If you talk to people who have conditions like lupus or MS, many will say it started after a viral infection, i think maybe somehow the immune system could be damaged by these infections causing autoimmune problems.
MS forums mention responding to valtrex, not a cure but finding improvements. I think there is still alot medicine dont know about the immune system and infections. I think sometimes we think medicine knows all the conditions present in this world but i think in 50 yrs time they will see how little they do know now??
I think autoimmunity is secondary to developing CFS. Rather than boosting the immune system it's probably safer trying and remove the causes of immune disturbances. There are too many cases of people getting better on antivirals, antibiotics, gcmaf etc. to ignore that pathogens are involved at some level.
http://www.immed.org/illness/autoimmune_illness_research.html
Chronic infections are important in a variety of autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, such as MS, Lupus (SLE), among others, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We previously proposed that many and perhaps a majority of these patients might be suffering from mycoplasmal and other infections that can cause, in part, their complex signs and symptoms. Systemic chronic infections (caused by bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Brucella, etc. or viruses such as CMV, HHV6, EV or enterovirus, etc.) can invade virtually every human tissue and can compromise the immune system, permitting opportunistic infections by other bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast. Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Rickettsia and other pathogens can also directly damage and kill nerve cells in a process called apoptosis, resulting in nervous system degeneration.
When mycoplasmas exit certain cells, such as synovial cells, nerve cells, among others that can be infected, they can stimulate an autoimmune response. This can occur by different mechanisms. One mechanism that has intrigued us is that when certain microorganisms, such as certain species of mycoplasmas, exit from invaded cells, they carry part of the host cell membrane on their surface. This may trigger the immune system to respond to the host antigens on the foreign microorganism. Alternatively, some microorganisms display surface antigens that mimic host cell surface antigens, and these may stimulate autoimmune responses.
MS patients responding to antibiotics
http://www.cpnhelp.org/patient_stories