Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalopathy (CFS / ME) may not be what you think!

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalopathy (CFS / ME) may not be what you think!

Posted By: AndiV
Date: Sunday, 5-May-2013 02:18:18

from http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/ Fatigue is very real, just as is chronic fatigue. And there are a myriad of reasons to have chronic fatigue. But when you look at some of the history behind what is termed “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)” and “Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME)” (both describe the same thing, depending on where you live), you might pause. The birth of the term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome The end of the decade of the 1980′s, and into the early 1990′s, was when the term “CFS” began to appear regularly in women’s magazines and on TV news programs. In fact, it was 1988 when “Chronic fatigue syndrome: a working case definition” was created. It might have also been called CFIDS (chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome). If you were around then, you would have heard or read about the following symptoms: chronic debilitating fatigue post-exercise malaise reactivation of the Epstein Barr Virus low grade fever and sore throat aches and pains headaches and brain fog unrefreshed sleep depression sensitivity to light and sound problems when standing up debilitation that took people away from their jobs and lives. You would have also read how “mysterious” it was, and how “new” it was, and how it was an illness of “uncertain cause”. And from that time sprang all sorts of CFS and ME institutes, associations, studies and websites from the 1990′s and on, giving all the more “credence” to this supposed new and of-unknown-origin syndrome. And even though you would still see it termed as of “uncertain cause”, some will blame a metabolic disorder (Janie, the creator of Stop the Thyroid Madness, was told she had a mitochondrial disorder!), a post-infectious problem, a central nervous system issue, an immune system disorder, or…voila….you have a psychiatric or psychological problem. Groan. Another explanation Fast forward to the beginning of the 21st century when thyroid patients were beginning to put two-and-two together about themselves: Many of us were left undiagnosed for years due to the so-called “normal range” of the TSH lab test–a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone! T4-only medications like Synthroid were not adequately doing the job in removing all our hypothyroid symptoms Dosing thyroid meds by the TSH was also a failure. In other words, we were left with our own degree and kind of continuing hypothyroid symptoms, and for some of us, they were miserable and debilitating. On top of all the above, many of us found ourselves with the additional hell from adrenal fatigue, besides low B12, low iron and more. And it dawned on several of us! CFS was probably NOT a new and mysterious disease of unknown medical origin! When we looked at the nightmare of “CFS/ME” symptoms, they resembled the same symptoms birthed from a hypothyroid state, whether from an underfunctioning thyroid, a rare conversion problem, or a problem in our hypothalamus or pituitary glands…and made worse by being undiagnosed by the lousy TSH lab test or poorly treated by T4-only meds, and exacerbated by stress of any source. Dr. Sarah Myhill sees the same connection here (though she continues to mention thyroxine). Additionally, many symptoms associated with “CFS” resembled the debilitating low cortisol state we fall into from being undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroid, including unrefreshed sleep, light and sound sensitivity, orthostatic instability, dizziness and more. It’s even very common today to have reactivation of the Epstein Barr Virus when we are undiagnosed or poorly treated due to a compromised immune system from hypothyroidism, or stress, or both. (The creator of this site had reactivated EBV for one MISERABLE year while still on Synthroid and after high stress. i.e. chronic or intense stress on top of a hypothyroid state can be a recipe for a health disaster–and which “CFS” may actually be describing, not a new and unknown cause syndrome.) Then comes a cascading of other problems–chronic inflammation is a huge one. On top of all the above–hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue and the cascade of more problems, one could then acquire Lyme disease, or find they have a MTHFR defect. Hypothyroidism and your immune function Thyroid function and immune function are intimately related. First, thyroid hormones play a role in the maintenance of your immune function–your lymphocytes, killer T cells and more. Secondly, they play a role in modulating the natural inflammation response to pathogens–i.e. thyroid hormones help balance the flame. Conversely, without enough thyroid hormones, lymphocytes die early, and inflammation can become chronically high. In other words, if a person was hypothyroid and didn’t know it, a virus like Epstein Barr, or viral or bacteria pneumonia, or other pathogens can reactivate, as can inflammation increase. In turn, the toxins of viruses cause the body to further tone down thyroid function (with increased RT3) as a way to focus more on the virus and less on metabolism. It becomes a double whammy, and can explain why doctors thought there was a new syndrome–Chronic Fatigue Syndrome–not understanding that most individuals may have had hypothyroidism as the cause, and further hypothyroidism muddying the waters…all thanks to the inadequate T4-only meds and the lousy TSH lab test! Having adrenal fatigue, which is all-too-common with hypothyroidism, makes it even worse. When one has a viral or bacterial intruder, cortisol is needed to balance out the high inflammation response by the immune system in its attack on the intruder. If one’s adrenals are sluggish already (which is common with hypothyroidism), there won’t be enough cortisol, and inflammation will also rise. Both hypothyroidism, the additional complication of adrenal fatigue, and hypo-caused low iron, low B12, candida and more can explain the symptoms and findings of “CFS / ME”! Other causes of chronic fatigue, in lieu of a “syndrome of mysterious cause” low iron low B12 long-term antibiotic use Lyme disease (it can affect your thyroid; promote bacteria and viral infections) substance abuse candida (a form of inflammation) chronic inflammation (immune system imbalance) low levels of the key antioxidant “glutathione” due to chronic stress or toxins reactivated Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) (which can go hand-in-hand with stress or hypothyroidism) sleep disorders (as can also happen with high or low nighttime cortisol) poorly treated Diabetes depression (whether caused by hypothyroid, or other causes) chronically poor eating habits environmental toxin exposure mold toxicity exposure entering menopause chronic stress Hepatitis Mitral Valve Prolapse Multiple sclerosis Lupus Sjogrens HIV MTHFR genetic defect (which could play a huge role for some!) Could there be anyone with a “chronic fatigue” of unknown cause? Yes! There are some individuals who struggle and have no idea why they have chronic fatigue. One may look back and see their downhill slide after an illness (not seeing the connection mentioned above). Another may not see a pattern. Most also have a thyroid and/or adrenal issue, plus related problems. Some see their immune system as problematic. Whatever the cause, yet to be discovered, the ball has gathered much moss for these individuals! But many informed thyroid patients, who look back at the late 1980′s and early 1990′s, have certainty that the creation of a unique and mysterious syndrome called CFS / ME was probably due to the widespread ignorance about the maltreatment with T4-only meds and the TSH lab test…and a build-up of numerous health problems as a result. And that ignorance continues today! Is Fibromyalgia in the same misunderstood category as CFS? Definitely yes for many! Fibromyalgia can be strongly related to undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroidism. You can read about it here. Bottom line Deciding you have some separate syndrome called CFS/ME may end up muddying the water in your recovery. Patients have decided it’s far wiser to work on the obvious, as outlined above. More to read: The Candida and chronic fatigue connection here (the writer still mentions ME as if it’s real, but you can see that Candida might be the real problem for some!) How CFS can actually be thyroid hormone resistance, here. Janie’s “I am bothered…”post in 2006. How adrenals and thyroid play a role in immune function, here. Endocrinology article on the interaction between the thyroid and immune function, here. http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=275992