My 22 year old son, has been having alot of symptoms, swollen lymph nodes in his neck and groin, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, rashes, significant weight loss, abdominal pain, scalp psoriasis among others. He went to the ER who sent him home with ibuprofen, but ran no tests. Then he went to the family doctor who said the same, nothing wrong, no tests ran. He then went to a third doctor who found the swollen glands and ran general bloodwork that came back perfect. The doctor is now running a thyroid and liver function panel. If it comes back clear, he is being referred to an immunologist/allergist. The doc he saw today does not believe in Epstein/Barr virus or Chronic fatigue. We are frustrated, any ideas? Anybody out there have experienced these symptoms? I hear your concerns! See my page about young people with CFS at http://www.fms-help.com/teens.htm My own CFS story is at http://www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm
I have a lot of good info about this illness on my homepage at http://www.fms-help.com You can contact me through my website if you have questions.
BTW, so many of my newsletter readers have developed FMS/CFIDS from having mono or EBV. It does sound like your son has developed immune/autoimmune problems. I used to have chronic swollen glands and fatigue, made worse by stress. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a common write off for docs who don't know how to diagnose someone. I don't really belive in it but it could be caused by another item such as myalgia and arthralgia.
But if it is true here are some things that help, using medical care and additional therapies of pacing, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET). Interventions involving rehabilitation therapies have been shown to be at least partially effective.
Some therapies recommended by different sources include:
- Adaptive pacing
- Cognitive behavior therapy
- Envelope theory
- Graded exercise therapy
- Yoga
- Physiotherapy What your son needs is a microbiologist working in a university teaching hospital.
The American Society for Microbiology at http://www.asm.org maintains an Academy fellowship directory where you can find the address and phone number of microbiologists. Microbiologists are listed by area of expertise, geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.
The Academy fellowship directory of the ASM is located at:
http://www.asm.org/Directories/fellows_s...
Microbiologists are medical doctors specializing in infections. They can examine patients, order blood tests and stool cultures to identify microorganisms, bacteria or viruses, causing infections, and prescribe the best antibiotics and antiviral agents to fight these microorganisms.
Ask your family doctor to refer you to a microbiologist practicing in a university teaching hospital. Medical specialists who practice in university teaching hospitals tend to be more knowledgeable and up to date than most doctors.
Back in the Fall of 1976, I developed mononucleosis, followed by what would have been a chronic fatigue syndrome from which I recovered gradually over the next 5 years. This was before CFS was recognized as a medical condition.
For four years, I was referred to a microbiologist who had a number of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. This does not make me a specialist, but I had the opportunity to speak with a CFS patient in the waiting room who was experiencing a mild relapse after more than 20 years of CFS.
As I understand it, CFS is caused by a chronic infection developing into an autoimmune disease. Much like rheumatoid arthritis stemming from gastrointestinal bacteria, the key is to run blood tests and stool cultures to identify the bacteria and /or viruses causing the chronic infection. A positive test goes a long way to convince doctors and insurance companies that you need antibiotics and antiviral agents, as the case might be.
The second step is to fight the chronic infection with an appropriate combination of antibiotics and /or antiviral agents. Finally, the antibiotic Minocin is prescribed for at least 12-18 months to address the autoimmune aspect of CFS.
When prescribing Minocin for its immunomodulatory effect, it can be used alone or in combination with Zithromax as follows:
Zithromax (azithromycin), 5 days per week, Monday to Friday afternoons, between 4 PM and 8 PM, 500 mg on Mondays, and 250 mg on Tuesdays to Fridays, for a total weekly dosage of 1,500 mg, in combination with Minocin (minocycline), 100 mg, twice a day, every 12 hours, 7 days per week. For the convenience of patients, if tinnitus, a constant hissing sound, is not a major problem, Zithromax, 500 mg, can be prescribed 3 days per week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, between 4 PM and 8 PM.
If you take any NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors, you should consider adding Losec (omeprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole) or Nexium (esomeprazole), 20 mg, once or twice a day, to reduce stomach acid, prevent the recurrence of ulcers and, possibly, increase the effectiveness of antibiotics used to fight gastrointestinal bacteria.
