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Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

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Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#161

Physician here. Imo CFS is best understood as the endpoint of an evolution within the nervous system that is increasingly called "central sensitization syndrome." (CSS) This syndrome is caused by a chronic dissociative or avoidant stress response, usually having it's origin in early childhood adversity. Prior to developing CFS, most individuals have other manifestations of CSS, such as IBS, chronic pain, TMD, etc. Ev…

How does this theory line up with the my experience, which seems to be similar to a lot of people with CFS:

I had high energy levels until I suddenly got sick, and had a mild fever for about a day. After that I had the sort of fatigue one feels when having the flu, except it lasted for about 8 months, and then gradually lifted. After that my energy levels totally recovered and stayed normal for over a decade. All tests, including psychiatric evaluation were normal so it was considered CFS.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#162
post #35

I did not get covid but did get the vaccines + 2 boosters. I have been feeling tired etc for the last 6+ months turns out because of the work at home etc and my lifestyle I was not getting enough sunlight and had very low vitamin D levels. I am not white so need to spend longer time in sunlight according to my doctor.

Please ask your doctor if supplements are right for you and how much.

Oh he did put me on supplements but he also recommended me to get out and get more sunlight

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> To me this seems suspiciously like confusing heightened awareness of a problem, or inability to treat it early, with cause. Heightened awareness of a problem can be related to the cause - these are not distinct. The comorbidities of ME/CFS make it look very similar to known psychosomatic conditions. Researchers who explore psychological-heritable causes have been forced to stop due to death threats.

Sure but if you look at male outcomes, we are clearly ignoring a lot of real health problems that are deadly, so 66% of males ignoring a less than deadly problem that allows 8 hours of work a day seems more likely than a lot of female hypochondriacs to me.

This argument could be applied to any condition with psychosomatic indicators.

Your suggestion that somatically-involved conditions aren't 'real' is offensive and what gives rise to the stigma that means we can't talk about this in the first place.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#164
post #7

I've battled with CFS/ME multiple times in my life, each triggered by different ailments. First, it was Epstein-Barr at the end of my tenth grade, leading to two solid years of chronic CFS. Then, at 31, Chicken Pox knocked me out for roughly 18 to 24 months. More recently, from January to August 2021, I experienced "Long Covid," and this July, a bout with RSV left me grappling with CFS once again. My symptoms include…

> consuming two crushed garlic cloves daily how did you find out about that? did this affect your romantic life?

Have your partner eat two as well. Problem solved!

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like "it's all in their head" with extra steps and disregards findings of actual physiological differences in people with ME/CFS.

The mind-body dualism is not real and mind & body symptoms can be co-productive. That said, the evidence of 'actual physiological differences in people with ME/CFS' is not very strong at all (relative to the amount of scrutiny this problem has received) and research on other hypotheses has been halted numerous times due to death threats.

Why were there death threats?

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is it such an issue that people deny it? Viruses can cause organ tissue damages, that's enough for me to believe a virus can cause all sort of "syndromes" I'm not on the denier side but harass me with fear, threats, and free movement mandates and I will deny that syndromes even exist.

It's an issue when doctors deny it. For many years, for many doctors, that was the case with CFS.

There is still no identified viral mechanism for CFS. So yes, you will continue to find many doctors that deny that there is convincing evidence for viral causes of CFS because that is the reality of the current situation.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mind-body dualism is not real and mind & body symptoms can be co-productive. That said, the evidence of 'actual physiological differences in people with ME/CFS' is not very strong at all (relative to the amount of scrutiny this problem has received) and research on other hypotheses has been halted numerous times due to death threats.

Why were there death threats?

Here is an article for context: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/aug/21/chronic-fati...

Anything with somatic involvement is heavily stigmatized in anglo culture, so people will respond with violence.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#168

Can chronic fatigue type syndrome that only effects you mentally, not physically? I have zero energy to do things that take mental energy unless I take ADD meds and even then it is a struggle. But doing things physically I have no problems. Like to the point I would rather walk a mile somewhere than figure out how to buy a bus ticket in an unfamiliar city.

That sounds like depression.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#169

I saw a hypothesis (which is older than I thought) about CFS being related to the vagus nerve. At the time I read it, it made sense to me. Basically, an residual infection close to the vagus nerve signals the brain that the body is fighting a serious infection. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23790471/

That's very interesting, and not an explanation I've heard before.

Re: Chronic fatigue syndrome may have a post-viral infection origin

#170
post #9
post #7

I've battled with CFS/ME multiple times in my life, each triggered by different ailments. First, it was Epstein-Barr at the end of my tenth grade, leading to two solid years of chronic CFS. Then, at 31, Chicken Pox knocked me out for roughly 18 to 24 months. More recently, from January to August 2021, I experienced "Long Covid," and this July, a bout with RSV left me grappling with CFS once again. My symptoms include…

Garlic is commonly seen as (strongly) stimulating metabolism, right?

It also wards off vampires. Which cause fatigue.

Of course I'm joking, but also wondering if there isn't a fragmented memory of a folk remedy buried in that bit of lore, alongside the "people with hated the smell" explanations.

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