Holistic Considerations for Post Viral Fatigue

Post viral fatigue is a common experience where people, especially women, struggle to regain their energy and vitality after a viral infection.

Post viral fatigue can last for months, maybe even years if the right interventions are not sought out. Viruses like Epstein-Barr (glandular fever), herpes virus, enterovirus, Ross River virus and CV19 commonly result in post viral fatigue. 

Symptoms may include:

• Persistent fatigue that is not alleviated by sleep or rest
• Brain fog or the inability to think clearly
• Weakened memory
• Swollen glands / swollen lymph nodes (commonly felt around the throat / neck)
• Joint stiffness or pain
• Frequent or persistent sore throat
• General aches and pains or a feeling of heaviness, especially of large muscles (legs, glutes, arms, back)
• Lack of motivation and an absence of joy

Despite suffering with some or all of these symptoms, blood tests and other standard testing methods often show that everything is "normal" or "within range". Occasionally there may be slightly elevated levels of inflammatory markers but not enough to warrant the level of discomfort that is being experienced. 

This can be upsetting and frustrating to hear because the suffering is not validated by changes in health markers and many people who experience post viral fatigue can begin to feel like it is "all in their head".

Standard medical advice is to use paracetamol or ibuprofen for aches and pains. Your primary health care practitioner may recommend that you rest more while recovering and cut out inflammatory foods.

The exact mechanism behind post viral fatigue is unknown but it is suspected that it is linked to:

• Immune system stress
• Nervous system depletion
• Increased inflammation (due to increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines)
• An "unusual" response to viruses that are latent or dormant within the body

From a holistic perspective, we would also add nutrient deficiencies, dehydration and mitochondrial dysfunction to this list.

For some people, they will find that their body will resolve the post viral fatigue in as little as a few weeks or in as long as a few months.

For others, post viral fatigue can turn into "chronic fatigue" which eventually impacts every aspect of their life in a negative way.

Personally, I experienced post viral fatigue that turned into "chronic fatigue" and this affected my quality of life for well over 10 years. 

From a medical perspective, there was nothing wrong. At times, my blood results showed iron deficiency but taking iron supplements only resulted in short term improvement. Eventually I was left feeling like my only option was to consider anti-depressant medication but I was hesitant to go down that path.

From a holistic perspective, I tried many approaches. I tried so many different supplements, herbal medicines, homoeopathy, hypnotherapy, gentle diet changes, extreme diet changes, acupuncture, detoxes and bio-energetic medicine. Over the years I have tried it all, with varying levels of success.

The frustrating thing was, certain therapies appeared to work, and I was confident that my body was capable of healing but the symptoms would constantly come back.

Over the past 2 years I have found a protocol that has worked for me and I am going to share that protocol with you. This is not advice or a suggestion for you to follow as every person will have unique underlying issues that contribute to the problem.

My purpose for sharing the protocol is to show you that it does not have to be complicated, expensive or hard. Simple changes that are RIGHT for you can create powerful change and long lasting improvement.

Here is a summary of what works for me:

1. Diet changes.

For the longest time I was led to believe that carbs and sugar were inflammatory and they were the things I needed to cut out to feel better. Every time I'd cut carbs and sugar from my diet, I would feel better, for a while.. and then the fatigue and body aches would come back with a vengeance.

In 2020 I discovered that carbs and sugar were not my problem. The problem was the TYPE of carbs I was eating and HOW my body was responding to them.

When I focused on enjoying the food my body wanted and reducing the food that caused problems, I started to feel consistently better. Less fatigue, less aches and pains and less depressive moods. 

It was an interesting journey to discover which foods were right for me. I spent a lot of time re-learning everything I thought I knew about food and nutrition, I became more aware of symptoms that developed after certain foods and I used bio resonance testing to uncover which foods resonated well with my body and which ones did not (more on that later). 

2. Mineral balance and supplementation

Minerals are one of our essential building blocks. Many mechanisms within the body are dependent on minerals (like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc and copper) and one of the most important functions of minerals is, they help cells to use fuel. 

