Description
This article is from the Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (CFS) FAQ, by cfs-news@cais.com (Roger Burns) with
numerous contributions by others.
2.032 Medications
Treatments tend to address the symptoms, since the underlying
mechanism of the disease is not really understood. Medications which
are helpful are often those which have immune-modulating
characteristics. CFS patients are unusually sensitive to drugs and
they usually must take doses that are 1/4 or less than standard
doses. Some drugs will be a big help to some patients and little or no
help to others. And drugs that seem to work for a while may stop being
effective later.
According to studies presented at the October 1994 CFS medical
conference, widely used treatments included: SSRIs ("selective
serotonin re-uptake inhibitors" such as Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac) used
to address fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and depression; low dose
TCAs ("tricyclic anti-depressants" such as doxepin and amitriptyline)
for sleep disorder, and muscle and joint pain; and NSAIDs
("non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs" such as ibuprofen and
naproxen) for headache, and muscle and joint pain. Other treatments
often prescribed are Klonopin, intra-muscular gamma globulin (IMgG),
nutritional supplements (particularly anti-oxidants, B-vitamins
generally and B-12 specifically), herbs, and acupuncture. Less often
prescribed were chiropractic therapy, intra-muscular gamma globulin
(IVgG), kutapressin, antivirals, interferon, and transfer factor.
Research from Johns Hopkins University in 1995 indicate that treatment
for neurally mediated hypotension may be effective for the many CFS
patients who may show positive for that condition.
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