My List of SOME Causes of CFS

All of these can be genetically predetermined and some can be caused by a head injury or antibiotic use or virus etc etc-

Inadequate Copper Utilization or Insufficiency

Pyroluria

Diabetes Insipidus or Insufficient or Resistant ADH secretion (me)

Overgrowth of Lactic Acid Producing Bacteria

Prostaglandin E2 excess, E1 Deficiency (treat with evening primrose and omega fish oil or eat oily fish) (take with fat)

Sex Hormone Deficiency

Elevated Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (Leading to Decreased Free Circulating Sex Hormones)

Dopamine Resistance (treat with amphetamine like stimulants)

Insulin Resistance (could be secondary to gut inflammation)

Overgrowth of Bacteria Producing Enzymes that Destroy Vitamin B1 and B3

Celiac Disease

Other Food Allergies

Brain Malfunction (NDMA/AMPA Receptor Dysregulation Leading to Neurotransmitter Malfunctioning)

DHEA and or Cortisol Insufficiency

Aldosterone Insufficiency

Hypothyroidism

Inability to Convert T4 to T3 in adequate amounts/thyroid hormone resistance (selenium deficiency possible)

Gaba Deficiency (found in one study to have high excretion rate in CFS patients)

Beta Alanine Deficiency (found in one study to have high excretion rate in CFS patients)

Gallstones Leading to Digestive Enzyme Deficiency (blocking the bile duct and enzyme secretion from pancreas and gallbladder)

Overgrowth of Iron Absorbing Bacteria

Downregulation/Deficiency of Beta Adrenergic Receptors (Possibly from former or current Hypothyroidism)

Inadequate Intake of Dietary Fat (Leading to cholesterol and hormone deficiency)

Biotin Deficiency (causing malfunction of enzymes like Lactate Dehydrogenase and Partially Inhibiting the Krebs Cycle)

HGH deficiency

Opiate Deficiency/Beta Endorphin Deficiency (Shown in Studies to be Deficient in CFS patients)

Genetic Deficiency of Any Neurotransmitter

Elevated Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (Leading to Decreased Dopamine Levels) This was found to be elevated in majority of CFS patients.

Oxytocin Deficiency


By no means covers all of it. I'm sure West Nile Virus or Malaria could be thrown in there...but a lot of these are overlooked. The abnormal vasopressin secretion is an interest of mine because that's exactly what I have. I have diabetes insipidus as diagnosed by electrolyte concentration comparison of urine and plasma (and of course peeing and drinking all day without replacement therapy)..yet my ADH level supposedly was high on one test. That test could have been bad. Who knows.

Add your own list these are just some of my observations. For me going without vasopressin is even worse than going without cortisol.

If I may add one to your list: intestinal hyperpermeability.

No doubt probably majority of CFS patients have that. The question is why do they have that? There is a theory floating around regarding calcium ion exchange increasing intestinal permeability...bacteria...food allergies. The hard part is finding the cause and then the treatment to it as not many people seem to have recovered their leaky gut. Raw cow milk may be useful for the colostrum and probiotics.

It is really ridiculous because everything I listed could potentially cause increased intestinal permeability. The detective work is what is ridiculous. For me it has been experimentation. I have been a science project for the past 3 years and that's the only reason I feel better. It is pretty scary how careless doctors are. My endocrinology won't even test t3 and t4 at the same time. Well I'm getting a new one. What is crazy is that I had virtually every one of those problems listed above. In my case a several head injuries made my pituitary quite lazy. I just was not the same after my snowboarding wreck.

Indeed!

Right now, I am going through Pubmed identifying every single supplement or drug that helps heal intestinal hyperpermeability. There are quite a few things already that I am taking that are supposed to help. I will be happy to share the results once I feel comfortable enough with them.

Anemia
Vitamin D deficiency
Adrenal burnout/fatigue
Hypokalemia?
Orthostatic intolerances?

These are symptoms - not causes.

I agree mostly with Sushi. Some could be 'co-factors' or 'triggers', but most look like downstream results of ME/CFS.

I do appreciate someone attempting to post a list of 'causes' or 'triggers' however, as there seem to be so many who think or are waiting for that "one" cause, which IMO, doesn't exist.

A lot of those things sound like secondary to me too.

I would put reactions to vaccines for some people in the list. Let's face it, we do not really know yet. I got this after not resting after catching Epstein Barr Virus.
With Rituximab helping 2/3 people we know the cause must be autoimmune or something wrong with the immune system for those 2/3 people.

My own gut feeling is that this illness has something wrong with the immune system and mitochondria.

From "Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Diseases":

"Abstract Autoimmune diseases are characterized by tissue damage and loss of function due to an immune response that is directed against specific organs. This review is focused on the role of impaired intestinal barrier function on autoimmune pathogenesis. Together with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the neuroendocrine network, the intestinal epithelial barrier, with its intercellular tight junctions, controls the equilibrium between tolerance and immunity to non-self antigens. Zonulin is the only physiologic modulator of intercellular tight junctions described so far that is involved in trafficking of macromolecules and, therefore, in tolerance/immune response balance. When the zonulin pathway is deregulated in genetically susceptible individuals, autoimmune disorders can occur. This new paradigm subverts traditional theories underlying the development of these diseases and suggests that these processes can be arrested if the interplay between genes and environmental triggers is prevented by re-establishing the zonulin-dependent intestinal barrier function. Both animal models and recent clinical evidence support this new paradigm and provide the rationale for innovative approaches to prevent and treat autoimmune diseases."

Late delay of thyroid problems here - good health before - missing something these Docs obviously - like one thing leads to another despite my genes at healthy 60 years old.

There is a list of leaky gut supplements, along with PubMed refs, here.

I don't understand that list of CAUSES of CFS. Celiac disease is not a cause of cfs, it is a disease in its own right that MIMICS cfs but it does not cause it. Otherwise you would also put aids, ms, etc. in the list too.

most procedures in dentistry can cause CFS

extraction, failure to remove periodontal ligaments - cavitation with gangrene infection
root canal - gangrene grows in the dentine tubules spreads to adjacent bone
implant - open access hole from oral cavity to deep into the bone guaranteed infection
amalgam - extreme toxicity
crowns/bridges/braces - metal allergy potential for full blown auto immune disease

Not always easy to separate causes from symptoms, it's not that black and white.

Anyhow causes must certainly include

Stress and traumas
Heavy metals, including dental amalgams
Lyme disease and other nasty intracellular infections often misdiagnosed
Parasites
Yeast
Mold

Yeah, good list baccarat. I was wondering if anyone would mention parasites. And xks201, glad you mentioned head injuries. Most people don't realize they can last for decades.

FODMAP diet to stop feeding your SIBOs and allow your gut to heal.

N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) for repairing the glycocalyx that lines the intestines. Someone on the forum mentioned he took this, along with Glucasamine HCl and it healed his gut.

See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11121904 for an interesting study on this.

add chemicals to that list too. Several kinds of chemicals esp stand out and have been know to be ME/CFS triggers.

hi Ian

I can relate to this as a possible cause of me feeling worse. Some time ago I had to have a tooth extracted, and for some reason I can't even remember, he had a hard time extracting it. Not too long after that, I felt worse and the only possible cause I could relate it to was from the dental procedure. Did some reading up on it and I read where some dental procedures can put a lot of stress on the adrenals. To this day I have a fear of going back to the dentist, so I try to atleast maintain the health of my teeth with some occasional oil pulling and just recently started with some Cistus tea to help with keeping tartar off my teeth.