Reduced Parasympathetic Reactivation during Recovery from Exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Oliver3

Senior Member
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977
PTSD is the big reason I´m “pushing” to include the endocrinal system in ME/CFS research.
From 1994 to 2016 I led the organization “Adults abused in Childhood worldwide” and almost all displayed symptoms we call today ME/CFS. This was the reason I asked Bill Clinton for research money in 2000 and he made $10 million for Safe Start grants available: http://boxbook.com/letters/letter-from-bill-clinton/

Maybe you like to read: “The Biological Effects of Childhood Trauma” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3968319/

The most severe symptoms were expressed by people with sexual abuse:
“Increased methylation of glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment”: https://www.nature.com/articles/tp201160
Also:
“Childhood adversity increases risk for depression and chronic inflammation”: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703133721.htm
 

Oliver3

Senior Member
Messages
977
Thanks for that. I deffo had some early trauma. It must impact on the genetics but I think that's what comes first. My brother went through smthg similar and has PTSD symptoms but he seems to be able to recover continually.
But if I could stop those PTSD symptoms, surely my body would it improve?
 

SWAlexander

Senior Member
Messages
2,126
Oliver3 you asked.
"But if I could stop those PTSD symptoms, surely my body would it improve?"

As you may have read there are many issues involved.
On the Psychological side; are you able to talk or write about your past experience?
Not that it presents the perfect solution, but hiding negative experience drives the whole body. Your Amygdala (our black box) is always reflecting, comparing and warning. That drives up the hormone levels.
On the hormonal part, you may have a catecholamines test done to see what hormones are driving you most.
By reading a lot about abuse and it´s long-term-consequences, you become your own best therapist.
 

Oliver3

Senior Member
Messages
977
Oliver3 you asked.
"But if I could stop those PTSD symptoms, surely my body would it improve?"

As you may have read there are many issues involved.
On the Psychological side; are you able to talk or write about your past experience?
Not that it presents the perfect solution, but hiding negative experience drives the whole body. Your Amygdala (our black box) is always reflecting, comparing and warning. That drives up the hormone levels.
On the hormonal part, you may have a catecholamines test done to see what hormones are driving you most.
By reading a lot about abuse and it´s long-term-consequences, you become your own best therapist.
Thanks for the kind reply. I've done a hell of a lot of therapy. I kinda know the roots. Part of what drives the catecholamines is allergy, mcas, whatever because I've really addressed the early life stuff best I can.
That's why addressing the parasympathetic with as many tools as possible, like you say, will help.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
5,049
Hi......I did not have an easy childhood, adolescence and it wasn't until I was in my 20's that I felt safe and secure.

I must say, however, that reading about the damage that could have been done isn't something that I can do. It leaves me feeling out of control and even more concerned for the damage done to my younger brothers & sisters (and yes, I tried and actually did help them, but their lives were ruined). For some of us, this type of research takes away our ability to handle what occurred.

I do wish my younger brothers and sisters could have been helped, but such things weren't available at that time. There were good reasons for what occurred, mental illness being one of the biggest and just a whole string of problems that led from one to the other to the next. In many respects being the oldest saved me during the worst of those times. There are times when that is hard to live with...that knowledge.

Thanks for bringing childhood abuse to the fore again. I myself worked as a volunteer with abused children for many years and, surprisingly, often there was no abuse present in the lives of the parents of these children. Most either didn't or wouldn't care for their children. Too self-centered to care. Interesting subject. Yours, Lenora.
 

