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An Easy Explanation to Idiopathic (unknown Cause of Disease) – But is it the Right One?
Idiopathic disease is defined as one that develops without any
apparent or known causes. That is the term used for fibromyalgia,
autoimmune diseases, including Lupus and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. While
many of these diseases have recognizable signs and symptoms, the lack
of causality haunts medical schools, doctors, practices, and hospitals.
The only one benefitting from the lifelong symptom treating associated
with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Autoimmune disease, or
Fibromyalgia are the pharmaceutical companies who sell billions in
medication to treat them. A long list of pain medications, sleep-aids,
anti-depressants and anti-inflammatories is not sufficient because the
diagnosis is incorrect. So let’s look at what the possible causes are to
these diseases.
Here is the conventional Scientific Overview of What Causes (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) CFS and Fibromyalgia
Below, is a quick list of causes and we will give a clinical review and explanation as to what takes place.
- Brain abnormalities
- Genetic factors (HPA) axis
- A hyper-reactive immune system
- Viral or other infectious agents like (Chronic Lyme disease Complex)
- Psychiatric or emotional conditions
Are Genetics to Blame? Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia have been linked with genes
involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic
nervous system. These genes regulate response to trauma, injury, and
other stressful events. 10 years of Envita’s clinical experience shows
that while such traumas could play a role in the etiology (the trigger
to exhibiting symptoms) of the disease, they are not likely the causes
of these conditions.
What is the HPA (Hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis)? Does Lyme Disease Play a Role?
HPA makes up a multi-set of direct influences and feedback
interactions among the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped
structure located below the hypothalamus), and the adrenal, also called
“suprarenal,” glands which are small, conical organs on top of the
kidneys.
The interactions among these organs constitute the HPA axis, a major
part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and
regulates many body processes including digestion, the immune system,
mood, emotions, sexuality, as well as energy storage and expenditure.
Infectious disease, such as chronic Lyme Disease Complex, impacts the
HPA-axis via neurotoxins that compete for the same receptor sites used
by the HPA-axis. In fact, such infections can bring about identical
symptoms of some idiopathic diseases listed above and many of the
symptoms associated therewith. This should bring our attention to the
Lyme Disease Complex, which is composed of a number of infections and
neurotoxins that bring about even more symptoms than those listed
earlier in this article.
Does HPA Affect Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Abnormal levels of certain chemicals regulated in the HPA axis area
of the brain system, have been proposed as a cause of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome and also have some influence in Fibromyalgia. This system
controls important functions, including sleep, stress response, and
depression. Of particular interest to researchers, are the chemicals and
other factors listed below that are controlled by the HPA axis.
The HPA axis is involved in the neurobiology of mood disorders and
functional illnesses, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder,
insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality
disorder, ADHD, major depressive disorder, burnout, chronic fatigue
syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and alcoholism.
Antidepressants, which are routinely prescribed for many of these
illnesses, serve to regulate HPA axis function. All of these conditions
and their symptoms are commonly seen in Chronic Lyme disease patients
that contain a host of infections and neurotoxins that block serotonin
receptors in the brain.
How Can Chronic Lyme Disease Complex or Infectious Disease Affect HPA?
Patients may have contracted an infection at any point in their
life-time; however, the symptoms of Chronic Lyme disease Complex or its
co-infections may remain unseen or dormant until the individual is
weakened by a trauma or trigger. This could be anything from child birth
or a car accident to the death of a loved one, a divorce, or even a
vaccine as seen among children with weakened immune systems.
In the etiology of chronic infectious disease, the traumatic event is
a trigger but not the cause of autoimmune disease, Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome, or Fibromyalgia. Nevertheless, treating these triggers is
critically important to the new patient’s care. What we find is that
infection and not genetic defects are at the root of HPA axis disruption
in the brain itself.
The Major Impact of Epigenetic Changes
A number of studies have found that alterations in genes are caused
by infections involving immune function, intercellular communication and
energy transfer.
Researchers have identified many different genes in patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that relate to blood disease, immune system
function, and infection. However, despite these identifications, there
is no clear pattern to them and it is quite possible that it is the
infections alone that are altering these genes and are responsible for
impacting mental and emotional health as well. It is very possible that
the infections can alter these genes that impact mental and emotional
health as well.
Important Neurotransmitters Changed by Neurotoxins Competing for Receptor Sites
Some patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have abnormally high
levels of serotonin – a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the
brain), and also show deficiencies in dopamine – an important
neurotransmitter associated with feelings of reward. In some cases there
is also a demonstrable imbalance between norepinephrine and dopamine.
A number of studies on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have shown patients
with lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal
glands. It has been suggested that such cortisol deficiencies are
responsible for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients having impaired or
weakened responses to psychological or physical stresses like worry,
infection, or exercise. However, administering replacement cortisol
improves symptoms only in some patients. Why? Infection and their toxins
(neurotoxins) must be cleared before hormone replacement can begin to
be effective in these patients. It is also common for these patients to
have thyroid, testosterone and cortisol issues.
