Do you have irritable bowel syndrome, gas, bloating, soft stools, frequent stomach acid or frequent heartburn?  These indicate GI problems which may be a significant factor in chronic fatigue.  Often people don't mention stomach problems to their doctor since they regard them as only inconvenient.  If you have these problems, be sure to emphasize them.  Chronic fatigue can affect the muscles of the GI tract which can in turn cause the sort of problems I just described.  These can in turn cause additional fatigue. 

There are several things you can do to help both your GI problems and your fatigue.  There are things your doctor can treat and foods you should avoid.

Like many other problems I will discuss, some of these problems are recognized by mainstream doctors and some are not.  I will start by discussing those that are less controversial.  You should not have much problem getting a doctor to cooperate with you.

Helicobacter Pylori

For many years doctors told us that stomach ulcers were caused by stress.   We now know that they are caused by the helicobacter pylori bacteria which can be cured by a combination of antibiotics and antacids.  This was discovered by Dr. Barry Marshall of Australia.  The medical community at first refused to believe him.   He had to intentionally infect himself with the bacteria to prove this.

For more information check Dr. Marshall's web-site.

H. pylori can cause both fatigue and stomach discomfort and Dr. Marshall recommends treating it in cases of CFS.  Any gastroenterologist can test you for it.   Blood tests are known to have error rates of up to 20%.  Breath tests are more accurate.  The most accurate and most expensive test is stomach biopsy.

Bacterial Infections of the Small and Large Intestines

Other bacterial infections can cause both stomach discomfort and fatigue.  Stool tests can be used to find these.  The available tests for these have improved quite a bit in the last few years.  See my testing page for more information.

Some antibiotics like penicillin and it's relatives may cure certain GI problems, but can make others worse.  There are other antibiotics that are better for this.  See the Candida Albicans, mycoplasma and the Safer Antibiotics page for more information.

Aspartame (NutraSweet)

In my case, eliminating this was a huge factor.  See Aspartame - Sweet Poison for more information.

Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Candida (discussed on the next page) and helicobacter pylori can both cause food allergies which inflame the colon or stomach leading to even more Candida and helicobacter pylori!

Food allergies often cause stomach discomfort and fatigue. Wheat and dairy are easily the two most common food allergies and should be avoided.  Studies have linked wheat and dairy allergies to skin rashes and asthma.  I know that if I cheat by eating wheat, I get blisters on my hands!  This was surprising to me, but I could repeat it by eating wheat one week and not the next.

Let me explain why food allergies may be almost impossible to track down on your own.  Food allergies can cause a variety of different symptoms and they may cause them hours after consuming the food.  Food allergies can cause obvious symptoms such as stomach discomfort, gas, or diarrhea, but can also cause other problems such as fatigue, pressure in the head, migraine, skin rashes, and even blisters.

A food may not cause a problem when you eat only a small amount of it or eat it every few days.  It may cause a problem only when you eat that food several days in a row.  Just because you eat a food once and do not have a reaction that day doesn't mean it is safe.  You may have a reaction if you keep eating it for several days.  Some foods you are allergic to may be safe to eat every fourth day.  Others may not be safe to eat at all.

This means that some foods will cause reactions only hours after you have eaten them for the second time in two or three days.  You can certainly see how this would make it hard to determine a food allergy on your own!

People with food allergies often have more than one.  This can also make it very difficult to isolate what you are allergic to.  You might discontinue one food, but if you are still eating another that causes the same symptoms, you would probably think the first food is safe.

Testing for Food Allergies

The typical allergist uses food allergy tests that are at best primitive.   Most are still using skin prick and intradermal tests.  The best type of test for food allergies is the Elisa blood test.  Most allergists still call these "experimental" and won't use them.  This is astounding considering that most will admit that the skin prick tests are not very good.

After 20 years of use you would think that they would have done the necessary studies to prove or disprove blood tests.  They haven't done so for a simple reason.  The blood tests are so easy that any doctor could order it and it would put allergists out of business!

I found the blood test to be quite accurate.  Some allergists believe the test is too sensitive.  They say it will often report an allergy where none exists.  I say that at least it will give you a safe list of foods to eat.  After you have that safe list, you can add back in foods that it detected and see if your symptoms come back.  Remember that you will have to eat a food for several days before being sure that it is not a problem.  You also have to be on the look out for subtle symptoms such as skin problems.

See my testing page for information on labs that offer this test.

(Note - A study was recently brought to my attention that shows that while the Elisa test is itself reliable, the quality control at some laboratories that offer it is poor.  See my testing page for more information.)

Within two weeks of giving up wheat, a food to which I am allergic, my jock rash cleared up. Within three days of giving up other foods to which I am allergic my body temperature rose from 97.2°f to 98.2° f.  (It did drop again over the next few years.  See my discussion of Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome.)

Summary

Gastrointestinal problems are often the result of helicobacter pylori, mycoplasmas, Candida, and food allergies.

Helicobacter pylori can be tested for and treated by any gastroenterologist.

The tests for food allergies offered by most allergists are not very good.  The best test is a food allergy blood test.  Wheat and dairy are the most common allergies.  It is best to avoid these.

If your doctor is not cooperative, see my page on finding a physician for help in finding one that is.

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