While in the Medical School at Ohio State University, Dr. Teitelbaum contracted Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and for over the past decade, has worked with CFS and FM patients.

The synopsis of the speech he was to give ("Estrogen and Testosterone and CFIDS/FMS") gave little hint of the excitement of his actual speech which was based the pre-publication announcement of "Effective Treatment for Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS) - a Placebo Controlled Study."

Those of you are familiar with the protocols presented within From Fatigued to Fantastic will be pleased to know that the above study validates the therapies Dr. Teitelbaum has used for years.

Essentially, Dr. Teitelbaum bases his study on the medical studies which have suggested that hypothalamic dysfunction may be implicated in FMS/CFIDS. This dysfunction may be as a result of disordered sleep, subclinical hormone deficiencies, immune dysfunction (with opportunistic bowel infections and associated nutritional deficiencies), and autonomic dysfunction (e.g., Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH).

His previously open trial showed that, by treating all of the above simultaneously, patients improve, often dramatically.

The new study patients were treated, based on testing and/or symptoms, for (1) subclinical thyroid, gonadal, and/or adrenal (cortisol and DHEA) insufficiency, (2) disordered sleep, (3) suspected NMH, (4) opportunistic infections (e.g., parasites, Clostridia Difficile, fungal overgrowth), and (5) suspected nutritional deficiencies.

Basically, of the 32 people that completed the study, 29 were improved. The conclusions of the study indicate that FMS and CFIDS are now diseases for which available treatment is available.

This study provides real hope for us because many of us are being treated in a more piecemeal fashion where the symptom(s) that we've presented at our appointments are only those addressed. So today, our doctor may prescribe something for our sleep or our NMH while the subclinical hypothyroid and/or low cortisol continues its deleterious effect on our immune system and fatigue.

Treating all our deficiencies at the same time makes a great deal of sense in this highly complex, multi-faceted disease. All of our CFIDS/FMS specialists speak of treating the perpetuating factors. This study proves that we must advocate for ourselves and have them all treated simultaneously.