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Paul R. Cheney, PhD, MD
The Cheney Clinic
Asheville, NC

Dr. Cheney photo
Cheney Seminar 2009 DVD sets available as of June 22, 2009!
Page last updated June 25, 2009


About Paul R Cheney, MD, PhD

The Cheney Clinic
1 Vanderbilt Park Dr Ste 230
Asheville, NC
(828) 274-6665

Dr. Cheney has been interested in many aspects of ME/CFS for more than 20 years. He was a founding Director of the American Association of CFS (now the International Association for CFS/ME).

Most recently, following a successful heart transplant in 2003, Dr. Cheney has been engaged in investigating the cardiac function of CFS patients, using Impedance Cardiography and Doppler Echocardiography. According to his paper presented at the 2007 IACFS/ME conference, "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients exhibit evidence of diastolic dysfunction at a level well above that reported for control populations of the same age. Energy dependent diastolic dysfunction would appear to be a hallmark of CFS and supports the hypothesis that CFS is a syndrome of cellular energy deficiency."

Introducing Dr. Cheney, April 25, 2009:

While our attendees are usually excited to meet and listen to speakers, those special practitioners who make time for us who share their unique views about our conditions, there is an extra special buzz in the air tonight.

Our guest is legendary CFS expert, physician and physicist, Paul Cheney.

For over twenty years, Dr. Cheney has been a pioneering clinical researcher in the field of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).  He has published numerous articles and lectured around the world on chronic fatigue syndrome. 
   
Dr. Cheney holds a PhD in Physics from Duke University in Durham, NC and is a graduate (MD) of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA where he also completed his internal medicine residency.  He is a board certified internist.

Since 1990, Dr. Cheney has headed the Cheney Clinic, presently located in Asheville, NC.  The Cheney Clinic specializes in evaluating CFS patients and has expertise in diagnosis, disability support for and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. No single clinic has drawn as many CFS patients (currently over 5,000) from as many states (48) and foreign countries (22) as has the Cheney Clinic.

Tonight’s presentation is entitled
“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is Oxygen the Problem and Why?”

Please welcome Dr. Cheney.


by
event hostess Elly Brosius
Northern VA CFS/ME, FMS, and OI Support Groups
Fairfax, VA


 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS):
Is Oxygen the Problem and Why?
A Four-part Treatment Protocol

Paul Cheney, MD, PhD


Click photo collage for larger image

Photo Collage of Oxygen Toxicity Seminar

Photo Collage by Bob Busby for Ann


April 25, 2009 Seminar
to the
Northern VA CFS/ME, FM, and OI Support Group
Fairfax County Governmental Center
Board Auditorium
12000 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax VA 22035

Down View

Event co-sponsored and video recorded by the
CFS & FM Support Group of Dallas/ Fort Worth, TX
Jump down to How to Order the DVD



Please consider obtaining the slides and / or DVD to see and judge for yourself.
This page and nearly all overviews you encounter are likely to be
just a fraction of the material presented in the 3 hour plus lecture,
and there may be mistakes and/or unintentional misrepresentations.
Not everyone takes the same meanings from a presenters words
or understands it as the presenter intended,
especially when the material is complex and ever evolving.

This overview also includes some "fill in" material from other links,
information from a Cheney patient, a few general definitions and other sources.





Dr. Cheney's 2009 CFS Seminar in Fairfax, VA

What was new in this 2009 Seminar?
Why did people travel hundreds of miles to hear it?

     Step four of Dr. Cheney's protocol, which not all patients would require, is stem cell transfusions. The stems cells used are legal and from afterbirth or adult sources. The infusions are performed at two clinics outside the USA, mainly to reduce costs for patients. The clinics are owned by an American company which trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Two patients recently completed step four and are already showing improvement in their test results and functioning. See links below for information about stems cells and clinics.




CFS: Is Oxygen the Problem and Why?
with
A Four-Part Treatment Protocol



Overview

In addition to a broad overview of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome including case definition, clinical findings, and key medical literature, Dr. Cheney presented on oxygen toxicity in CFS, evidence of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure, evidence of an association of CFS with PFO’s (Patent Foramen Ovales), testing, as well as his current four-part treatment protocol.


