed various drugs and antidepressants, and sleeping pills for my inability to sleep. Because of the length of time I had taken many medications I began to realize that I had gained a dependence on them. With great determination and tremendous struggle I was able to finallyget off all my medications except for the sleeping pills…..I did not know how I was going to do it. That was when I was introduced to ImmunoCare, I was able to fall asleep without the use of sleeping pills awaking the next morning feeling rested. It has now been over three months. I sleep well almost every night and am virtually free of pain. I feel relaxed and am able to enjoy my duties from day to day. I would highly recommend ImmunoCare to everyone who is struggling with fibromyalgia, depression and other related illnesses. It has turned my life around.”

This research, together with these testimonials, would indicate that ImmunoCare is at least worth trying with fibromyalgic patients. There is no down side, only the potential to make a tremendous difference to some one’s life.

References:

1. Pilot study conducted at the University of Guelph, Nutraceutical Research Unit on the supplement Immuno-Care.
2. Free radicals and antioxidants in primary fibromyalgia. Bagis, Tamer et al. Rheumatol Int. vol 25 (3), Dec 2003
3. Specific oxidative alterations in vastus lateralis muscle of patients with the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Fulle, Mecocci et al. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Dec 2000, vol 29 (12).
4. Effect of flavonoid extract Enzogenol with vitamin C on protein oxidation and DNA damage in older human subjects. Senthilmohan, Zhang, et al. Nutrition Research 2003, vol 23.
5. Flow cytometric analysis of the Th1 Th2 balance in healthy individuals… Breytenbach, Clark et al. Cell Biol Int. 2001;25(1) .