Even before leaving the Netherlands to visit family, my mother ambushed me with the suggestion I go to a naturopath while in Seattle. I complied, picked one that had cardiovascular experience from the clinic she and my aunt go to, and we made the appointment for a few days after my arrival.
That went surprisingly well. Apparently naturopaths are the "real" doctors to go to if you have a complicated problem that isn't easily compartmentalized into one of the traditional medical specializations. It sounds like the underlying concept of naturopathy is to look at the body as a single system (albeit with complex interactions), and to treat underlying causes/conditions instead of throwing a handful of pills at it. As such, treatment with supplements, vitamins, life style change, etc, is generally preferred, though there's no ideological opposition to treating with prescription drugs.
So my new doctor spent an hour and a half in the appointment (nice change from the 10 minute standard appointment in the Netherlands or the US with regular doctors), finding out about my symptoms, onset, current concerns, etc. Then he suggested we look at adrenal function and neurotransmitter function, as these are what ultimately control cardiovascular/circulatory issues. So I did a urine test and a 24 spit test at home and sent the samples off to the lab.
A couple weeks later he got the results, and I came in to find out what they are and what comes next. My noradrenaline (aka norepinephrine) was low, and glutamate and glycine were high. My cortisol starts out too low, then levels out, and ends too high, instead of having a nice high-to-low curve over the course of the day. My dopamine and serotonin are somehow managing to stay in range, though the other out-of-range substances should be throwing them out of whack a bit. But I'm quite glad those two are normal, as they can result in anxiety or depression otherwise.
My naturopath's suggested course of action is to try to raise my inhibitory neurotransmitters to try to bring them into balance with my high glycine and glutamate levels, then bring everything down to a normal level together. This two-step approach is supposed to avoid problems caused by imbalances that might result with a one-step approach (ie, bringing down the glycine and glutamate directly). He prescribed a couple house-blend supplements from their office.
Well, so far they're working quite well. Prior to starting on them I was semi-housebound. I could go out a few times a week, but only if very little walking and standing around was involved. Now it feels like walking a few blocks is no big deal at all. I'm still not running around in circles, but I can amble a bit. My heartbeat is feeling a lot steadier too ... no more palpitations if I lean forward a while when using my laptop, etc. And stairs aren't wiping me out anymore!
But I'm still not back to normal. Basically we're treating one of the highly disabling symptoms of M.E. rather than the underlying cause. But that's the best that can be done when the underlying cause isn't certain, and there's no known cure for it. I think my functioning on the Bell Disability Scale (designed for M.E.) has gone from 40% at the start, down to 25%, up to 40% with higher dose B12, to 50-55% now with the new supplements.
It's made a huge difference with regard to mental alertness and processing especially. I can do witty verbal repartee again! Maybe I can go back to Dutch classes or work part time, if this keeps up :-)
Oh, another development regarding M.E. ... I'm not calling it CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) anymore. A large group of M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis) experts got together and agreed on a new definition, that clarifies a decent earlier one, but is adamant about calling it plain M.E. Anyhow, I fit the definition perfectly, so I'm sticking with M.E.! Though it's a little awkward for patients in the US, where a diagnosis of M.E. officially doesn't exist.
The new International Consensus Criteria:
1) Require that you have PENE (post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion - replacing an optional post-exertional malaise), meaning your body and brain become very dysfunctional after relatively minor exertion, sometimes resulting in days of being pretty sick. It has to reduce functionality by at least 50%. It's Severe M.E. if mostly bedbound, Moderate if mostly housebound, and otherwise it's Mild. Without supplements, I'm Moderate, with Severe looming rather close by.
2) Require 3 neurological symptom, out of: memory/processing problems, brain pain/muscle pain, sleep problems, sensory/motor problems. For me that includes difficulty processing input, memory problems, headache (relieved by fish oil of all things), muscle pain (relieved by B12 and doing less), waking up a lot because the shoulder I sleep on hurts, and muscle twitching. Sensory dysfunction is pretty infrequent for me.
3) Require 3 symptoms out of: chronic or exercise triggered flu-like symptoms, frequent and prolonged viral infections, GI problems, urinary problems, and food/medication/odor/chemical sensitivities.
4) Requires a cardiovascular, respiratory, body temp, or temp intolerance symptom. For me that includes light-headedness, orthostatic intolerance, neurally mediated hypotension, palpitations, low body temp, feeling feverish, and ice cold feet.