Oxygen Toxicity as a Controlling Factor for CFS

One section of the presentation focused on the research finding of nearly 100% toxicity in CFS patients when oxygen is administered.  Dr. Cheney presented evidence that patients given various treatments were transformed to an increasingly oxygen tolerant state. The most powerful treatment protocol was also associated with significant overall clinical improvement. Dr. Cheney drew conclusions from his data: CFS is an oxygen toxic state, oxygen toxicity status appears to determine outcome in therapeutic trials, and oxygen toxicity is key to this illness.


Cell Associated Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is this the Next Frontier?

Dr. Cheney explained the use of cell signaling factors (CSF's) as therapeutic agents when applied to the skin using novel transdermal gels. Cell signaling factors are also known as low molecular weight (LMW), mammalian tissue derived peptides. These cell signaling factors are known to control gene expression and can shift organ function toward normal.

Data was presented in using these cell signaling factors (CSF's) in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) which produced significant improvement in function. Therapy with CSF's therefore appears to offer a significant benefit in CFS, especially where it counts the most, namely, the functioning of the patient.

Testing

Bicycle Ergometry was mentioned again as the best test for convincing the Social Security Adminstration of disability status. Oxygen plays a key role in energy production, so exercise physiologists use oxygen consumption during exercise to tell how much energy a person’s body is capable of producing. Having people pedal a stationary bicycle until they can pedal no more tells researchers how much air their lungs can take in (Ventilation Max) and therefore how much oxygen they use to produce energy (VO2 Max) at their peak level of effort. Bicycle Ergometry effectively tells researchers how much energy is being produced. Besides Dr. Cheney's office, there are places in CAand in NY that do this testing [Article about ergonmetry at Phoenix Rising] and also in TX. Dr. Larry Sharp of Fort Worth, TX, was in attendance and his office also uses this testing.

Dr. Cheney uses an echocardiagram machine for hours with patients measuring how their Isovolumic Relaxation Time (IVRT) changes in response to various treaments. [Definition: IVRT is the time from aortic valve closure to mitral valve opening and a noninvasive measure of left ventricular diastolic function.] Dr. Cheney talks about IVRT as a relating to how much energy a patient has. His patient response data to various treatments was presented in detailed "Echo Terrain Maps," echo as in echocardiograms looking at the IVRT.


Treatment

Dr. Cheney and others believe that phenotypic changes (altered gene expression) must be corrected before making genotypic changes (changes to the genetic blueprint) such as those made with the stem cells. What has been putting patients into a low oxygen state vulnerable to the push - crash experience must first be addressed in steps 1-3.  A redox shift is done with Artesunate. A gut modification program includes a modified elimination diet, using anti-microbials, repairing the gut with a colostrum/ glutamine source, and adding in probiotics. Pretreatment along with Artesunate may include DHEA, Glucose, and Inosine. Then Cell Signaling Factors (CSF's) are considered, and if needed stem cell infusions.

Artesunate is in the class of medications known as artemesinins, which are derivatives from the "quinghaosu" or sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua). It is used often for the treatment of malaria. Artesunate is available from Hepalin, a California company, their product being called Hepasunate.

Inosine is a compound that is an intermediate in the metabolism of purine.

The transdermal gel prescription Nexavir, formerly known as kutapressin, was at one time used before liver CSF was available because it has some liver cell signaling factors. [See the Phoenix Rising website and Nexcopharma for more informaiton on Nexavir.]

Now there are five potent organ cell signaling factors that are used: heart, brain, pancreas, liver and kidney. The heart factor was the highlighted as the most effective. These may one day be made available to the public or through health professionals, currently available it seems in the U.S.A. only through Dr. Cheney.

Magnesium was praised as very helpful for the heart and one of the audience members was seen using Magnesium sulfate cream on his carotid artery throughout the evening to keep up with the body's demands for the mineral. This cream was mentioned on Dr. Cheney's 2006 video. The positive effects from the cream last about an hour.

