Hi Cort,
IMHO. I'm not so sure that we need to spend more money on research when we have info like this article listed below available. Simply making this known would eliminate much of the confusion around PEM and CFS. IMHO, Articles such a the one referenced in this thread or other articles where questions like this are raised that already have answers only add to the idea that we don't know what's causing PEM when in fact, IMHO we do know how this happens. Correcting PEM is a whole other bucket of worms especially if Cheney is correct and those with PEM also have dysautonomia.
I found many other articles like this while googling CFS Cheney peroxynitrate ... We know more than we think we know ... : ) .. Thank you google !
I only copied in page 5 and most of page 6 but to understand this you need to start on page 1.. FWIW. I see Dr. Cheney and Dr. Myhill as saying the same thing ... Loss of ATP = PEM. Cheney just goes into further detail on how he thinks this happens. I would think that by the looks of the Kreb's cycle that this can happen at various other points too. I say this because it appears that taking the B12s that Fred recommended have lessened my PEM. KOW ... I want to avoid the "I'm Feeling better" curse ... lol ...
I found it very interesting that Cheney understands that our bodies are going into organ failure when we're upright. I knew this from my own experience because when I lay down after being upright for an extended period of time, I can feel the blood going back into the organs in my upper body ... I have orthostatic intolerance and have to lay down every few hours in order to think straight or take a deep breath. After laying down for an hour, I ALWAYS have to urinate right away when I get up. And while laying down I can actually feel my lungs and heart muscle begin to relax as the blood, etc re-enters these organs. I can take a deep breath again. If you don't have OI, try holding your breath and pay attention to how your body feels as you allow the air to re-enter your lungs so you can understand this. Or pay attention to how any part of your body feels as it wakes up from the loss of blood aka falling asleep.
Note to self ... Don't eat BBQ chicken at 9 pm if you want to sleep ... lol ... I sure hope this all makes sense ... good night ...
X
http://www.cfids-cab.org/MESA/Cheney.pdf