12. What Might Cause ME? (Part 3) - Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS

[hi771lrt]

Great diagram! What you said and showed in the diagram demonstrated exactly what I beleive, and I guess we aren't the only ones! If Doctors explained what you explained and gave out sheets of paper with that diagram on it, we C.F.S./M.E. sufferers would be so much better off. That diagram needed to be done, I wish I'd thought of it myself, I would have liked to have looked at that over the past few years, to stop pushing myself so hard, blaming my personaily etc! Atleast its done now.

:-)

[GetWellFromME]

@hi771lrt Thank you, I'm glad it seems to make sense! A high resolution version of it is on my getwellfromme website :)

[hi771lrt]

@GetWellFromME Ok, thanks. I'll check it out.:-)

[Aparajita1008]

Dr. Jefferies in his book The Safe Uses of Cortisol (highly recommended!) talks about how flu viruses can disable the HPA axis. Would make sense that other viruses may do the same thing and stick around long after the flu has gone.

SAFE USES OF CORTISOL

By William McK. Jefferies

[GetWellFromME]

@Aparajita1008 Thank you - and for the recommendation. I'd be cautious of cortisol, but I do believe it can help some people in small doses, when carefully controlled.

[WoodysFM11Journey]

I have to say that i wholeheartedly agree with the idea of the over-active/dis-functioning Hypothalamus being the main trigger/cause for ME. With it having such large control over the systems that have been affected by the illness, it does make a lot of sense. The next step on the cause front is of course finding what triggers the Hypothalamus into this state.

I am very much intrigued as to your thoughts on the approach to returning it to it's normal state if you have any? x

[GetWellFromME]

@WoodysFM11Journey Thank you - yes ever since I first saw the "purple book" (ME - an exploration of the clinical issues by Dr Shepherd and Dr Chaudhuri) from the ME Association, a couple of years after I was first ill, I strongly believed the hypothalamus was the root of the problem. (Although, if Dr Sarah Myhill is right about the mitochondrial failure being the primary problem, then that would affect brain function too, including the hypothalamus.)

[WoodysFM11Journey]

@GetWellFromME I'll most definitely look into the Mitochondrial aspect of it too then, thanks.

Is there a way known to medicine to reverse these effects of the Hypothalamus/Pituitary Gland and/or the Mitochondrial failure? Or is looking into that as far as the medical research has gotten to at this stage?

On a side note, i was thinking about potentially doing some clinical trials if there were any available for ME. Good or Bad idea? I'm happy to be someone's guinea pig for the greater good x

[GetWellFromME]

@WoodysFM11Journey For the mitochondrial approach, definitely worth looking at Dr Myhill's website and her free downloadable book. She suggests treatments looking at one piece of the jigsaw at a time, essentially good rest and sleep, good food and nutrition, supplements to support mitochondria, and removing any "loads" which are affecting mitochondrial function...

[GetWellFromME]

@WoodysFM11Journey When it comes to hormonal problems (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal stress hormones, sex hormones, pancreas and insulin etc), the main approach used by doctors tends to be replacing / supplementing with the hormones that are "low" in the body, and in some cases removing part of the gland responsible if hormone levels are "high". This can of course "fix" problems but can seem a bit of a crude approach and cause other problems...

[GetWellFromME]

@WoodysFM11Journey ... and also there is no such treatment for the hypothalamus gland and its hormones going wrong (yet). Treatments which may be able to help normalise the hypothalamus gland at all, I think would be: cranial osteopathy / chiropractic manipulation / Perrin technique; the herb passion flower (passiflora) (and possibly others); EPA fish oils; magnesium supplements; as well as rest (and possibly for some people "power fo the mind" techniques like "emotional freedom" etc), HTH!

[TheLibra2767]

Brill as always ;) #MECFS

[GetWellFromME]

@TheLibra2767 Thank you!! :)

[GetWellFromME]

@justter Thank you! Yes, with specialist testing, a lot of people with ME seem to be finding they are overloaded with a range of infections, fungi, moulds, toxins, etc. To me, the solution would seem to be to try to restore an equilibrium that the body becomes healthy with, - removing as many of those loads as possible, while trying to strengthen the body's own resistance and resilience in the immune system, mitochondrial efficiency, detoxification, and and so on.

[ironbith]

I totally agree! & I am feeling awful right now, so that I can pay enuf attention to sit, spell or pay attention is amazing! lol

[GetWellFromME]

@ironbith Thank you :) Sorry to hear you're feeling so bad right now, hope this week (and maybe a little bit of sunshine if you can cope with it?) will see you feeling a little bit better again...