Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with ME/CFS

Our outcome measures were white blood cell count, protein concentration in spinal fluid, and cytokines detectable in spinal fluid. We found that significantly more CFS patients had elevations in either protein levels or number of cells than healthy controls (30 versus 0%), and 13 CFS patients had protein levels and cell numbers that were higher than laboratory norms; patients with abnormal fluid had a lower rate of having comorbid depression than those with normal fluid.

Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with ME/CFS

The Blood Volume Paradox in ME/CFS and POTS

Kunisha Miwa has published no less than five studies on the small heart findings in ME/CFS. Now he moves onto a related puzzle – why the blood volume in ME/CFS is low? Health Rising takes a look at his present study, combines his findings with some others, and comes up with a possibility.

The Blood Volume Paradox in ME/CFS and POTS

The Zinn's Find an Under-Active Brain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

If your attention span has become shorter, if you can’t remember things, if you often lose your train of thought, if you make silly mistakes, even if you’re anxious a lot or can’t move well – the good news from this study is that that’s not you – it’s probably your brain.

The Zinn's Find an Under-Active Brain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

South Coast Model Railway Club Exhibition 2016

It's been a while as other priorities have taken precedence, but here are some snapshots taken at today's South Coast Model Railway Club Exhibition 2016 at The Arnewood School, New Milton.

The Fatigue and Pain Hormone? Leptin Shows Up Again - in Fibromyalgia

Nobody in the chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) community had taken leptin – a hormone produced by fat cells – seriously until Jarred Younger’s Stanford Good Day Bad Day study suggested that it might be the factor driving fatigue n ME/CFS. Younger wasn’t aiming at leptin; it was just one of many immune factors he analyzed in his unusual (and intense) study examining the blood of ME/CFS patients over 25 days. Now leptin is popping out again – this time in women with body-wide pain and fibromyalgia.

The Fatigue and Pain Hormone? Leptin Shows Up Again - in Fibromyalgia

Barry

Barry steals the cat's cuddly toy.

Another "frequent flier" this year has been Barry the pug, who's stayed with us for several longer stretches, on and off since January while work was done on his owners' home. A proper little character: he sometimes tried our patience, often made us laugh and always stole our hearts.

Barry's best "butter wouldn't melt" pose.

After each full day of mischief, snuggling up and looking cute.

Barry would avidly watch the TV. He barked at all the animals.

Fibromyalgia Study Points to Inflammation, Damage and Low Energy Production in Muscles

The encouraging thing about this study was not that it found some proteins but that the proteins in the muscles of FM patients found fit so well with what we suspect about it. In my experience “omics” (proteomics, genomics) studies often come with an array of factors, many of which just don’t seem to fit but most of the proteins that showed up in this study fit FM really well; i.e. they were associated with cellular stress, inflammation, muscle damage and problems with energy production.

Fibromyalgia Study Points to Inflammation, Damage and Low Energy Production in Muscles

Fresh evidence points to a cause and possible treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalitis, has been largely dismissed as psychological. But recent trials of antiviral and immunosuppressant drugs have yielded encouraging results, suggesting a complex disease mechanism at play that researchers are hopeful they might be able to treat.

Fresh evidence points to a cause and possible treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

The Exercise Intolerance in POTS, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Explained?

The study also indicated neither deconditioning or a reduced maximal effort, both of which have been suspected in ME/CFS, play a role in the exercise intolerance found. In fact, deconditioned people, ironically, exhibit an opposite finding (increased as opposed to decreased filling pressures) to that found in this study.

The Exercise Intolerance in POTS, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Explained?