Elin Ritchie, M.D. is a medical doctor trained in Canada at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. She graduated from medical school in 1992, and from a family practice residency program in 1994. She is a Board Certified member of the American College of Family Practice (ACFP). Dr. Ritchie currently practices integrative medicine in Taos, New Mexico.

Sometimes I don’t have enough energy to carry on with the plans for my day or my week. Recently I had a long week with big plans for the weekend. However, due to many nights with disrupted sleep on-call for medical emergencies and children waking me when I was home, I was exhausted, tired, and genuinely fatigued. Imagine feeling this way for several months or years. In most cases tiredness and fatigue are associated with sleeplessness.

Persistent fatigue, pain and sleep difficulties have been common in clinical practice for decades, even centuries. Fatigue is a typical symptom in the modern world, with up to half of the general population reporting fatigue in large surveys. At least 20 percent of doctor visits are from those seeking treatment for fatigue.

New studies show that sleep deprivation also has detrimental effects on the immune system. Researchers believe that sleep should be considered a vital part of immune function, as it is clear that there is a direct relationship between sleep and immunity.

Sleep is a process essential to life. Both infection-associated and normal sleep are regulated, in part, by immune mediators called “cytokines,” which function as switches in the immune system. Research also shows that sleep is altered during illness. The brain responds to infection by altering physical processes, including sleep.

Fatigue is one of the first signs that any organism has lost control of the mechanisms of energy production and consumption. A great deal of energy is used to fight immune weakness and sleep deprivation. What’s more, energy problems and fatigue connect directly with decreased mitochondrial function – the “power plants” within each human cell that generate the energy our body needs to function. Clearly, fatigue patients need to correct sleep disorders to restore immune function and mitochondrial deficits.

Fatigue, continual tiredness, and even Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are debilitating conditions that can destroy careers and relationships. In my practice of family and alternative medicine over the last 16 years, I have treated many patients with varying degrees of this chronic and destructive illness. Fatigue, especially CFS, is difficult because in the past, the medical profession discounted it as not really existing at all. Some patients in my care are demoralized by the compassionless way they have been treated by other doctors in the past. Many remain exhausted and depressed after trying many solutions. I believe that immune system support might be part of the answer in treating these conditions.

Medicine is beginning to truly study CFS and the factors that contribute to this mysterious and chronic condition. We now understand that it is not “just in your head.” In the past, many patients were sent to psychiatrists to deal with these problems.

A recently published article in the Journal of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (April 2010) concludes that Anti-Inflammatory Interleukin-10 (a super highway in the immune system) is a key factor in the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We know from previous research that Del-Immune V® directly increases the activity of Interleukins (super highways in the immune system) in the body to help support the immune system.

By supporting their immune systems with Del-Immune V, users may lessen the symptoms of fatigue and CFS. Research is starting to support this clinical finding. Many patients who take a regular dose of Del-Immune V to support their immune systems see a significant increase in energy levels, interest in life activities and increased satisfaction in their relationships, probably due to increased energy.

So, how much Del-Immune V is a good dose for immune support when battling fatigue? While doses of 2 capsules per day are good for maintenance, I find that higher doses for immune system support can be more effective. I recommend starting with 3 capsules twice a day for 2 weeks, then dropping to 3 capsules once a day for the next few months.

What is interesting about Del-Immune V is that we find an even better response when brief “treatment holidays” are used. That is, patients intentionally skip two days per month to re-establish the body’s sensitivity and response to the product. I usually recommend that my patients miss the last two days of a month and start up again on the first day of the following months, unless they will be traveling at that time. Particularly reassuring is the lack of side effects from this supplement. It seems that virtually anyone can take it without adverse effects.

Chemotherapy and radiation patients should take note; Del-Immune V has been shown to increase the overall function of the immune system. When it is beaten down by current cancer therapies, Del-Immune V helps re-build the immune defenses of the body. It assists with new growth of healthy tissues and helps prevent the all-to-common secondary infections that are often the final straw for a depleted body.

To learn more about how Del-Immune V can stimulate the immune system, click here.