Fatigue and Dysautonomia: Chronic or Persistent, What's the Difference?

What causes chronic and persistent fatigue in so many people? How is it best prevented and treated? What can patients and physicians do to better understand this common medical issue?

Fatigue is an extremely common component of many physical and mental disorders, from anxiety and depression to heart disease and hypertension. Many patients even find themselves suffering from persistent fatigue with little understanding of how to safely and effectively treat the issue, especially if their symptoms don’t qualify for diagnosis as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which can make them “fall through the cracks” of the medical system.  

But now, with Fatigue and Dysautonomia: Chronic or Persistent, What’s the Difference?, physicians Joseph Colombo and Nicholas L. DePace aim to close those cracks, offering a simplified analysis and discussion focusing on this common patient complaint and how best to treat it. Topics covered include: ​

• Parasympathetic and Sympathetic (P&S) causes of both chronic and “persistent” fatigue
• Natural therapies to help relieve fatigue and promote wellness. 
• Concepts of fatigue, the six-pronged Mind-Body Wellness Program, and the P&S nervous systems. 
• Causal relationships between fatigue and P&S dysfunction (a more specific description of autonomic dysfunction or dysautonomia)
• How to treat fatigue with supplements and lifestyle modifications that have been documented to work without the added side-effects of most pharmaceutical therapies. 

Presenting discussions with patients and doctors side-by-side to help physicians see how to present information to their patients and patients to learn what physicians need to know to tailor therapy to their individual needs, Fatigue and Dysautonomia is an essential resource for anyone concerned with fatigue, from medical professionals to patients to family and friends.

Dr. Nicholas L. DePace is board certified in cardiology, echocardiography, internal medicine, lipidology, and nuclear cardiology, with nearly forty years of clinical practice experience in cardiovascular and autonomic medicine. He was trained at Mount Sinai Medical School and Columbia University in New York, and Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia. He runs practices in the greater Philadelphia area. He is professor of medicine and former associate chief of cardiology, with affiliations at local area hospitals.

Dr. Joseph Colombo is trained in neurology with a background in electrical and mechanical engineering. His doctorate from University of Rochester, NY, is in neuroscience and biomedical engineering. He currently serves as chief technology officer and senior medical director of Physio PS, Inc.; and parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system consultant at Franklin Cardiovascular Associates, PA. He is licensed as a Doctor of Natural Medicine and a Doctor of Humanitarian Services. He has coauthored or ghostwritten numerous journal articles, book chapters, and books.