Fructose, the sugar in fruit and honey, is still considered something to be avoided, something that makes CFS worse in Dr. Cheney's view. D-Ribose and vitamin D3 were also not recommended.

Dr. Cheney likens the order of the steps in the treatment protocol to correcting software or functional problems before putting in a new hard drive. Corrupt software, or improper functioning, installed on a new hard drive will corrupt the new system and produce bad results. Stem cells are the last step, a metaphorical new hard drive if one is needed.

Many patients, especially younger ones and/or those who haven't been ill for years and years,
may not need stem cells at all. Dr. Cheney has had several younger patients resume normal function with just the first three steps of his protocol.


Consider this

If your p450 path is compromised, you become almost an enviromental invalid.

CFS is not a disease. It is an adaptive state. Your body is trying to save your life.

Dr. Cheney also discussed some facinating work by a scientist who used urinary markers to show that when people do recover, they are moved not back to a normal state of a person who never had illness, but to a new expression of good health. You cannot go back to what you were, you can only become a new kind of normal.


Keys Ideas

  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -- An Oxygen Toxic Stae
  • Echocardiographic Parameter -- IVRT as Energy
  • Cell Signaling Factors (CSF's) -- as Therapy
  • G = H - TS -- The Energy Guiding Light  (G = Gibbs Free Energy)
  • The Human Being as a Symbiote  (We're only 10% Human!)
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as Redox Compensation



For More Information

About stem cells:
Medistem
www.medisteminc.com 
and
Cell Medicine
www.cellmedicine.com 

From Dr. Cheney:
For the slides from this 2009 talk,
sign up now for the
Cheney Research Newsletter - Anticipated for June 2009.

For more about The Cheney Clinic,
sign up now 
The Cheney Clinic Website - Anticipated June 2009





Photos of a few slides from April 2009....


Title SlideOxygen Toxicity
Oxygen Toxicity - Part III of TreatmentCFS: Key Ideas





A Sampler of Attendee Comments

My mom called 3 times during the event (break times) and i think she got a lot out of it! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ORGANIZING THIS. i know how much work these things can take.


We need a meeting just to discuss what we heard, to compare what parts we understood.


Does anyone understand what he is saying? Layman's terms, please!


I am more scared now than ever. I'm so afraid for my heart.


If what he said is true in part 1 about us all being in heart failure, why haven't more of us died already? Some of us have been in this group for 15 years, have had symptoms all of our lives. We're still here.


Are the transdermal gels prescription?
????

He didn't really explain how to use the treatments.
Can we do something with the information he gave us?


Hello Elly,
    I am back home in Ohio safe.  I want to thank you for all your work.  It was wonderful that you and your group were able to put all of it together.  Dr. Cheney and his seminar were great and far better than I expected.
    It was very exciting to see Dr. Cheney in person and be able to hear the results of his latest medical research and treaments.   Dr. Cheney has been one of the foremost world leaders in CFS research for the past 25 years.   It was a wonderful opportunity for us with CFS and associated illnesses to hear about his findings firsthand.  It really meant lot to me.  Thank you.!!!
    My own story is similar to others with this illness.  Over the years, I read everything I could about CFS.  After years of reading and listening to Dr Cheney's recordings, his explaination of the illness enabled me to have an understanding of it.  Before Dr. Cheney, I had no idea what was going "wrong" with so many parts of my body and brain.  Once I understood the illness, I could start to try to improve.
     Even though Dr Cheney never had me as a patient, I owe most of my improvement to him and his research.
      Dr. Cheney has dedicated his life to treating those with CFS and developing better treatments.  He has further developed his treatments for each patent's functional improvement and cure in some cases, and has developed a system to measure the progress of his treatments of each individual. Dr. Cheney's presentation was very impressive and the positive results for his patients are very encouraging.   
     Thank you again,
     Blessing to you and everyone in your CFS/FM Group,
--Gary Machin



We enjoyed the CFS overview last night, it was long but there was some good information near the end.


