Alternative medicine

People with ME/CFS have frequently been found to have a number of marginal nutritional deficiencies, including various B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, sodium, zinc, L-tryptophan, carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and essential fatty acids. Many people with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia turn to natural or alternative medicine and therapies, and report being dissatisfied with traditional medicine.

Dietary supplements commonly taken by people with ME/CFS include natural or herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Most of these can be derived from a healthy, balanced diet but are available in pill form, sometimes in higher doses than that provided by a healthy diet. The Canadian Consensus Criteria states that the nutritional principles in Travell & Simons (1999) are helpful.

Notable studies

 * 2010, Alternative medical interventions used in the treatment and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia - (Full text)
 * 2000, Nutritional Strategies for Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - (Full text)

Books

 * 1999, Travell & Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: Upper half of body

Related categories

 * Potential treatments
 * Diets
 * Amino acids
 * Herbs
 * Supplements