Re: Important advice for those in early stages of CFS

[Guest guest]

Blake,

I agree completely with both of your paragraphs and hope those reading it who

are in the early stages of CFS follow your advice. I think a lot of us would

not be in this position had we attacked with the 4 methods cited at the first

onset of symptoms. I remember at the first onset of my symptoms asking my

doctor if he could just give me some antibiotics just to see if it might help.

He said I couldn't have any infection because my sed rate or ESR was too low.

We now know that an abnormally low sed rate is typical in CFS and this factor

sends a lot of doctors in the wrong direction. Steve B.

Blake Graham <blanket@...> wrote:

Dear list,

My view of infections in CFS is that they can play 4 different roles. 1) An

acute infection can trigger CFS although it dissapears after not too long. 2)

Chronic infections can predispose to CFS. 3) An infection can trigger and

persist creating a chronic infection. 4) Chronic infections could be secondary

to immune dysfunction present in CFS.

If high quality testing is available then it is a good idea. Ideally you could

do extensive panels for bacteria, yeasts, parasites and yeasts. However you can

never test for all the hundreds of viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic

infections that could potentially copntribute to CFS. Irrespective of test

results I feel people should TRY at least a few different treatments. For

example 1) immune modulators 2) antibiotics 3) antivirals 4) antifungals. I

don't think everyone with CFS will get results from this but it is worth a try.

Blake