I do wonder what the Valtrex connection is; very curious.
I've been following a different thread in this maze. One recent idea which produced more data than I could digest was that many drugs given to patients may actually have some anti-retroviral activity. Valtrex (valaciclovir) is an example of how devious biochemical pathways can be. This is a prodrug which is converted to aciclovir in the liver, so its mechanism of action is similar to aciclovir. By itself it shows action against DNA viruses like EBV, but little anti-retroviral activity. In cells which are dually-infected with EBV (and quite possibly other viruses of the herpes group) one metabolite inhibits reverse transcription. So this drug can act as either an antiviral or antiretroviral, but antiretroviral activity is tied to high titers of herpes viruses.
I want to make clear that I do not disagree with Rich or Fredd about problems with energy metabolism and specific biochemicals in these cycles. I'm looking for the root of problems which could explain the rapid onset of symptoms in many cases. I think there is a virus, and the variety of infections blamed causes me to suspect an underlying retroviral infection causing local immunosuppression, despite the current adverse atmosphere for this idea.
A major problem with current virology is that any pathogen which can make someone sick for 10 years or more without killing them is unlikely to pass any of the tests developed for viruses with rapid replication and high copy numbers. If you wonder why we have gone 40 years without finding an etiology for breast cancer or prostate cancer this is one possible explanation. It may also apply to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. We can't separate the cause from the background until the disease enters a phase of exponential expansion. By that time the easiest treatment options are gone.