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Yuppie flu, or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, can affect people
of all genders, ages, races and backgrounds and is often difficult
to diagnose. The medical profession only recently began acknowledging
the disorder and scientists have not yet been able to establish
its causes but know that it destroys the body’s immune system.
Stress, which effectively leads to the immune system becoming
overloaded, aggravates the condition. Stress triggers various
reactions such as increased heart rate and blood pressure and
a rise in blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that a stress-ridden
immune system operates on a weakened level, making the body more
vulnerable to cold viruses and other diseases. More recently,
the illness has been blamed on a low-level viral infection and
on the body’s own immune response to that virus. This could
explain why virologists have so far have not found evidence of
a common virus when looking at a population of CFS patients.
Please click the link below for testimonials from real people who have benefited.
Hein Boshoff
Hein
Boshoff was 36 years old when he became seriously ill. A high
ranking officer in the SA Defence Force, he was very active in
his community, used to play rugby and cricket at provincial level
and was coaching sport. After doctors were initially unable to
diagnose his problem, tests showed that he had contracted the
Coxsackie and Epstein-Barr viruses as well as glandular fever!
These viruses almost destroyed his immune system and caused him
to contract ME. Even though he was often so tired that he felt
he could die, he made heroic attempts to drag himself off to work
but lost the battle in 1993 when he was declared medically unfit.
"It was a tremendous set-back. I was in the prime of my life
but couldn’t work and found it extremely difficult to come
to terms with it." Apart from the psychological effects,
he also had to cope with the physical side of the disease. He
was chronically tired and in pain, his sleeping pattern was disturbed
and he suffered from night sweats. Finding it difficult to concentrate,
his short-term memory also at times failed him so badly that he
would forget what he had just said during a conversation. "I
would strike a complete blank in die middle of a sentence. It
was extremely embarrassing," says Hein.
His treatment was one of trial and error and he was used as a guinea-pig
for every possible treatment the doctors wanted to experiment
with. The entire spectrum of the medical world became involved,
from psychiatrists to virologists. There was, however, no relief
for him. That was until April 2001 when on recommendation of its
manufacturer, he started taking PROCYDIN. Hein
had understandably become very sceptical about healthcare products
and their claims but decided to try it and when, after three or
four weeks, didn’t feel any difference, almost gave it up.
But, he decided to persist and after the fifth week the pain
had eased somewhat and he felt slightly more energetic. By the
third month he was feeling better for longer periods, his memory
had started to recover and his overall condition improved slowly
but surely. Today, it’s hard to believe that Hein suffers
from ME. He once again works long hours, plays tennis and has
resumed his involvement in community affairs such as giving emotional
support and advice to other ME sufferers. Hein’s advice
is to adjust your lifestyle, follow a healthy diet, exercise moderately
and pace yourself very carefully so that you don’t overtax
yourself and make sure that you get enough rest. He cautions that
people should not expect immediate results from PROCYDIN.
"Be patient and you will be rewarded."
Sonet Landman
Sonet Landman was always a fit and active person and a good athlete at
school. Running was her favourite exercise and she started jogging longer
distances after school until a strange illness put an end to her physical
activities. "I started getting the most agonising muscle cramps,
couldn’t sleep and at times became very nauseous. I also could not
sit, stand or walk for long stretches of time." At that stage she
was 21 years old and was teaching music. Encountering problems with her
memory and eyesight and catching every virus that would do the rounds,
her health continued to deteriorate and she became emotional. Schooldays
became too long, so much so that during breaks she was forced to lie down
to rest.
"I was too tired to get up in the mornings and just could not get
enough rest." Doctors diagnosed depression for which they
prescribed anti-depressants but failed to get to the bottom of
her disorder. She was thought to be suffering from hypochondria.
There was no improvement in her condition and she was forced to
give up her teaching job. After years of consulting one doctor
after another ME was eventually diagnosed. Although it was a relief
finally to know what her problem was, the diagnosis did not help
to improve her condition. "I desperately tried everything
on the market. Some remedies gave temporary relief but there were
no lasting results."
That was until 1999, when her mother read an article about PROCYDIN
and bought Sonet a few months’ supply. "Within two
months I could feel the difference! The muscle cramps disappeared
and I started getting a good night’s rest," says Sonet.
Today her health has improved so much that she has started jogging
again and competes in fun-run competitions with distances as far
as 10 km. "I feel like a human being again and am able to
lead a fairly normal life," she laughs. Her advice to ME
sufferers is not to expect immediate results. It takes one to
two months before an improvement can be detected. "And once
you start using PROCYDIN, don’t stop. I’ve
tried it and my condition started deteriorating within three or
four days," she says.
Niekie Swarts
Niekie Swarts was one of her school’s top pupils. She excelled
in her studies, was an outstanding sportswoman, particularly in
hockey and in her final year was elected to the pupils’
council. But the school year had barely begun when bad luck struck.
She suddenly lost her zest for life and complained about feeling
tired most of the time. She became irritable and experienced frequent
bouts of memory loss. When she became afraid of people her family
realised that something serious had gone wrong. " My child,
who used to be hyperactive and on the go, behaved like someone
with a heart problem and was out of breath after performing the
simplest of tasks," says Niekie’s mother.
Her condition deteriorated and she became so weak that she often had
to be helped out of the bath. She developed claustrophobia and complained
that she couldn’t breathe. "I was tired of life," says
Niekie, "at times so tired that I could hardly keep a grip on my
hockey stick … and hockey was my life! My memory deteriorated and
I struggled to remember things or sometimes even where I was. I was scared
of people and often for no reason burst out in tears."
She was initially diagnosed as suffering from depression. Antidepressants
were prescribed but made no difference to her condition. Blood samples
eventually indicated that Niekie was suffering from ME.
When Niekie’s mother read an article describing how the nutritional
supplement PROCYDIN had helped another ME sufferer she
decided to try it. Two months later Niekie’s condition started to
improve and she had lessons at home to enable her to complete her matric
with good results. Today, it is hard to believe that the vibrant and energetic
young woman is the same person of two years ago. Niekie has taken up hockey
again and was selected to play for South Western Districts.
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