Physical and laboratory findings
Dr Jessop reported the following symptoms and findings as well amongst her 1324 patients, average age 39, 75% of whom were female.
| Elevated temperature | 10% |
| Normal temperature | 25% |
| Subnormal temperature | 65%# |
| Low blood pressure | 86% |
Yeast infections
(tongue or mouth) | 87% |
| Tender thyroid | 40% |
| White spots on nails | 85%* |
| Tender neck muscles | 91% |
| FMS tender spots | 86% |
| Abdominal tenderness | 80% |
| Swollen lymph nodes | 18% |
# Possibly indicating under active thyroid function
* These white flecks are thought to relate to zinc deficiency
- 82% of 880 patients specifically tested had yeast cultured from purged stool samples.
- 30% had parasites in their purged stool samples.
- 38% were found to be deficient in magnesium using a three day loading test and two 24 hour urine samples.
- 32% had low zinc levels using blood tests (she believes sweat analysis is more accurate but this is not easy to use in an office practice)
Dr.Jessop stated that her patients reported that a number of classical disturbances and symptoms existed well before the onset of their CFS/FMS symptoms.
For example:
- 89% had irritable bowel symptoms before their FMS/CFS
- 80% had ‘constant gas’ or bloating before their FMS/CFS
- 58% had constipation before their FMS/CFS
- 40% reported heartburn before their FMS/CFS
- 89% reported recurrent childhood ear,nose, throat infections
- 40% had a history of recurrent sinusitis
- 30% recurrent bronchitis
- 20% recurrent bladder infections
- 90% of the females had premenstrual symptoms prior to onset of current illness
- 65% reported endometriosis before their FMS/CFS
- 30% had dysmenorrhoea before their FMS/CFS
- 22% had generalised anxiety disorders prior to their illness
Sleep problems were present in just 1% of her patients before CFS/FMS and over 90% after its onset.
As will be shown in subsequent articles, sleep is a key feature of this condition and restoration of normal sleep is vital in recovery.
References
1. Yunus M. Fibromyalgia and other functional syndromes’ Journal of Rheumatology 16(sup 19)69 1989
2. Moldofsky H. Fibromyalgia, sleep disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome Ciba Foundation Symposium 173 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome p 262-270 1993
3. Goldenberg D. Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and myofascial pain syndrome. Current Opinion in Rheumatology 5:199-208 1993