CFS and Anaesthetics

[UPDATED MARCH 2024]

Introduction

Anaesthetics are a problem for patients with CFS for many possible reasons.

CFS/ME sufferers are much more likely to experience idiosyncratic (i.e. unusual) reactions to drugs compared with the normal population. This may be because they are often slow detoxifiers see CFS - The Methylation Cycle. This may be a congenital problem or secondary to micronutrient deficiency or because their detox system is already overwhelmed by internal toxic stress (eg fermenting gut) or overwhelmed by external toxic stress. One example of this is that nearly all my CFS/ME patients react badly to any amount of alcohol (see Alcohol intolerance in CFS - gives us a clue as to the mechanisms of fatigue ) and to normal doses of antidepressants. So anaesthetics may result in a slow recovery time with a flare of fatigue and other symptoms associated with that fatigue.

To avoid nutritional deficiencies and fermenting gut problems

• Take Nutritional Supplements - what everybody should be taking all the time even if nothing is wrong
• Eat a PK diet. See
  • My book - Paleo-Ketogenic: The Why and The How
  • The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - this is a diet which we all should follow
  • The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - meals which require no cooking or preparation
  • The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Bread
  • The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Dairy
  • Diet - what you need to eat to slow the normal ageing process

To help with detoxing all kinds of toxic stress, internal and external

See

• Detoxification - an overview
• CFS - The Methylation Cycle
• Antioxidants

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Many CFS/ME sufferers have a problem because of multiple chemical sensitivity. These patients react in an allergic way to chemicals. Thankfully it is very rare for this to manifest with life threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis. See the following pages:

• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) - Principles of Treatment
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) - a common problem and often triggered by exposure to chemicals
• MCS - what are the symptoms of
• MCS - what is it
• MCS - who gets it
• Homo Sapiens Chemicalis - Natural Selection of the Fittest by chemicals

Poor Energy Delivery

The problem in CFS/ME is poor energy delivery at the cellular level. This means energy delivery to organs is slow and so organ function is impaired. So for example in severe CFS the heart is in a state of low cardiac output often bordering on heart failure. This means there is less scope to react to stressful situations. See

• CFS - The Central Cause: Mitochondrial Failure

And here is the Mitochondrial Support Package for poor energy delivery:

• MITOCHONDRIAL PACKAGE (Starter Kit): 5 items

Hospitals - the wrong environment for CFS/ME sufferers

A related problem is that CFS/ME and hospitals do not combine easily! The quality of food in hospitals is poor with little provision for allergy problems or fermenting gut problems and certainly not PK!. The beds are uncomfortable, there is no peace from light, noise, heat and disturbance (least of all at night), there are all sorts of chemical smells, but worst of all there is an almost complete lack of understanding of the problems of CFS/ME patients with "helpful" nurses encouraging you to "do it all yourself" and "start exercising as soon as possible"!

Local anaesthetics

Some patients have a problem with the adrenalin in local anaesthetics. This is easily got round by not using it (adrenalin makes the anaesthetic last longer). Ask for an anaesthetic with no adrenalin.

The above factors mean it may be difficult to predict how you will react to an anaesthetic. You are more likely to get problems if:

• You have had a previous bad reaction to an anaesthetic;

• You have MCS and react to chemicals such as perfumes and cleaning products;

• You have food allergy problems;

• Your CFS/ME is severe;

• Your CFS/ME was caused by chemical exposure (organophosphates, drugs, etc)

Ideally you want the smallest dose of anaesthetic possible. Use local anaesthesia wherever possible.
Anaesthetics are used for two reasons -

• firstly, to knock you out so that you sleep through the whole proceedings (this is obviously an excellent stress blocker but I suspect partly so the surgeon and assistants can have a good natter without you listening in!) and
• secondly to block pain.
  

If the pain blocker can be done with local anaesthetic, then the total load of drugs can be reduced and reactions lessened accordingly.

The commonest reaction to anaesthetics will be a worsening of your CFS/ME symptoms. Take time to recover and be gentle with yourself.

At one stage there was a suggestion that CFS/ME induced by organophosphates could result in idiosyncratic reactions to muscle relaxants which caused a prolonged paralysis for hours after the anaesthetic, requiring ventilation. This was investigated by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, who concluded there was no greater risk than one would expect compared to the normal population.

The Grace Charity - Hospitals Booklet

Please download this updated [2023] guide produced by the Grace Charity - it is an excellent resource:

INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS AND HOSPITAL STAFF REGARDING TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH M.E.
This booklet is necessarily 'hard-hitting' [to ensure that hospital staff 'get the message'] and so be sure that you are 'in the right frame of mind' before reading it.

Related Articles

• CFS - The Central Cause: Mitochondrial Failure
• Alcohol intolerance in CFS - gives us a clue as to the mechanisms of fatigue
• Detoxification - an overview
• CFS - The Methylation Cycle
• Nutritional Supplements - what everybody should be taking all the time even if nothing is wrong
• My book - Paleo-Ketogenic: The Why and The How
• The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - this is a diet which we all should follow
• The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - meals which require no cooking or preparation
• The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Bread
• The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Dairy
• Diet - what you need to eat to slow the normal ageing process
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) - Principles of Treatment
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) - a common problem and often triggered by exposure to chemicals
• MCS - what are the symptoms of
• MCS - what is it
• MCS - who gets it
• Homo Sapiens Chemicalis - Natural Selection of the Fittest by chemicals
• Antioxidants

External Link

• MITOCHONDRIAL PACKAGE (Starter Kit): 5 items

References

• INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS AND HOSPITAL STAFF REGARDING TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH M.E.
  
  

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