The following is a summary of treatment programs, including immunologic treatment with Enhansa®
for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Phillip C. DeMio, MD
Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are two related disorders that can vary
in affected persons from somewhat less severe to full-blown high-level severity. While each of the
two disorders have distinct symptoms, they have major issues in common, including the following
categories:
a) There is an intense asthenia which is a weak drained sense of fatigue, exhaustion, & low energy,
often with daytime somnolence (you might fall asleep right in the middle of an activity). Mental fatigue & foggy cognition when attempting to complete simple tasks is a frequent severe problem for many persons with FM & CFS.
b) Pain is present, which may be localized to a few joints (both wrists, for example), or it may be
diffuse & severe, affecting virtually all muscles, joints, and every inch of the body with intense
disabling pain, often worsening with simple daily activities such as work, interacting with family,
or simply getting dressed and running a few errands, all of which can be impossible to do and
will cause a sharp increase in soreness, stiffness, & aching, sometimes manifesting hours to days
later. The pain of FM & CFS can be either inflammatory or non-inflammatory in origin, and it
may in some individuals be a combination of both; its ultimate basis is often an abnormal immune
system (friendly fire, high viral load, & autoimmunity, for example.
c) Many patients also have gastrointestinal (GI) problems with symptoms such as abdominal pain,
food allergies, reflux (often associated with yeast), stool abnormalities (such as extremes of
diarrhea and constipation) and trouble digesting and absorbing food.
d) Another very prominent feature of FM & CFS is immune system dysfunction. Although
abnormalities within the immune system may be obvious with debilitating infections, such as
frequent hospitalizations for pneumonia, there may instead be less overt but still serious immune
problems where a gamut of infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, yeast, Lyme, and others)
may accumulate within the body during seeming quiescent periods (where there may be little else
but a slight fever or even low body temperature, and you ironically don't seem as sick as others
when everyone is exposed to an epidemic such as influenza or the common cold). None the less
these are infections, and they take their toll on you by steadily eroding away at your energy,
GI function, & general health. Thus your immune system may not be able to “kick out” these
undesired organisms (dysbiosis) that a healthy a person should easily exclude from the body.
A sick immune system can also lead to chronic inflammation, pain, GI build-up of dysbiosis,
allergies, rashes, chronic fevers or low body temperatures, thyroid or adrenal problems, and
yeast infections. Treatment may not quickly work for infections such as Lyme Disease and other
tick-borne illnesses, so that specialized longer care by an experienced practitioner may be needed.
Thus immune abnormalities are the underpinnings of many of the problems experienced by persons
suffering daily with FM & CFS. The result of the above-described problems is chronic pain, fatigue,
and a severe sense of ill-being with the debilitating effects that, sadly, are so well known to persons
living with FM & CFS. This generally leads, among other things, to a depletion of your body's
important antioxidants and of its natural detox reserves, especially of the vital substance glutathione,
which is often low in persons afflicted with FM & CFS. Glutathione's job is to recharge all the body's
antioxidants, to be the your body's natural anti-inflammatory agent, and to detoxify the cells and blood
of toxins such as mercury, other heavy metals, PCB's, and even in neutralizing radioactive pollution.
What can you do to get help with the daily problems of FM & CFS? Though many persons may
will have some improved symptoms with well-intended conventional treatments, the changes are often
temporary, and they can come with serious long-term known side effects, especially with high-potency
synthetic corticosteroids (yeast, mineral depletion, brittle bones) and cytotoxic drugs (weak immune
system, ulcers of the mouth & intestines, yeast or other GI dysbiosis, and chronic maladies such as
that with Lyme, Epstein-Barr [EBV], and the Herpes group). These can lead to immune suppression
with worse outcomes in your case in FM & CFS in the long run. So it's no surprise that many people
choose to add to or shift from these treatments, and they seek additional alternatives.
What options are available for those who are living with FM & CFS? It's always a good idea to
support the basics such as a clean healthy diet (nutrition is fundamental), clean water (drinking,
bathing, even laundry), regular physical activity, basic supplements (there are many), and making
a nontoxic home. State-of-the-art medical care for FM & CFS includes options ranging from
intravenous nutrients to hyperbaric oxygen. Though I use these for many of our patients, our own
recent research on oral enhased-absorption curcuminoids focuses on healing and supporting
the immune system as an avenue to improve the pain, fatigue, foggy cognition, and
other symptoms of FM & CFS. This is also true of many diseases, such as EBV,
child developmental disorders, and chronic pain syndromes in which, like
FM & CFS, immune dysfunction plays a prominent role. So let's take a look at that
avenue of treatment.
For a number of years, the enhanced-absorption curcuminoid product Enhansa®* has been
employed by physicians, pharmacists, and other practitioners for treatment of immune system.
It has an excellent safety profile. Persons with FM, CFS, and a variety of other inflammatory
and immune-based problems have achieved marked improvement or even recovery, with
control of many symptoms and with the achievement of resuming a more normal life. We
have the longest & most complete clinical experience in the world with Enhansa ® using
specific dosing protocols and doing detailed follow-up of our patients. We have recently
collected clinical and laboratory data on patients in a controlled setting while using this
protocol that we have developed. The results show excellent clinical (symptom) and lab
responses in patients on our protocol. Specifically, large highly significant rises in blood
glutathione are seen in most person even in the first 3 weeks of use of Enhansa ®. Blood
platelet normalization (a marker for immune function and inflammation) also occurred at
very significant levels for the majority of those receiving Enhansa ®. Further, as many of
our patients, including those with FM & CFS, suffer from symptoms based on weakened
metabolism (eg mitochondrial dysfunction), along with having a high yeast burden, we measured
activity in the urine related to these problems. Again, very significant improvements occurred to
very significant levels in these realms for the majority of patients. What does this mean for you
or your loved one? If you or someone in your life is suffering from one of the above-mentioned
disorders, the enhanced-absorption curcuma Enhansa ® is a bona fide treatment available on
your journey toward better health, toward symptom control (pain, fatigue, cognition), and toward
recovery. It should be part of a whole program. So, as mentioned above, good nutrition, a nontoxic
home, and guidance from an experienced practitioner are key to your recovery.
* Dr. DeMio did major work in developing and researching Enhansa ® , but he has no ownership in Enhansa
Phillip C. DeMio, MD practices in Cleveland and Columbus
320 Orchardview Ave., Suite 2 ▪ Seven Hills, OH 44131 ▪ 216-901-0441
347 Worthington Woods Blvd., Suite B ▪ Worthington, OH 43085 ▪ 614-436-2036
