P05.07. Chronic Fatigue, Depression, and Sleep Disturbances in a 20-year-old Male Collegiate Basketball Player: A Case Report

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Mental Health Chronic fatigue and depression are 2 symptoms that are increasing in frequency in the offices of physicians. Many of these individuals need obvious dietary and lifestyle changes as primary management. In contrast, this case report illustrates a 20-year-old male collegiate basketball player suffering from chronic fatigue, depression, and abnormal sleep patterns. This patient was being treated by a specialty physician group with the diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome and overtraining syndrome. The patient was under the care of the same physician group at the time of his initial visit to a chiropractic physician that specialized in functional medicine. Adrenal stress panel showed that the patient was in second-stage adrenal syndrome. Pathological gastrointestinal testing revealed Helicobacter pylori, Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Cryptosporidium parvum infections. Heavy metal toxicity of lead and mercury also were present in this individual. Abnormal amino acid levels were seen when evaluating organic cation transporter (OCT2) status. In addition to changing to an ancestral diet and recommending a core multivitamin, antioxidant, and essential fatty acid supplementation, other personalized recommendations were given to the patient according to the results of the functional labs. The patient was given recommended specific dosages of DHEA, licorice root, pregnenlone to reduce adrenal syndrome; botanical antimicrobial and antiparasitic supplementation; additional nutrients and silymarin to reduce heavy metal toxicity; and a protocols of 5-HTP and tyrosine to restore proper OCT2 function to presynaptic nerves. After treatment, the patient experienced restoration of normal sleep patterns and elimination of his depression and chronic fatigue and was able to exercise and maintain a normal lifestyle. This case showed that uncommon patient populations can suffer from chronic fatigue secondary to subclinical infections regardless of apparent health status and also that functional analysis of the organ systems of adrenal, gastrointestinal, and detoxification can assist in complex cases.