The psychosomatic approach to medically unexplained symptoms, myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (MUS/ME/CFS) is critically reviewed using scientific criteria. Based on the 'Biopsychosocial Model', the psychosomatic theory proposes that patients' dysfunctional beliefs, deconditioning and attentional biases cause or make illness worse, disrupt therapies, and lead to preventable deaths. The evidence reviewed suggests that none of these psychosomatic hypotheses is empirically supported. The lack of robust supportive evidence together with the use of fal-lacious causal assumptions, inappropriate and harmful therapies, broken scientific principles, repeated methodological flaws and an unwillingness to share data all give the appearance of cargo cult science. The psychosomatic approach needs to be replaced by a scientific, biologically grounded approach to MUS/ME/CFS that can be expected to provide patients with appropriate care and treatments. Patients with MUS/ME/CFS and their families have not been treated with the dignity, respect and care that is their human right. Patients with MUS/ME/CFS and their families could consider a class action legal case against the injuring parties.
Background: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) has been described early after the onset of the COVID-19 infection, but also orthostatic hypotension (OH). In the present study, we hypothesized that orthostatic intolerance decreases over time. Methods: In 29 long-haul COVID-19 (LHC) patients, a tilt test was performed, including measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by extracranial Doppler. The time interval between the onset of infection and the tilt test varied between 3 and 28 months. Results: In the first 12 months after the infection, 71% of the LHC patients showed POTS and after 24 months none of them. In the first 12 months, 29% of patients had a normal heart rate and blood pressure response (normHRBP) and after 24 months 75% (distribution of POTS, OH, and a normHRBP over time: p < 0.0001). Linear regression showed that, over time, there was a decrease in the abnormal CBF during the tilt (p = 0.024) but remained abnormal. Conclusion: In LHC patients, hemodynamic abnormalities of a tilt test change over time. Patients studied early after the onset of the disease mainly exhibit POTS, but patients studied later in the time course mainly show a normHRBP or OH. In addition, the abnormal CBF reduction improves over time, but CBF remains abnormal.
combination of guanfacine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-oxidant also used for the treatment of TBI. The combined therapy, they found, was successful in relieving brain fog for their small cohort of patients.
19 genes linked to ME/CFS, along with some overlap in long covid and MS.
catching Covid makes you more likely to catch a later variant.
The virus can exhaust your T Cells, either killing them or making them go haywire. As they say, “T lymphocytes from COVID-19 patients underwent pronounced apoptosis compared to those from the healthy donors, showing a more than tenfold increase of apoptotic cells.” In case you’re wondering, apoptosis means cell death. Those T Cells also helped carry the virus to other parts of the body, acting like a subway for Covid.
Key takeaway: Covid kills T Cells.
It makes you more vulnerable to other diseases.
Fortune ran a good summary of this story, explaining how normal brains “get rid of a certain amount of inactive synapses…but the infected mini brains showed unnecessarily and inordinate levels of the clean-up process, similar to the level seen in neurological disorders like schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.” In other words, your brain starts killing off those internet connections that help your brain cells communicate. That’s why a third of people who get Covid wind up having problems thinking and concentrating later.
Key takeaway: Covid eats your brain.
Catching the virus elevates your risk of memory problems by 77 percent. It elevates your risk of stroke by 55 percent. It elevates your risk of seizures by 80 percent. That’s because Covid attacks the lining of your blood vessels, and it attacks your brain cells. Worse, the researchers can’t predict risk factors.
The production of histamine by bacteria in the human gut influence the immune response, although the major source of histamine is food. The large spectrum of histamine effects on a number of cellular processes results in various gastrointestinal disorders including food allergy, histamine intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others.