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Chronic Fatigue/M.E
What is M.E?
M.E is a disease characterised by disabling fatigue and exhaustion together with a diverse range of symptoms
What causes M.E, from an Oriental Medicine perspective?
The cause is believed to be Damp retention. This may be better described as the abnormal accumulation of body fluids. This accumulation can affect the physical functions of different organs, most commonly in the digestive system and tissues and cells. This then leads to a dysfunction of cellular metabolism. From this point of view the cause can be summed up as the abnormal intercellular accumulation of body fluids.
The accumulation of dampness is caused by Chi deficiency. Chi can best be defined as the life force which animates the body. When Chi becomes weaker then normal, there is less energy in the body, manifesting as fatigue/lethargy, weak muscles, poor appetite/weak voice.
Where does Chi deficiency come from?
1 Congenital weakness
2 Too little production, caused by long term illness, erratic diet or malnutrition.
3 Too much consumption, caused by long term illness or overwork.
Damp retention and Digestive Chi deficiency are mutually causative and mutually consequent.
The Different patterns of M.E can be divided into 3 stages, early, middle and late stages
Early Stage Patterns
Type 1
Symptoms are feeling slightly hot but no fever, sweating, thirst but no desire to drink. Distension/fullness in abdomen, with dull pain, poor appetite, erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
Type 2
Symptoms are feeling cold, no or little sweating, no desire to drink, distension/fullness in abdomen, poor appetite, nausea, erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea.
Type 3
Symptoms are no feeling of cold or heat. distension/fullness in abdomen or abdominal pain. Poor appetite, nausea or fullness in chest with cough and phlegm. Erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea. Irregular or painful menstruation. Irritability, frequent sighing.
Middle Stage- Predominantly deficiency problems
Type 1
Symptoms include, fatigue, low energy, poor appetite, loose stools or diarrhoea, weight loss.
Type 2
Symptoms include fatigue, low energy, pale complexion, poor appetite, loose stools or diarrhoea, more obvious weight loss, abnormal menstruation, dizzy when tired, numbness in limbs and blurred vision.
Type 3
Symptoms include feeling hot or hot flushes, night sweats, dry mouth and thirst, weight loss and fatigue.
Type 4
Symptoms include feeling cold and cold hands and feet, lack of sweat, weight loss, feeling very tired and low in energy, general weakness, loose stools or diarrhoea, frequent urination.
Late Stage of the Illness
Type 1
Symptoms include extreme weakness, feeling hot or hot flushes, night sweats, dry mouth and thirst, weight loss, poor appetite and erratic bowel movements
Type2
Symptoms include extreme weakness, no hot or cold feelings or feeling warm/hot in afternoon, but cold at night or in the morning, night sweats and spontaneous sweats, severe weight loss and very poor appetite. Source;Dr Shen Hui jin.
M.E is a disease characterised by disabling fatigue and exhaustion together with a diverse range of symptoms
What causes M.E, from an Oriental Medicine perspective?
The cause is believed to be Damp retention. This may be better described as the abnormal accumulation of body fluids. This accumulation can affect the physical functions of different organs, most commonly in the digestive system and tissues and cells. This then leads to a dysfunction of cellular metabolism. From this point of view the cause can be summed up as the abnormal intercellular accumulation of body fluids.
The accumulation of dampness is caused by Chi deficiency. Chi can best be defined as the life force which animates the body. When Chi becomes weaker then normal, there is less energy in the body, manifesting as fatigue/lethargy, weak muscles, poor appetite/weak voice.
Where does Chi deficiency come from?
1 Congenital weakness
2 Too little production, caused by long term illness, erratic diet or malnutrition.
3 Too much consumption, caused by long term illness or overwork.
Damp retention and Digestive Chi deficiency are mutually causative and mutually consequent.
The Different patterns of M.E can be divided into 3 stages, early, middle and late stages
Early Stage Patterns
Type 1
Symptoms are feeling slightly hot but no fever, sweating, thirst but no desire to drink. Distension/fullness in abdomen, with dull pain, poor appetite, erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
Type 2
Symptoms are feeling cold, no or little sweating, no desire to drink, distension/fullness in abdomen, poor appetite, nausea, erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea.
Type 3
Symptoms are no feeling of cold or heat. distension/fullness in abdomen or abdominal pain. Poor appetite, nausea or fullness in chest with cough and phlegm. Erratic bowel movements or diarrhoea. Irregular or painful menstruation. Irritability, frequent sighing.
Middle Stage- Predominantly deficiency problems
Type 1
Symptoms include, fatigue, low energy, poor appetite, loose stools or diarrhoea, weight loss.
Type 2
Symptoms include fatigue, low energy, pale complexion, poor appetite, loose stools or diarrhoea, more obvious weight loss, abnormal menstruation, dizzy when tired, numbness in limbs and blurred vision.
Type 3
Symptoms include feeling hot or hot flushes, night sweats, dry mouth and thirst, weight loss and fatigue.
Type 4
Symptoms include feeling cold and cold hands and feet, lack of sweat, weight loss, feeling very tired and low in energy, general weakness, loose stools or diarrhoea, frequent urination.
Late Stage of the Illness
Type 1
Symptoms include extreme weakness, feeling hot or hot flushes, night sweats, dry mouth and thirst, weight loss, poor appetite and erratic bowel movements
Type2
Symptoms include extreme weakness, no hot or cold feelings or feeling warm/hot in afternoon, but cold at night or in the morning, night sweats and spontaneous sweats, severe weight loss and very poor appetite. Source;Dr Shen Hui jin.