Idiopathic Diseases are at the Root of Many Psychological Disorders: Sleep disorders Explained
Evidence suggests that certain CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Autoimmune
patients have disturbed circadian rhythms (disorder of the sleep-wake
cycle), which is regulated by the so-called circadian clock, a nerve
cluster in the HPA axis. These are commonly seen in Lyme Disease Complex
along with a number of other neurological symptoms.
A mentally or physically stressful event, such as a viral infection,
may disrupt natural circadian rhythms. An inability to reset these
rhythms results in a perpetual cycle of sleep disturbances. Medications
that improve sleep can be very helpful for certain patients with Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Autoimmune diseases. But, until the
infections are cleared and hormones are rebalanced, long-term
improvement is unlikely.
Psychological, personality, and social factors are strongly
associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Autoimmune
disease like Lupus. There is a distinct complex relationship between
physical and emotional factors.
What Specific Infections are Responsible
Because most of the features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome resemble
those of a lingering viral illness, many researchers have focused on the
possibility that a virus or some other infectious agent, in some cases,
causes the syndrome.
At Envita, we have clinically determined that these patients usually
have a group of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections that
make up what we call Lyme Disease Complex. Some patients may or may not
have actual Lyme disease but may have another type of tick-borne illness
along with a host of co-infections that have brought about
immunological, hormonal, and neuroendocrine changes.
Still, not all Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients show signs of
infection. And although experts have long been divided on whether
infections play any role in this disorder at all, it does seem clear
that subtypes of both viral and non-viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
exist. That being said, researchers have seemingly overlooked the
complexity of mute-infections, multi-toxins, and heavy metal components
that complicate these conditions making them extremely difficult to
diagnose on a case to case basis. When a complex of infections exists,
they can affect the activation and replication of each other via biofilm
communities. To be certain, most patients are never tested thoroughly
and correctly for all the infections that make up, chronic Lyme Disease
Complex.
Infections, Looking More Like the Cause
The theory for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome having a viral cause is not
based on hard evidence, rather, on an ever-growing series of
observations that suggest this association:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as Fibromyalgia and Autoimmune
disease patients are often found with elevated levels of antibodies to
many organisms that cause fatigue and other Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
symptoms. Such organisms include those that cause Lyme disease, Candida
(“yeast infection”), herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6), human T cell lymph
tropic virus (HTLV), Epstein-Barr, measles, coxsackie B,
cytomegalovirus, or parvovirus.
Many of these infectious agents are very common; however, none have
emerged as a definitive cause of CFS. Well-designed studies of patients
who met strict criteria for CFS without any known cause have not found
an increased incidence of any specific infection(s).
In up to 80% of cases, CFS starts suddenly with a flu-like condition.
In the U.S., there have been reports of cluster outbreaks of CFS
occurring within the same household, workplace, and community (but most
have not been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention). However, most cases of CFS occur sporadically in
individuals, and do not appear to be contagious. These all have the
pattern of infections and more importantly, complexes of infections
taking over the patient’s immune system, which is clearly seen in the
depressed CD57 markers found in almost all of this population.
Infection Complexes Leading to Immune System Abnormalities and Immuno-Compromised States
CFS is sometimes referred to as “Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome.” In many cases, studies have detected many immune system
irregularities. Some components appear to be over-reactive, while others
appear to be under-reactive, but no consistent picture has emerged to
explain CFS as a disease of the immune system in conventional medical
practices. Chronic Lyme Disease patients almost always have depressed
CD57 marker called the striker panel and this is almost never run on
chronic fatigue patients when they go to their doctor. Almost 100% of
the time we find decreased key immune function in all CFS patients
because we are running the correct diagnostics.
Environmental Toxins Impact Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Some studies have reported that a majority of CFS patients have
allergies to foods, pollen, metals (such as nickel or mercury), or other
substances. One theory is that allergens, like viral infections, may
trigger a cascade of immune abnormalities leading to CFS. However, most
allergic people do not have CFS. In our clinical setting, patients often
have pesticide, heavy metal and chemical toxicity along with chronic
infections which explains the abnormal and inconstant responses to
allergies. Environmental toxins complicate these conditions and require
targeted treatments to overcome them.
Autoimmunity Overlaps with other Conditions
The risk profile for CFS is similar to the risk profiles for a number
of autoimmune diseases. Studies are inconsistent with regards to the
presence of auto-antibodies (antibodies that attack the body’s own
tissues) in CFS, so the disease is unlikely to be due to auto-immunity –
making it more likely connected to infectious disease. In Lyme disease
patients, we typically see that the patient was diagnosed at one time or
another with several autoimmune diseases but almost certainly the
previous physicians were confused.
Where Can You Find Help?
Envita Medical Centers has been leading the way in comprehensive,
personalized patient care. Contact us for more information. We will
answer any health questions you may have.
http://www.envita.com/lyme-disease/finally-one-link-established-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs-lupus-fibromyalgia-autoimmune-disease-chronic-lyme-disease
