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West Nile anyone treated for lingering virus?

Messages
12
Just wondering if anybody has had West Nile Virus as probable cause of their symptoms and if they had sought all these antiviral treatments that I'm reading about on this site?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
West Nile virus is certainly a possible causal factor for ME/CFS. The trouble is, there are no specific antiviral treatments for this virus, although ribavirin and interferon alpha may help during acute infection. 1



Some info about the virus and ME/CFS:
West Nile virus

This mosquito-borne virus is found in many countries throughout the world, including the US, Australia, parts of Canada, parts of Europe, but not the UK, Ireland or New Zealand.

Around 1% of the US population have been infected with West Nile virus. Most people experience no symptoms when catching the virus, but about 20% of people develop a fever, headache, vomiting or a rash, and less than 1% develop encephalitis or meningitis, which presents with neck stiffness, confusion or seizure symptoms.

31% of patients with a history of West Nile virus infection reported fatigue that affected their daily activities. Of those with fatigue, 64% met the CDC case definition for CFS. 1

So that equates to around 20% of patients with a history of West Nile virus infection developing CFS.
 

BadBadBear

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Rocky Mountains
@Hip I had read that study some time ago and test for WNV as I thought it might contribute to my illness. However my titers were negative. Would this mean I never was exposed to it?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
@Hip I had read that study some time ago and test for WNV as I thought it might contribute to my illness. However my titers were negative. Would this mean I never was exposed to it?

If the lab report says your IgG titers are negative, then yes you would have never been exposed to it.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
Thank you! But darn, would have explained WTH happened!

Have you been tested for the main pathogens linked to ME/CFS, including EBV, HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, coxsackievirus B, echovirus, parvovirus B19, and Chlamydia pneumoniae?

Further ME/CFS-linked pathogens include: HHV-7, Giardia lamblia, Coxiella burnetii (that's rare though), Ross River virus (if you are in Australia) and of course West Nile virus.

Other pathogens that may cause fatigue symptoms include: Bartonella, Babesia, Brucella and Mycoplasma.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
The other thing to consider is whether you might have chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), which produces very similar symptoms to ME/CFS, but is caused by biotoxin exposure (eg mold exposure) rather than infection.

Some people with CIRS are misdiagnosed has having ME/CFS, and then get the wrong treatment.
 

BadBadBear

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Rocky Mountains
Have you been tested for the main pathogens linked to ME/CFS, including EBV, HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, coxsackievirus B, echovirus, parvovirus B19, and Chlamydia pneumoniae?

Further ME/CFS-linked pathogens include: HHV-7, Giardia lamblia, Coxiella burnetii (that's rare though), Ross River virus (if you are in Australia) and of course West Nile virus.

Other pathogens that may cause fatigue symptoms include: Bartonella, Babesia, Brucella and Mycoplasma.

I have tested positive for EBV (EA is high), mycoplasma past infection
negative for: HHV6, cyto, coxsackie B, c. pneumonie, strep

Planning to do parvo and echo soon. Thanks for the list of other pathogens. I am not in a lyme area, but would like to do a test for it anyway.

@Hip I am thankful for you and for your sharp and concise mind, and your willingness to help people. Lots of love to you.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
I am thankful for you and for your sharp and concise mind

Thanks, though sharp and concise are not exactly the adjectives I would use to describe my brain after getting ME/CFS! Actually I find it's the interaction with people on these forums that helps to clarify and focus my foggy thought processes, so I think we all are helping each other out here.
 
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BadBadBear

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Rocky Mountains
Thanks, though sharp and concise are not exactly the adjectives I would use to describe my brain after getting ME/CFS! Actually I find it's the interaction with people on these forums that helps to clarify and focus my foggy thought processes, so I think we all are helping each other out here.

I often think of my brain as a rock someone is trying to pour water on, and it just can't absorb anything. You are leaps and bounds ahead of me, it seems, I really and truly hope it is so!!!
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
My ME/CFS these days is at the top end of moderate, bordering on mild, so the brain fog and fatigue have eased off compared to how I was a few years ago, when I was moderate but inching towards severe ME/CFS. So I guess I am lucky there.

The main issue for me these days is the mental health comorbidities that my virus also seemed to trigger, like depression, anhedonia, blunted emotions and sometimes some mild psychosis. Those are symptoms I'd like to try to improve. I suspect they may be underpinned by brain inflammation caused by the virus.
 

BadBadBear

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Rocky Mountains
The main issue for me these days is the mental health comorbidities that my virus also seemed to trigger, like depression, anhedonia, blunted emotions and sometimes some mild psychosis. Those are symptoms I'd like to try to improve. I suspect they may be underpinned by brain inflammation caused by the virus.

I totally understand. My PTSD is sometimes so off the hook since I've been ill that I can't tell if the PTSD causes the illness or vice versa. It may be helpful if I can understand it as brain inflammation as well.

I can live with anhedonia, face blindness, and some other facets of the illness, but the PTSD flaring up has been pretty life limiting in an already limited life.

It takes such a huge energetic toll to deal with the psych aspects. Cannot believe how draining they are.

Didn't you try LDN? Did you find it helpful for the neuro inflammation & psych issues? Does anything seem to help?

(should we start another thread, I know I'm wandering way OT)
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,820
Didn't you try LDN? Did you find it helpful for the neuro inflammation & psych issues? Does anything seem to help?

LDN seemed to make my anhedonia a little worse, and did not seem to help ME/CFS symptoms.



but the PTSD flaring up has been pretty life limiting in an already limited life

Have you looked at iboga for PTSD? That seems to have some benefit, and it's legal in some countries. People these days are microdosing iboga, meaning that you take a course of small daily dose, each dose well below the threshold to create a "trip", rather than one large dose that will throw you into a full Iboga trip (which is not for the fainthearted; I would not contemplate such a trip).

I tried iboga microdosing myself, to see if it would help by blunted emotions (iboga seems to promote the emotional mind). Unfortunately the benefits were only temporary.