Oliver3

Senior Member
Messages
977

Oliver3

Senior Member
Messages
977
Not sure this is the right place to post on this but had to do a neccesary meeting today.
My pots went into over drive.felt so poorly.
Ate a lot to compensate but also took 3 5 mg diaezepam.
My pots stopped, my ability to walk down the streets was stabilised.
I'm in a state of pem at the moment so had no choice but to take the diaezepam. It made me feel like 80 percent better.
I know Ron has found this..god I wish we could mainline that feeling everyday
 

bad1080

Senior Member
Messages
253
PTSD is the big reason I´m “pushing” to include the endocrinal system in ME/CFS research.
From 1994 to 2016 I led the organization “Adults abused in Childhood worldwide” and almost all displayed symptoms we call today ME/CFS. This was the reason I asked Bill Clinton for research money in 2000 and he made $10 million for Safe Start grants available: http://boxbook.com/letters/letter-from-bill-clinton/

Maybe you like to read: “The Biological Effects of Childhood Trauma” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3968319/

The most severe symptoms were expressed by people with sexual abuse:
“Increased methylation of glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in adults with a history of childhood maltreatment”: https://www.nature.com/articles/tp201160
Also:
“Childhood adversity increases risk for depression and chronic inflammation”: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703133721.htm
what makes this even worse is how seeking help or a diagnosis with me-cfs is in of itself often a traumatic experience...

One patient described the traumatising response their doctor’s judgement had on them: “When a rheumatologist dismissed me I was already suicidal, this just threw me over the edge. Thankfully I am terrible at killing myself, it’s so much more challenging than you think. But the dreadful dismissiveness of doctors when you have a bizarre collection of symptoms is traumatizing and you start to believe them, that it’s all in your head.”
from: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074887
 
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Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
6,275
Location
Alberta
“When a rheumatologist dismissed me I was already suicidal, this just threw me over the edge."

I had the same experience. I'd driven 100 km to see that specialist, and he dismissed my problems. I told him that I might go home and end my life. He just said "Oh, you really shouldn't do that. Bye." The drive back gave me time to think of something else to try, so I passed that suicide point. I had a similar experience before, and on the drive back I asked myself why iodine had given me temporary remission, while T4 and T3 didn't, so I investigated and found T2, which gave me something else to try.

I do wonder how many PWME committed suicide from doctor's responses (or lack thereof).
 

SWAlexander

Senior Member
Messages
2,126
what makes this even worse is how seeking help or a diagnosis with me-cfs is in of itself often a traumatic experience...
Yes, bad1080—traumatic experiences can have lifelong consequences. That’s why I’m currently taking a break from re-writing my book. The subject matter is incredibly toxic, and I need a clear, analytical mind to unpack and articulate how early abuse imprints have shaped my adult life—including the impacts on my immune system and gene methylation.

I’ve been re-reading the brain-busting Determined by Robert Sapolsky and The Psychopath Inside by James Fallon. I’m genuinely glad I kept all my brain MRIs—they serve as proof that, despite the trauma, I didn’t become a psychopath. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for my brothers—permanently wired on adrenaline and constantly chasing dopamine highs, often getting into brawls. One died of ALS at 64, the second passed three years ago from muscle weakness and acute pericarditis, and the youngest continues to struggle with severe physical and organ-related illnesses, all while manipulating and exploiting anyone who gets too close.
 
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bad1080

Senior Member
Messages
253
it takes me forever to go to sleep (even with breathing exercise) and then when i wake up it takes me forever again until i am fully awake. i think this might be because shifting between the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous system is inhibited. and when i take something for one state (like taurine for sleep), it helps getting into the parasympathetic state but getting into the sympathetic state (waking up) takes even longer (it feels like i have to work my way out of a swamp in the morning). so it helps one side but makes the other one even worse.

does anybody know what could help switching from one state to the other (ideally without affecting either side negatively)?

edit: found this on r/cfs:
High dose ashwagandha (700mg morning and night) with probiotics and some other things in it helped a lot. It gets you to calm down, but it might take a couple of days to start off.

"Ashwagandha has been shown to decrease cortisol levels in persons under chronic stress, restore healthy adrenal function, and normalize the sympathetic nervous system" (another peer reviewed article discussing https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573577/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10075127/)

Choline is also an essential component of the parasympathetic nervous system's neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, and most people are deficient and there are few foods that have it. Eat a couple of eggs or shrimp every day, to turn into acetyl it also depends on B5 and vitamin D. One of my bazillion theories of CFS is that ACL is broken down during the infection due to increased protein metabolism.
i have never tried ashwaganda but reading about its side-effects makes me think it might be hard on the digestive tract
 
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