Is There a Link between Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ?
"A link has been hypothesized between Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This link is based on the Glutathione Depletion—Methylation Cycle Block (GD-MCB) hypothesis for CFS. The GD-MCB hypothesis proposes that in a person who is genomically predisposed, stressors that place demands on glutathione can cause it to become depleted, and can lead to a partial block in the methylation cycle. The resulting vicious circle interaction maintains CFS as a chronic condition.
The present paper suggests that Lyme disease is one of the stressors that can produce this vicious circle interaction in the body of a person who is genomically predisposed. It is suggested that this leads to chronic Lyme disease. If the Borrelia bacteria are subsequently eliminated by treatment, the patient then has post-Lyme disease syndrome. Post-Lyme disease syndrome is one of the post-infective fatigue syndromes, a category of disorders within chronic fatigue syndrome. A commercial test panel is available to test this hypothesis, and treatment to lift the methylation cycle block and to restore glutathione is available if these are found to be present."
This is the summary at the end of Rich VanK's paper at the above link provided. The entire article is a true must read for those of us with Lyme and are also dealing with CFS.
He provides defination criteria in identifying CFS:
1) The International Research case definition of 1994, sponsored by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2) The Canadian Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
clinical working case definition of 2003, which is intended to be used in
clinical diagnosis.
He presents the ISDA versus ILADS issues of Lyme, the issues of chronic lyme versus Post Lyme Syndrome.
His etiology of Lyme is well worth the read. He describes the process in which lyme infects and how it affects the methylation cycle and glutithionine.
He introduces and explains very well his hypothesis on his GD-MCB hypothesis and its relation to CFS and Lyme.
Enjoy! Lots of good information about the definition criteria of CFS, Lyme, the disease processes of the two, and how they could be related, Methylation, and glutithionine.
Frito
January 12th, 2011, 02:39 AM
Connection of Lyme to CFS 
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