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Mitochondrial encephalopathy

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
Im thinking this is what I may have and am going to try follow this route,got appointment to see a geneticist not sure how this could be tested for.
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
This is interesting to me- may I ask what your symptoms are?

This disease for me is 95% in my brain. It started with encephalitis which seemingly never went away and has now progressed my brain to some of the darkest depths of hell. I would like to know what mitochondrial encephalopathy is all about
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
EBV onset then persistant fatigue and mental confusion.I identify with youre altered state of consciousness and dissociation.Have you had thyroid tested and vitamin D levels.I think if you have high levels of cytokines for a long time it starts destroying glands and pickles the brain.
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Yes I've had almost everything under the sun tested- vit D and thyroid are fine. All of my autoimmune tests have been fine but I'm going to get tested for cytokines soon. The altered consciousness and severe severe dissociation almost has me at a point of psychosis. I had a SPECT scan recently and it showed severe hypo perfusion and signs of toxicity so they suspected mitochondrial or toxic encephalopathy. Do your symptoms ever fluctuate? Mine are the same all the time- never get better b

I'm looking into stem cells for this too.
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Likewise, I occasionally get muscle weakness or pain but only on overexertion episodes, however the only thing that is constantly effected is my brain, and bad. When I overexert it causes permenant progression of the disease in my brain. Little to no pain or fatigue
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
The cytokine testing sounds interesting,dont think they do anything like that in the uk.toxic encephalopathy might be a good route would the toxic part be cytokines
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
http://www.encephalitis.info/ This is a good place for info on encephalitis,remember encephalitis is serious and rare it usually puts you in hospital with seizures and such.Thats why I prefer the term encephalopathy because its a catch all for the unknown and mine feels sub acute .
 
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Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Hi Aerose91,

I see you have had a SPECT scan done recently.I have been checking re that recently(Amen Clinics).If you live in Uk please let me know where you had it done and how much it cost..Thanks.
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
I'm pretty I certain that mine started with encephalitis because I had every single symptom, including two small seizures, but it lightened up after 2 weeks and turned into this. I was later diagnosed with encephalopathy. I've heard the other term interchanged with this as sub-acute encephalitis.

My doc said the toxicity could be from hormone imbalance, medications, drugs/alcohol, I'm not sure about the cytokines tho, it's a good theory. Ill let you know what I find out or if im even able to get these tests
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Hi Aerose91,

I see you have had a SPECT scan done recently.I have been checking re that recently(Amen Clinics).If you live in Uk please let me know where you had it done and how much it cost..Thanks.

Yes I had a SPECT because y brain is in such bad shape and my MRIs came back clean, and I was sick of being so such while people told me I need a psychiatrist.

I had mine at Amen Clinics, the quality of the scan was very good. There are different packages you can choose from that involve a resting scan, post exertional scan, QEEG and various meetings with psychiatrists.

I chose to do the basic package with just the resting scan and a meeting afterward with a doctor to review my results. They also gave me everything presented in a nice binder with multiple copies if my results. The total was $2400, not cheap. The scan itself was $1,100 but you have to do some of the follow up visits with psychiatrists in order to be allowed to do the scan- the total is 2 days.

That was all the money I had left for that scan but I thought it was necessary, and it was

Here are copies of my scans. The colored ones are external blood flow and the blue/red ones are deep activity.
 

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Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Wastester

Was your onset acute or gradual? Mine was extremely acute, I can narrow it down to the minute everything started
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
Mine was acute onset have the date written down somewhere think it was around 1994.I was interested in QEEG think theres a place in London that does that.What does youre spect reveal I had a quick look at amen does yours fit best with anxiety
 
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Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,298
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Mitochondrial dysfunction, which seems to be prominent in ME/CFS, disrupts aerobic energy production. When this happens, the body reverts to (very inefficient) anaerobic energy production, which produces a by product of lactic acid. Lactic acid is thought by some to cause brain fog, PEM and the pain of fibromyalgia.

A therapy I'm learning about is to take baking soda dissolved in water to quickly reduce lactic acid levels. Apparently there's a term "soda doping" which some athletes will do to counter lactic acid buildup from strenuous exercise. I've heard the Olympics has outlawed this practice because it's so effective.

The dosage I heard is 1/4 tsp baking soda (non-aluminum) to 1 cup water. I just tried it tonight for the first time. Felt slightly woozy for about half an hour, and then started to feel better than before taking it. So am in just the initial stage of testing this for myself.

