Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Presumptive Mitochondrial Disorder

The purpose of this study is to determine whether therapy that has been shown to be beneficial for mitochondrial diseases is also beneficial for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients. This study is a chart review of previous CFS patients who received daily conditioning exercise, a high protein diet and nutraceutical therapy (ENT). Prescribed nutraceutical supplements included alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, omega-3fatty acids (maxDHA), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), plus a multivitamin. Twelve CFS male and female patients between the ages of 20-70 years will be recruited to participate in this pilot study. Subjects will be eligible to participate if they meet the criteria for CFS of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include persistent, unexplained fatigue for at least 6 months, concurrent with four of the following: impaired memory/concentration, sore throat, new headaches, unrefreshing sleep, muscle pain, multi-joint pain, tender lymph nodes, and post-exertional malaise.