ME vs "Autoimmune Encephalitis"

[Ren]

Has anyone heard of autoimmune encephalitis and/or understand how this condition is distingished from ME. The FAQ page: https://aealliance.org/faq/ Thanks!

 

[Martial]

Hmm never heard of that before, I have had a pretty bad case of chronic encephalitis from my lyme disease though, complete with hypo perfusion..

It is really intense stuff sometimes thats for sure!

 

[Nielk]

This book ' Brain on Fire' describes this disease. https://www.google.com/search?q=brain+on+fire&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

 

[TigerLilea]

Has anyone heard of autoimmune encephalitis and/or understand how this condition is distingished from ME. The FAQ page: https://aealliance.org/faq/ Thanks!

My sister had encephalitis and ended up in ICU after having several seizures. I don't think you can compare this to ME.

 

[SOC]

My sister had encephalitis and ended up in ICU after having several seizures. I don't think you can compare this to ME.

If there is encephalitis in ME, I don't think it is thought to be severe acute encephalitis as experienced by your sister. I think the thought is there might be subacute encephalitis, which would still cause problems, but not the same ones as acute encephalitis. At the same time, I don't think there's clear evidence of even subacute encephalitis in ME/CFS, but I doubt there's been any good research on the topic either way.

 

[Martial]

A spect MRI scan would show any hypo perfusion consisent of possible mild chronic encephalitis..

Also yeah Acute encephalitis is a completely different danger level, and issue then sub acute inflammation and minor hypo perfusion..

I hope your sister is doing well now @TigerLilea

 

[Daffodil]

I think a functional SPECT scan is better. I had horrible brain fog/swelling feeling and my regular SPECT scan was normal!

 

[Aerose91]

I got ME from encephalitis. The acute phase was everything you can think encephalitis could be, then once that passed things changed as the ME became predominant. However, I still occasionally get seizure like episodes and still have motor function/proprioception problems that came from the encephalitis.

There are various types of autoimmune encephalitis but as stated earlier, ME is more of a subactute. In autopsies they have done on ME patients they have found capillary inflammation in the brain stem and base of the brain.