Best, Wayne
 
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Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
I was hoping that my SPECT would show anxiety actually because then I could blame the severe dissociation on that, but he said no, quite the opposite- my brain was under active.

Wow, 1994, I'm so sorry. Have u had the severe dissociation and altered conciousness the whole time? Any remissions or PEM setbacks?
 

Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Yes I had a SPECT because y brain is in such bad shape and my MRIs came back clean, and I was sick of being so such while people told me I need a psychiatrist.

I had mine at Amen Clinics, the quality of the scan was very good. There are different packages you can choose from that involve a resting scan, post exertional scan, QEEG and various meetings with psychiatrists.

I chose to do the basic package with just the resting scan and a meeting afterward with a doctor to review my results. They also gave me everything presented in a nice binder with multiple copies if my results. The total was $2400, not cheap. The scan itself was $1,100 but you have to do some of the follow up visits with psychiatrists in order to be allowed to do the scan- the total is 2 days.

That was all the money I had left for that scan but I thought it was necessary, and it was

Here are copies of my scans. The colored ones are external blood flow and the blue/red ones are deep activity.

Hi Aerorose91.

Sorry due to health issues I haven't been on PR recently.Thank you for your detailed reply.I'm busy today but I'll need to digest what you have written and then perhaps I'll get back to you.Those scans look interesting!
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
Im thinking this is what I may have and am going to try follow this route,got appointment to see a geneticist not sure how this could be tested for.

I have experienced EXACTLY what you describe since 1993, after mononucleosis. I have almost taken my life many, many times. Like you, the disease was mostly in my head, but eventually progressed to a total systemic situation.

I am a little better now.

I am told my brain fog is due to lactic acid. Recently, baking soda in water was suggested to me. Has anyone here tried this?

Thanks
xox
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,298
Location
Ashland, Oregon
I am told my brain fog is due to lactic acid. Recently, baking soda in water was suggested to me. Has anyone here tried this?

Hi Daffodil,

Please see my post just above (#15). I've totally spaced out taking more baking soda since I did that single dose a month ago. Time for me to try it again! --- Here's a bit more information I've discovered since that post. --- Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Dichloroacetate all reduce lactic acid buildup in body.

The quote below is taken from this Journal of Oncology article:

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Reversal with Dichloroacetate
Correcting mitochondrial dysfunction may be one of the major future pharmacological targets for treating many diseases, as many diseases’ mitochondrial dysfunction appears to be a common pathological denominator. Lactic acidosis is also seen as a complication in malaria [25] indicating mitochondrial involvement, and more recently Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [26]. DCA has also been shown to help considerably in diabetes [27] and familial hypercholesterolemia [28].

Here's a bit of a blurb from my word processing notes:
A very little known information that many do not know is clove oil, is strongly antiviral against Fibromyalgia and CFS. — As to the muscle pain, a treatment of malic acid and magnesium chloride and sodium bicarbonate should work. The usual treatment is 500 mg malic acid, 2000 mg magnesium chloride and 5000 mg sodium bicarbonate. This will act as a buffer, reducing lactic acid buildup and reduce pain by getting the PH in the muscle to stabilize.
 
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shannah

Senior Member
Messages
1,429
I have experienced EXACTLY what you describe since 1993, after mononucleosis. I have almost taken my life many, many times. Like you, the disease was mostly in my head, but eventually progressed to a total systemic situation.

I am a little better now.

I am told my brain fog is due to lactic acid. Recently, baking soda in water was suggested to me. Has anyone here tried this?

Thanks
xox


Hi Daff,

I've been doing baking soda for a number of months now. I've had to proceed with increases v-e-r-y slowly as there's certainly a 'die-off' or detox reaction that's nasty.

Although there's still lots of room for improvement, there's been definite benefits. Cognition has improved. I'm sure it will improve more as I can tolerate increased doses. Muscle pain clears more with each increase. I'm also able to be upright for short periods of time more often. Perhaps digestion has improved somewhat.

Other than clearing lactic acid from the body, I've read it also transports oxygen, increases the PH balance, is considered a remedy for yeast/fungus/mould, can bind oxalates in the body, is an antimicrobial folk remedy taken by many old timers and of course there's a cancer protocol utilizing baking soda.

The only downside for me is, like a said before, increases have to be very tiny and slowly introduced. I think it may also deplete magnesium or potassium because every once in a while there seems to be an increased need for those supplements.

If you try it, I'd really like to hear how you make out with it.

All the best,
shannah