When you reach a pain free or an almost pain free condition through antibiotics, especially Minocin, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors and DMARDs are no longer needed to control inflammation. As you quit these medications, you can abandon Losec, Prilosec and Nexium as well, because you are no longer at a higher risk of developing ulcers.
Minocin has unpleasant side effects for the first month following its introduction. Patients might suffer from headaches, dizziness or light headedness, imbalance and nausea. To ease your way and avoid unnecessary adverse side effects, please consider a dose reduction for the first month, i. e. Minocin, 50 mg, twice a day, or fewer days with Minocin, 5 days per week, every day except Mondays and Thursdays (or Fridays), for the first 1-2 months. After that initial period, you should resume a full dosage of Minocin, 100 mg, twice a day, every 12 hours, 7 days per week.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Avoid the sun while on Minocin.
Zithromax is prescribed for its ability to inhibit the formation of a bacterial biofilm containing proteins and portions of bacteria which would protect gastrointestinal bacteria from antibiotics and the phagocytes, polynuclear cells and macrophages generated by the immune system. Zithromax is also useful for its ability to reduce the virulence factors of gastrointestinal bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Minocin is prescribed for its immunomodulatory effect to destroy memory T cells which command the production of antibodies to attack body cells, even in the absence of infection, causing an abnormal autoimmune reaction which is likely present in chronic fatigue syndrome. Minocin is also a strong anti-inflammatory which, over time, will allow you to discontinue any NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors and codeine.
To replenish the intestinal flora destroyed by antibiotics, get acidophilus capsules sold in health food stores. Acidophilus capsules usually contain a minimum of 4.6 billion active units of lactobacillus and acidophilus bacteria which are indigenous to the human lower intestinal tract. To prevent or minimize any problem with diarrhea, take 2 capsules of acidophilus, 4 hours before Zithromax and 2 hours after Zithromax or any other antibiotic. If needed, take acidophilus 3 times per day. When introducing Zithromax, any problem with diarrhea should not last beyond the first 4 weeks.
To reduce the risk of esophageal irritation and ulceration, antibiotics should be taken with a large glass of water, while standing or sitting upright. Take antibiotics on an empty stomach, unless some food (no milk or dairy product) is needed with Minocin to prevent severe adverse effects. Do not take at bedtime. Wait at least 30-45 minutes before lying on your back or stomach.
As a result of being so weak and exhausted from inflammation, and as a side effect of antibiotics, you may want to go back to sleep just after the morning antibiotic pill. If you go back to bed, you should use a pillow chair for the first 45 minutes. A pillow chair is like a cushioned chair with its back and arms, but without a seat and legs. It is sold in large department stores and designed to help people who want to sit, read or eat in bed. Should you be very sleepy, the arms and back of the chair will allow you to remain sitting in bed, instead of falling off or lying on your back.
According to a Leyden study, the absorption of Minocin is reduced by 13% if taken with solid food, whereas it is reduced by 27% if taken with milk. When Minocin pellet-filled capsules were given concomitantly with a meal, which included dairy products, the extent of absorption was not noticeably influenced, but peak plasma concentrations were decreased by 11.2% and delayed by one hour, compared to dosing under fasting conditions.
Absorption of all tetracyclines (including Minocin) is impaired by antacids containing aluminum, calcium, or magnesium, and iron-containing preparations. Take Minocin 2 hours away from any dairy product, calcium, magnesium or aluminum supplement and 3 hours away from any iron supplement, such as a multivitamin containing iron.
Don't interrupt any current medication for pain and inflammation until pain subsides. If you're not on any such medication, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, acetaminophen and codeine are all available to reduce pain and inflammation.
Finally, depression is often a component of CFS, possibly a low level depression which serves to exacerbate pain. If this is the case, antidepressants can work miracles to improve your enjoyment of life and reduce pain.
A low dose of antidepressant, 25 mg or 50 mg, is often prescribed at bedtime, as a muscle relaxant, for fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis patients who wake up fully rested and pain free, just like before their illness. Plenty of dreams that you remember and an over optimistic attitude are the main side effects, unless you develop a (rare) skin rash, as I did.
For more information on chronic fatigue syndrome, please go to Medline Plus at:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/...
or contact:
The American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
27 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 416
Chicago, IL 60606
Voice Mail : 847-258-7248
Fax: 847-748-8288
Web: http://www.aacfs.org
or join the antibio group at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant... |
