Hip
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This is a poll about the co-factors that may be playing a co-staring causal role in virally-triggered ME/CFS
NOTE: if your ME/CFS did not have a viral onset, please do not vote in this poll. This poll focuses only on patients whose ME/CFS appeared to be triggered by a virus they caught.
Although ME/CFS is often triggered by a respiratory viral infection (such as an enterovirus infection), the same virus usually does not cause ME/CFS in other people. From this fact we can deduce that additional causal co-factors must be in place before such a virus is capable of triggering ME/CFS; and that when such a virus does precipitate ME/CFS in an individual, those additional co-factors were likely already present in that person.
That is to say, we can surmise that:
ME/CFS may arise if (a) you catch certain viral infections, and (b) you also have certain additional co-factors already present in your body that enable that virus to precipitate ME/CFS.
The additional co-factors that I think are most likely playing a co-staring causal role alongside the triggering virus are the following:
• Already having irritable bowel syndrome prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2 3
• Already having small intestine bacterial overgrowth prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2
• Already having interstitial cystitis prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2 3
• Already having overactive bladder prior to catching the triggering virus. 1
• Significant exposure to mold toxins prior to or around about the time of catching the triggering virus. 1 2
• Significant exposure to organophosphate pesticides or pyrethroid pesticides prior to or around about the time of catching the triggering virus. 1
So in this poll, I would ask people whose ME/CFS was caused from a virus they caught to indicate which of the above health conditions / toxic exposures they had prior to catching their triggering virus.
All of the above health conditions / toxic exposures have been shown to occur more frequently in ME/CFS patients (see the references given), and this is why I suspect them of being possibly important co-factors in the etiology of virally-triggered ME/CFS.
I myself had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and overactive bladder prior to catching the enterovirus infection that seemed to trigger my ME/CFS. I also had a very significant chronic organophosphate pesticide exposure one year prior to catching my virus. I suspect I developed ME/CFS due to the combined effects of the virus I caught plus these additional co-factors. My hunch, however, is that my enterovirus infection played the major casual role: this is because I had both IBS and overactive bladder for many years without developing ME/CFS; but soon after catching an enterovirus, I began to descend into ME/CFS.
Notes on responding to the poll
This is a multi-answer poll, so if like me you had more than one of the above health conditions / toxic exposures prior to catching your ME/CFS-precipitating virus, please select all those that you had.
Significant exposures to mold toxins. Such significant exposure usually comes from water damaged buildings where large patches of toxic mold have grown on the walls.
Significant exposure to organophosphate pesticides or pyrethroid pesticides. Such significant exposure can arise from occupational exposure, or from accidental spillage and contamination of the workplace or home.
In addition to responding to the poll, could you also post a quick comment in this thread, stating the health conditions and toxic exposures you had prior to catching your ME/CFS-precipitating virus. This is because the poll does not display individual responses. You can use these abbreviations:
IBS = irritable bowel syndrome
SIBO = small intestine bacterial overgrowth
IC = interstitial cystitis
OB = overactive bladder
MOLD = significant mold toxin exposure
PEST = significant organophosphate or pyrethroid pesticide exposure
NOTE: if your ME/CFS did not have a viral onset, please do not vote in this poll. This poll focuses only on patients whose ME/CFS appeared to be triggered by a virus they caught.
Although ME/CFS is often triggered by a respiratory viral infection (such as an enterovirus infection), the same virus usually does not cause ME/CFS in other people. From this fact we can deduce that additional causal co-factors must be in place before such a virus is capable of triggering ME/CFS; and that when such a virus does precipitate ME/CFS in an individual, those additional co-factors were likely already present in that person.
That is to say, we can surmise that:
ME/CFS may arise if (a) you catch certain viral infections, and (b) you also have certain additional co-factors already present in your body that enable that virus to precipitate ME/CFS.
The additional co-factors that I think are most likely playing a co-staring causal role alongside the triggering virus are the following:
• Already having irritable bowel syndrome prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2 3
• Already having small intestine bacterial overgrowth prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2
• Already having interstitial cystitis prior to catching the triggering virus. 1 2 3
• Already having overactive bladder prior to catching the triggering virus. 1
• Significant exposure to mold toxins prior to or around about the time of catching the triggering virus. 1 2
• Significant exposure to organophosphate pesticides or pyrethroid pesticides prior to or around about the time of catching the triggering virus. 1
So in this poll, I would ask people whose ME/CFS was caused from a virus they caught to indicate which of the above health conditions / toxic exposures they had prior to catching their triggering virus.
All of the above health conditions / toxic exposures have been shown to occur more frequently in ME/CFS patients (see the references given), and this is why I suspect them of being possibly important co-factors in the etiology of virally-triggered ME/CFS.
I myself had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and overactive bladder prior to catching the enterovirus infection that seemed to trigger my ME/CFS. I also had a very significant chronic organophosphate pesticide exposure one year prior to catching my virus. I suspect I developed ME/CFS due to the combined effects of the virus I caught plus these additional co-factors. My hunch, however, is that my enterovirus infection played the major casual role: this is because I had both IBS and overactive bladder for many years without developing ME/CFS; but soon after catching an enterovirus, I began to descend into ME/CFS.
Notes on responding to the poll
This is a multi-answer poll, so if like me you had more than one of the above health conditions / toxic exposures prior to catching your ME/CFS-precipitating virus, please select all those that you had.
Significant exposures to mold toxins. Such significant exposure usually comes from water damaged buildings where large patches of toxic mold have grown on the walls.
Significant exposure to organophosphate pesticides or pyrethroid pesticides. Such significant exposure can arise from occupational exposure, or from accidental spillage and contamination of the workplace or home.
In addition to responding to the poll, could you also post a quick comment in this thread, stating the health conditions and toxic exposures you had prior to catching your ME/CFS-precipitating virus. This is because the poll does not display individual responses. You can use these abbreviations:
IBS = irritable bowel syndrome
SIBO = small intestine bacterial overgrowth
IC = interstitial cystitis
OB = overactive bladder
MOLD = significant mold toxin exposure
PEST = significant organophosphate or pyrethroid pesticide exposure