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CFS in the news in Sth Australia

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
My biggest Sth Australian newspaper called the Advertiser published I think yesterday (my elderly friend just show me this) a small article "Yuppie flu is real " (sighs I thought that yuppie flu term went out with the 1980s).

Anyway, though I cant find their printed article online as its a paid newspaper I thought I'd mention this appearing over in my country.

The article is about the University of California, San Diego discovering a "specific chemical signature in the blood. Bizarrely, the changes echo those seen in hibernating animals."

"Symptoms of CFS include extreme physical and mental fatigue and painful limbs" is how they describe this illness.
 

RL_sparky

Senior Member
Messages
379
Location
California
I think this is the article Taniaaust1 is talking about.
Excerpts:

"Now US scientists have found a chemical signature of the disease in the blood of sufferers. They claim that it is similar to a state found in nematode worms called dauer. In this state, the metabolism adjusts to a difficult environment by slowing down — enabling existence, but not much more."

"However, as well as finding 20 markers that were indicative of the disease, Robert Naviaux, from the University of California, San Diego, found that these matched markers that would be expected in invertebrates in the dauer state.
This suggested that the condition could be a misfiring response to the environment, with the body mistakenly entering a state designed for survival in harsh conditions. Under this theory, just as allergies are overactive immune responses, ME could be an overactive response of the metabolic system."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/.../chronic-fatigue.../ c772e98d0179fce11a184b5d9ac7ddbb
 

mango

Senior Member
Messages
905
Is this the one, @taniaaust1?

advertiser%20SA%20AU_zpsfulld9wq.jpg
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
I just read about this on ScienceAlert at http://www.sciencealert.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-is-similar-to-entering-hibernation-study-finds (I've liked their FB page, very informative!)
I think that the researchers don't actually use the term yuppie flu, but perhaps the newspaper decided it made a catchier headline. After all, the researchers are obviously very knowledgeable about the condition and I'd say the journalists are...less so... lol
But yes, I agree it's a term from the 80s, 90s at the latest. On the upside, the research is interesting. It makes sense, our bodies are trying to do anything possible to get us to rest and recuperate, even if it makes us feel bad. But we just keep trying to be normal-ish and not hibernate. I've actually wondered in the past what the effects of a long period in a coma would be on a CFS patient. Like 6 months where the body doesn't need to work, just heal. Would be interesting to see if it improve symptoms or not, and I guess it's the closest thing humans do to actually hibernating. Sometimes I joke that I should've been a cat - I sleep as much as they do, am very sensitive to stimuli like they are and am either asleep, half-asleep or hyperactive, no in between lol If I'm trying to hibernate, maybe I'm a bear-cat mutant? :p
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I just read about this on ScienceAlert at http://www.sciencealert.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-is-similar-to-entering-hibernation-study-finds (I've liked their FB page, very informative!)
I think that the researchers don't actually use the term yuppie flu, but perhaps the newspaper decided it made a catchier headline.

But yes, I agree it's a term from the 80s, 90s at the latest.

nods yes, the heading probably didnt come from the researchers but just shows the state of things where I live currently hence I wanted to post this esp since its our states biggest newspaper too. Its frustrating how slow things are moving here.

I've actually wondered in the past what the effects of a long period in a coma would be on a CFS patient. Like 6 months where the body doesn't need to work, just heal. Would be interesting to see if it improve symptoms or not,

It was aggressive rest therapy in the past which lead to me having a full remission for 2-3 years. Forcing myself to rest and sleep more then I wanted too. I did that cause I'd see that was the only thing which helped me.
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
nods yes, the heading probably didnt come from the researchers but just shows the state of things where I live currently hence I wanted to post this esp since its our states biggest newspaper too. Its frustrating how slow things are moving here.

It was aggressive rest therapy in the past which lead to me having a full remission for 2-3 years. Forcing myself to rest and sleep more then I wanted too. I did that cause I'd see that was the only thing which helped me.
It's slow here in QLD too, sometimes I wish I lived in Syd or Melb! That's amazing about the remission, I'm so glad that helped. How did you decide when to reduce it though? I always find it hard to figure when I need rest and when I'm well enough to push myself so that I can improve. It's such a delicate balance.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
It's slow here in QLD too, sometimes I wish I lived in Syd or Melb! That's amazing about the remission, I'm so glad that helped. How did you decide when to reduce it though? I always find it hard to figure when I need rest and when I'm well enough to push myself so that I can improve. It's such a delicate balance.

i have to go by clocks sometimes in how long to go and do things based on my past experiences...as once the symptoms start to kick in more it usually means you have overdone it already by then. So used to time my rest and time my activities. I need to start doing it again as I twice gave myself a fever in the past week by spending too long on the phone.
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
i have to go by clocks sometimes in how long to go and do things based on my past experiences...as once the symptoms start to kick in more it usually means you have overdone it already by then. So used to time my rest and time my activities. I need to start doing it again as I twice gave myself a fever in the past week by spending too long on the phone.
Ah this sounds perfect. I've been thinking that perhaps I should start timing my rests - not necessarily to sleep (if I don't feel that bad) but at least to make myself do some meditation or something along those lines. I've been uses guided meditations on youtube to help me get to sleep lately and it's definitely helping. I might have to set an alarm on my watch to remind me to do it though!