I've watched the 2006 DVD about 1000 times. I arrived ready to go to the next level, to follow as much as possible some more. But now its gone too far out for me.


A very successful evening - congratulations and thanks!
I am sending in some photos.


I am grateful that I was able to make it to the Dr Cheney meeting tonight even though I forgot to factor in what a sudden arrival of 87 degree heat does to slow down my get-ready routine. I didn't connect the dots even though Elly copiously warned us of the anticipated high temps.  I'm also grateful the meeting was a night one so I had a few extra hours to compensate. I am grateful that I got to meet people I've emailed with in person tonight at the meeting.  It may seem silly, but it was very exciting to me to get to meet them, and to see Toni and Elly again.  I am grateful for all of the immeasurably hard work and incredible attention to detail that Elly put into making this event happen, and to Toni and everyone else that helped to make it happen.


I have to go home and think.


WOW!

Where do I get the DVD?
Where do I get the DVD?
Where do I get the DVD?


Attendee Comments / Other Related Cheney Seminars discussion elsewhere on the Web

Dr. Cheney Goes His Own Way: the Virginia 2009 Lecture
Bringing the Heat: An ME?CFS Blog by CORT


Thread title: Paul Cheney talk, Fairfax, VA, April 25, 2009
ProHealth ME/CFS & FM Message Board by Attendee Chris


Thread Title: Injectable Magnesium?
ProHealth ME/CFS & FM Message Board 1/30/08




(While Dr. Cheney presented impressive data to support the successes of patients able to return to work after even years and years of illness, he presented little information about those who respond poorly to his various protocols. CFSupport has group members and recent contacts who felt their worsening was not adequately addressed when a patient of the clinic.)

Top

DVD Ordering Information and Support Group Donations
Cheney Seminar 2009 DVD sets available as of June 22, 2009!


The DVDs of the Cheney 2009 Seminar are available for $17 to US addresses and $20 to Canada, including shipping. 

This seminar is on two discs. Two DVDs! To get the whole event, you most order both of them.... and in the same order so you don't get charged twice for shipping.

They are identified as

CFS: Is Oxygen the Problem?
and
CFS: Is Oxygen the Problem? (2).

The second one, appears first on the ordering webpage. The NTSC format (US and Canada, most DVD players around the world) has purple covers and is at the bottom of the page. The PAL format (Europe, Australia, ...) has blue covers and appears first on the page.

The cost is $6.00 for each disc. The shipping charge for US orders is $5.00, bringing the cost of the set to $17.00 for US orders.

Canadian and overseas orders will be $6.00 per disc, $8.00 shipping, for a total of $20.

Combining orders into multiple sets, for a support group order for example, and having them shipped to one address does does reduce shipping costs.

Place your orders through Kunaki.com at:

http://Kunaki.com/MSales.asp?PublisherId=119572


Cheney Seminar 2009 – Topics Covered
DISC ONE (1:17)DISC TWO (1:27)

*CFS Overview

case definition; symptom triad;
neuropsych phenomena;
symptoms vs dynamic dysfunction;
four phases of CFS ;
key scientific literature;
four phases graph;
recovery phase graph;
exercise and oxygen consumption;
lactic acid and anxiety disorders;
magnetic resonance spectroscopy;
fingerprint loss;
RNase-L;
HHV6 A&B

*Cardiomyopathy

symptoms;
cardiac output;
stoke volume;
difference in FM and CFS on echo;
venous blood gas;
two types of heart failure – systolic vs diastolic;
how to diagnose diastolic dysfunction on echo;
E/A issues;
tissue doppler;
D/S ratio;
left atrial collapse;
Orthostatic Intolerance;
Echo Case / Control Study;
summary of diastolic parameters in CFS;
what to tell a cardiologist;
other echo parameters

* Oxygen & CFS

Everest III study;
IVRT as energy;

* Oxygen Toxicity

PFO’s, migraines, strokes;
oxygen toxicity controls treatment outcomes;
conclusion of concepts;
fetal physiology;
key enzymes SOD, CAT, GPX;
Australian Study

