Fibro Friends

XMRV Retrovirus Linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A new study published in October in the journal Science links a virus found in prostate tumors called xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or XMRV to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since its publication there have been three separate articles about it in the New York Times. The study was led by Dr. Judy Mikovits the retrovirus expert at the Whittemore Peterson Institute, a private research foundation founded by Harvey and Annette Whittemore, the parents of a woman who suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dr. Mikovits collaborated with scientists at the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic. They found that 67% of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients were infected with XMRV compared to only 3.7% of healthy control subjects. Retroviruses, which include HIV and forms of leukemia affect the immune system and can cause a variety of illnesses including cancer. XMRV was first identified in prostate cancer three years ago and has been detected in about one-quarter of biopsies from men with the disease. 

The new information is making many patients feel hopeful that it will lead to effective treatments but the study is not conclusive. Just detecting XMRV in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome does not prove that it causes the disease. There may be other underlying problems that make chronic fatigue patients susceptible to the infection. It would interesting to test other patients with illnesses that compromise the immune system like AIDS patients and see if they also have XMRV. Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are susceptible to a variety of infections and conditions including Lyme disease, intestinal parasites, mercury toxicity, candida and Epstien Barr virus, which was originally thought to be the cause. These kinds of infections and conditions can be found in low levels in healthy individuals but cause more damage in those whose immune systems are compromised and are not able to keep their numbers in check.

The ultimate significance of this discovery will be if patients get better when the virus is treated. It is my personal opinion that XMRV is not the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome rather a complication. For information on how to order a test kit for detecting XMRV go to www.vipdx.com. This website for Viral Immune Pathology also has excellent information on Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia.

 

A recent study that attempted to replicate the Whittemore Peterson study in England was conducted by the Imperial College London. It found no evidence of the XMRV infection in the blood samples of 186 patients. They concluded "Although we found no evidence that XMRV is associated with CFS in the UK, this may be a result of population differences between North America and Europe regarding the general prevalence of XMRV infection, and might also explain the fact that two US groups found XMRV in prostate cancer tissue, while two European studies did not". An interesting paper that concurs with my opinion about the significance of XMRV and CFS was written by Ashok Gupta. www.guptaprogramme.com/xmrv.asp

P.S. A subsequent study in 2010 in Germany failed to detect XMRV in patients with CFS. 

Adrenal Fatigue

When I first became ill in 1973 my predominant symptoms were fatigue and headaches. The medical diagnosis was "stress" implying emotional or psychological stress yet I was sure that my stress was physical. In the subsequent years I lived increasingly on adrenaline in a "wired tired" state as I pushed against my fatigue to have a life. Like many people with chronic fatigue I developed severe insomnia, night sweats and gastrointestinal complaints. These were the result of an agitated sympathetic nervous system from living with prolonged physical stress.

I was first diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion in 1990 by Dr. Jonathan Wright, a well-known leader in the field of alternative medicine from Kent, Washington, and subsequently took hydrocortisone for a year and DHEA for 8 years. Although initially I felt some improvement taking these hormones they did not resolve my food sensitivities or fatigue. I believe this was because the underlying source of stress on my body, which was obstructive breathing remained unresolved. I then tried various other means of addressing adrenal fatigue including several years of acupuncture, herbs and nutritional supplements with no lasting results finally abandoning this line of pursuit.

In my research on chronic fatigue syndrome I have frequently come upon discussions of the "hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal axis".  The term refers to the complex set of influences and feedback interactions between these three glands which are part of the neuroendocrine system that control reactions to stress and regulate many body processes including digestion, the immune system and energy storage and expenditure. This axis is typically out of balance in patients with CFS & FMS. Many physicians are now treating CFS/FMS patients with hydrocortisone or adrenal cortical extracts.

When I began Oral Systemic Balance I experienced a gradual lessening of stress on my body as a result of breathing more fully. I no longer had the sensation of living in a survival state however I felt increasingly like I was living in an exhaustive state and had very low energy. With the support of my physician I decided to treat low cortisol levels with hydrocortisone. My intense fatigue went away within several days of taking hydrocortisol (20 mg. daily in a specific divided dose schedule). The hydrocortisone was helpful in calming gastrointestinal problems (loose stools) as well. Gradually I needed to take less and I decreased my dose over the course of four months until I did not need to take any more. My intense fatigue did not return however subsequent test showed that cortisol levels were still low so this protocol was not completely successful in addressing adrenal issues.

My symptoms of adrenal exhaustion both experientially and as measured by cortisol levels resolved after a year of LENS neurofeedback training. By healing the adaptive patterns that my brain had acquired over years of living with chronic physical stress, my body was finally able to repair itself. Adrenal exhaustion contributes to the fatigue experienced by many people with CFS and FMS. Treatment with hydrocortisone or adrenal cortisol extracts for short periods of time can be helpful but long term recovery may require addressing post traumatic stress and brain injury. LENS is an excellent therapy that accomplishes this.