Certain mineral deficiencies can make it very difficult to metabolise and utilise food, especially carbs. If we are struggling to metabolise and utilise food (and carbs) it is going to be VERY difficult for the body to produce energy. You will also lack the energy required to HEAL. It appears that carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel, especially when it is in a stressed or depleted state, so we must make sure we are able to use them for energy. People who feel that they are "addicted" to carbs or feel worse after eating carbs often lack key minerals and cutting carbs only makes the problem worse.

Mineral deficiencies can produce body aches and pains, immune stress, nervous system stress, sluggish liver and bowel function, sluggish thyroid function, depressed or anxious moods and more.

To uncover my mineral deficiencies I used a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). This is not the only option but it was the tool I chose at the time. Careful investigation into the symptoms you experience can also be an easy and accurate way to uncover deficiencies and a HTMA will often confirm what we suspect.

Due to the fact that my body was so depleted, I did need to consider supplementing certain minerals for a short period of time. As I started to feel consistently healthier I supplemented less and less, and now, I may go weeks (possibly months) without taking any supplements at all.

3. Intuition and self work

I developed glandular fatigue in my final year of high school. I then went straight into full time study to become a naturopath and also worked 2-3 jobs (30+ hours a week / 7 days a week) to pay for my education as the college I studied with did not offer student loans.

Immediately after graduating I started working with clients and continued to work part time jobs, 7 days a week.

I was incredibly fatigued and unwell but I honestly thought that was just "normal" for me.

When I started to get really busy with clients, I was so happy to be working my "dream job" that I pushed through. I would often see my first client at 7:30am and wrap up for the day somewhere between 7-8pm.

It was too much.

Eventually I accepted that fact that I needed to put some clear boundaries in place when it came to work and I did that in my own time.

I decided to look into why I felt like I had to work 7 days a week and why I had so much guilt around resting.

I engaged in a hypnosis and NLP program which helped me release negative emotions and limiting beliefs that I was holding onto about myself, my self worth and my self esteem. Once I completed the program I felt like a different person. I found it easier to enforce boundaries, to say no when I needed to and I let go of the guilt I used to experience around rest and putting my health first. 

Now if I start to feel fatigued or if the glands in my neck start to swell, instead of pushing through, I rest. If I do this, I may find I need to rest for a few hours or maybe even a day or two before I feel like myself again. If I ignore the feedback and push through I may find that I am fatigued again for several weeks.

Since implementing diet changes, mineral support and bio resonance, I am discovering that the fatigue and swollen glands may only "flare up" once every 3-6 months rather than every week or two, which was normal for me for many years. And truth be told, I usually only get a "flare up" now when I've been doing too much for too long.

4. Bio Resonance

The final thing and possibly the most powerful and effective thing I have done to restore my health is bio resonance testing and treatment. 

Bio resonance testing is a tool that scans the body for thousands of energetic imbalances that could be contributing to acute or chronic stress.

It can provide you with insights into your health that can be missed in standard methods of testing. 

When an imbalance is detected, the bio resonance device will search for a "balancing item" in the form of an energetic signature. You can either receive a treatment in person or the bio resonance device can imprint the balancing item / information into a bottle of drops which you take daily for 4-6 weeks. 

For me, bio resonance and bio energetic therapy was the missing link and it is something that I wish I had found 15 years ago as it would have saved me a lot of suffering.

A bio resonance scan followed by bio energetic therapy can help to restore energetic balance to the body. As a result, people commonly notice that they feel calmer and more content. Their energy can improve, sleep can improve and it can become easier to live a balanced life, rather than seeking those things that aren't good for us.

My results have been so profound that I now offer bio resonance testing and bio energetic therapy in clinic. The bio resonance device I have chosen can also use a hair sample for testing and drops can be posted to those who cannot see me in person. 

Summary

If you are struggling with post viral fatigue or persistent fatigue of any kind, there is hope and there are ways to support your body so you can get your vitality and life back.

Generic, one-size-fits-all protocols rarely work for fatigue, it is important to seek personalised advice because the drivers of fatigue and all chronic health issues vary from person to person.

If you would like to work with me to start the process of restoring your health, you can use the link below to get started.

renew-health.as.me/