Category Archives: Treatment

Unknown's avatar lassesen 12:43 am on January 18, 2014  

Emotional Lability and moderating it

Reduced ability to control emotions  may be diagnosed as pseudobulbar affect, pathological laughter and crying, emotional lability, emotionalism, emotional dysregulation, or, more recently, involuntary emotional expression disorder (IEED) is a characteristic of several conditions. including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain injury. Brain injury includes many types of neurological disease, including stroke, tumors, and neurodegenerative gray and white matter disorders[2006].  It is also associated with complications of disorders of the adrenal glands[2014] which likely includes andrenal fatigue [2014].There are no US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for this[2006].

The depression  that comes from CFS may be associated with less severe injury or injury in other locations. Studies have found that it appears to be associated with certain areas of the brain being impacted [2008] other studies believe it is a disruption of the  pathways involving serotonin and glutamate[2013].

Checking on PubMed for “Emotional Lability herbs” found nothing. I have experienced this and found that the following herbs dampen the emotional swings.

It was interesting to note that a Chinese Medical Guide gives only one mixture for treating emotion lability, “Strenght Heart”  containing

  • Chinese salvia root (dan shen)
  • jujube seed
  • schisandra fruit
  • lophatherum leaf & stem
  • ophiopogon tuber
  • polygala root
  • Chinese licorice root
  • lotus seed
  • lotus plumule
  • Asian ginseng

Jujbe seed alone,  is reference on other chinese medicine pages for this condition. I was unable to find any Ayudevia pages citing which herbs to treat it with.

Unknown's avatar lassesen 5:38 am on January 15, 2014  

Taking Turmeric – Why and How

What are the benefits

The active ingredient of this kitchen spice is curcumin. Turmeric may be more effective than curcumin(the extract). Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, pro-apoptotic, chemo preventive, chemotherapeutic, anti-proliferative, wound healing, anti-parasitic, anti-malarial and anti-bacterial activity. Although inexpensive, apparently well tolerated and potentially active, curcumin has not been approved for the treatment of any human disease. According to PubMed articles the following benefits exists for CFS patients:

  • Normalizes Choline levels
  • Benefits IBS
  • Bioactivity is increased by adding 1% black pepper
  • Increases fibrinolytic activity
  • Inhibits platelet aggregation, increases coagulation time
  • Inhibits EBV, antiviral
  • Inhibits H. pylori
  • Inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)
  • Neuroprotective
  • Reduces high level of fibrinogen
  • Reduces IL6, IL8, TNF
  • Antifungal activity
  • Inhibits biofilm formation

And recently:

How to take it?

The best (and cheapest) way is to make your own “00” capsules from organic turmeric powder (often $11 for 1 lb), i.e.

Starwest Botanicals Organic Turmeric Root Powder – 1 lbs by Starwest Botanicals

To this, add 1% black pepper (about 1/8 of an oz).

Dosage: 500 mg of turmeric four times daily is deemed safe by NIH. “To maximize its absorption, it is recommended that patients accompany curcumin[turmeric] with fatty foods or ideally used simultaneously with fish oil supplement.”[site]  If you are taking other anticoagulants, you may wish to take a lower dosage or stop the other anticoagulants.

Unknown's avatar lassesen 12:39 am on January 11, 2014  

Review: Rhodiola Rosea Root (Rosavin)

This is the third adaptogen that I am reviewing — I’m starting to suspect that adaptogen may indicate a herb that alters gut bacteria by reducing those that produce stress chemicals. There is no effective medical definition of adaptogen so inclusion is largely by popular allegation.  Tinospora cordifolia [Guduchi], Asparagus racemosus [ a species of asparagus], Emblica officinalis[ Indian gooseberry], Withania somnifera[Ashwagandha], Piper longum[Indian long pepper] and Terminalia chebula were deemed to be adaptogens in Adaptogenic properties of six rasayana herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine[1999]

Rhodiola rosea L. modulates inflammatory processes in a CRH-activated BV2 cell model. [2019] – “counteract the neuroinflammatory effect ” Implies reduction of brain fog and cognitive issues.

