this may seem a bit left field to many here as infections seem to be generally discounted by alot of people with CFS - presumably due to what we are told by mainstream medical doctors
but as i have posted about many times before - i have classic CFS symptoms - that are a perfect match to the top 10 symptoms reported in the symptoms surveys here on the forum including PEM. and was diagnosed with CFS. i later was able to get a definitive diagnosis of chronic Bartonellosis( infection with bacteria from the genus Bartonella) by an undeniable direct method recommended by the WHO for blood borne pathogens.
I mention this as a large proportion of patients with chronic Bartonellosis develop sudden often severe food intolerances and / or auto-immunity - that they did not have before becoming ill - over half or perhaps 3/4 of patients.
Bartonella is well documented to infect the endothelial cells that line the digestive tract causing chronic inflammation there, altering the microbiome and gut barrier permeability.
This is presumably the mechanism by which is causes auto-immunity ( as latest research links gut membrane hyper permeability to all autoimmune diseases )
Bartonellosis is also highly associated with gastritis, colitis, GERD/Reflux, bloating, IBS and other digestive issues as well as anxiety, depression, depersonalisation, derealisation, irritability, rage etc
it is rarely diagnosed by conventional medical doctors
its is generally little known and was originally thought to be a self resolving acute illness - rather than a chronic one.
and conventional blood tests are very poor indeed ( the NHS has recently withdrawn blood tests for Bartonellosis and is yet to replace them with anything else).
its a zoonotic infection - contracted from animals via biting insects, fleas, lice, ticks, chiggers, sand fleas, sand flies ( so most likely mosquitos also) even spiders are documented in the literature - or by the bite of scratch of an infected animal.
people with exposure to animals are at greater risk of infection
- owners of pet animals - pet cats and dogs that go outside are the most common hosts -
- as well as vets ( exposure to pets and farm animals - bites, scratches etc) -
- butchers and abattoir workers ( infected food animals, meat, body fluids) -
- and sewerage system workers ( rodents and their faeces)
- but also anyone with outdoor lifestyles - cross country running, orienteering, mountain biking, camping
i suspect at least a significant subset of CFS patients are suffering with this disease or something very much like it - and are simply misdiagnosed as i was - so i try to raise awareness in the hope it can help someone else
Resources
this is
the best primer on bartonella i have found - its by the world leading mainstream medical researcher in bartonella Prof Ed Breitschwerdt - and one of the leading mainstream medical doctors who treats it
invisible international - is fact based public awareness and patient advocacy organisation that has lots of reliable information including medical board approved courses for medical doctors about these under recognised diseases ( like bartonella).
https://invisible.international/
support forums
this is about the best one i have found
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30
(i am active there)