* Emerging Hypothesis

left shifted on oxyhemoglobin disassociation
       curve;
pulse oximetry and desaturation;
oxygen metabolism and toxicity

* Four Adaptations to Oxygen Toxicity

HPA axis, cortisol (push/crash);
methylation block (brain, sleep);
P450 (EI);
microcirculatory left shift (fatigue);
glucose metabolism;
P450 decoupling;
methylation block – neuropsych issues, sleep,
     gene regulation









*Treatment I

symptoms;
etiology (pathogen, biotoxin, genes, etc)

*Oxygen Toxicity as Control Point

oxygen toxicity generators; energy conundrum;
P450 system; NADPH;
anabolically blocked; superoxide; Environmental Illness (EI); enzymes
CAT, GPx, SOD

*Cell Signaling Factor (CSF) Therapy

heart organ use in history;
messages to stem cells;
phenotypic shift;
CSF study

*Echo Terrain Maps (ETM)

substances tested on echo (typical results given) - oxygen (neg/bad),
heart CSF (pos/good), porcine liver (neg), adrenal (neg), thymus (neg),
pancreas (pos except in diabetes and insulin resistance), liver + oxygen
(neg); echo terrain maps (ETM’s); ETM’s show response to therapy;
ETM’s of CFS cures;
ETM’s of controls;
testing other treatments on echo –
fructose (neg), glucose (pos), Methyl B-12 plus Folate (neg),
glutathione (neg in most), Provigil (neg), T3 (neg), Vit D3 (neg), CoQ10
(neg in most, but Idebenone always pos); [Methyl B-12 alone (neg)]

* Metabolome / Humans as Symbiotes

Metabolome;
gut bacteria as powerful symbiote and influence
        on health

*Redox and Artesunate

energy and redox;
viral replication and redox;
Artesunate – “most powerful drug”, shifts redox,
        inhibits NF kappaB, antiviral;
Artesunate wipes out oxygen toxicity on echo;
DHEA;
Inosine [Inosine has replaced Imunovir /
     Isoprinosine]

*Treatment Protocol & Stem Cells

treatment protocol;
effectiveness of protocol;
stem cell therapy

*Q&A

[most answers given below have exceptions]
repair a PFO (no);
Klonopin (yes);
Doxepin (yes);
Neurontin (no);
Rich V.K. and methylation and glutathione;
pancreas CSF, glucose, and diabetes;
CFS and MCS relationship;
use of oxygen in surgery;
supplement NADPH, D-Ribose (no!);
location & contact info for stem cell clinics;
[patient must shift phenotype with CSF’s before receiving stem cells, or new genetic code from stem cells will eventually be corrupted and illness will return]


The 2-disc DVD set of the April 2009 Cheney Seminar "CFS: Is Oxygen the Problem and Why?" at the Northern VA CFS/FM/OI Support Group in Fairfax, VA, was arranged for by the  CFS and FM Support Group of DFW.

Ordering information will also be available at the DFW group website as soon as possible. The information on this NOVA CFS/Fibro/OI Support Group Speaker - Cheney page, is from information posted already to major CFS e-lists and forums by a DFW group representative.




Donations

It is usually donations that keep support groups doing the work they do in answering phones and calling people back, arranging for speakers, handing out copies of articles, etc.

To make a general tax-deductible charitable donation to sponsor CFS/FM Support Group of DFW, use the new PayPal donation icon on their website homepage or send a check to
"CFS/FM Support Group of DFW"
513 Janann St
Euless, TX 76039

To make a NON deductible gift to the Northern VA Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia Syndrome, & Orthostatic Intolerance Support Group,
send a check to
"Northern VA CFS Support Group"
14404 Brookmere Dr   
Centreville, VA 20120-4107


Thank you.

Web Links for Paul R. Cheney MD, PhD


Dr. Cheney's sites:
Webpages dedicated to, quoting, mentioning, interviewing Dr. Cheney:
 Articles by Paul R Cheney, PhD, MD:
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Updated Dec 12, 2011