Rhodiola Rosea has a short monogram available with several reviews finding contradictory results.

Dosage: ” indicating that the intake of 2 capsules after breakfast is more effective than the intake of 1 capsule after breakfast and 1 after lunch.”  Efficacy and tolerability of a Rhodiola rosea extract in adults with physical and cognitive deficiencies [2007] which also stated “statistically highly significant improvement  in physical and cognitive deficiencies” (in other words some improvement).  “Rhodiola extract at a dose of 200 mg twice daily for 4 weeks is safe and effective in improving life-stress symptoms to a clinically relevant degree” Therapeutic effects and safety of Rhodiola rosea extract WS® 1375 in subjects with life-stress symptoms–results of an open-label study.[2012]

Comment: While I have often used this, both Ashwagandha and Magnolia Bark seem to have significiant greater impact on me.

Unknown's avatar lassesen 12:46 am on January 10, 2014  

Review: Jujube Fruit

As well as Magnolia Bark that I reviewed in my last post, I also found Jujube Fruit listed as an adaptogen. The short version of its benefit is nicely summed up by:

“Recent phytochemical studies of jujube fruits have shed some light on their biological effects, such as the anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, immunostimulating, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and gastrointestinal protective activities and inhibition of foam cell formation in macrophages. ” The jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit: a review of current knowledge of fruit composition and health benefits.[2013]

In terms of “folk knowledge”, it is ascribed to “offer excellent support for the adrenal glands” in Islamic literature.

This supplement appears to another good candidate supplement for CFS, especially because it is know to have gastrointestinal impact.

Unknown's avatar lassesen 3:35 am on January 9, 2014  

Review: Magnolia Bark

I stumbled across magnolia bark while looking for adaptogens.

Magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) is a medicinal plants commonly used as traditional remedies for reducing stress and anxiety. Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects[ ] found that it significantly lower salivary cortisol . It is also a relatively strong anti-inflammatory Identification of Magnolia officinalis L. bark extract as the most potent anti-inflammatory of four plant extracts[2013].  Magnolol treatment reversed the glial pathology in an unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced rat model of depression.[2013] confirmed its antidepressant-like effect.

Part of it’s mechanism is described in Magnolia polyphenols attenuate oxidative and inflammatory responses in neurons and microglial cells[2013] and helps with cognitive damage Honokiol protects brain against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through disrupting PSD95-nNOS interaction [2012] as well as helping memory  Ethanol extract of Magnolia officinalis prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced memory deficiency via its antineuroinflammatory and antiamyloidogenic effects.[2013]. Of special interest is its positive impact on memory Alzheimer’ (because some CFS SPECT scans appear similar to early Alzheimer) A Comparison between Extract Products of Magnolia officinalis on Memory Impairment and Amyloidogenesis in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease[2012]

For those with sleep disturbance, Magnolol, a major bioactive constituent of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, induces sleep via the benzodiazepine site of GABA(A) receptor in mice[2012].

It’s impact on gut bacteria is less well known, however it does appear to have impact on oral bacteria according to Effect of a sugar-free chewing gum containing magnolia bark extract on different variables related to caries and gingivitis: a randomized controlled intervention trial.[2011] and Compressed mints and chewing gum containing magnolia bark extract are effective against bacteria responsible for oral malodor[2007], Antimicrobial activity of magnolol and honokiol against periodontopathic microorganisms[1998-..  As well as some bacteria, Antimicrobial effect of Magnolia officinalis extract against Staphylococcus aureus.[2011] as well  Antifungal activity of magnolol and honokiol[2000]

Bottom line: This is definitely an excellent candidate supplement for CFS, especially when taken immediately after dinner as a potential assistance to sleep disturbances.