Almost everyone, from young to old, can get chronic fatigue syndrome, but a recent study suggests that if you’re a woman and are in one of two age groups your chances of coming down with it are dramatically increased.
Find out when that is and what it suggests about ME/CFS in a Simmaron Research Foundation sponsored blog
▪ Age Patterns Suggest Hormones, Autoimmunity and/or Viruses At Work in ME/CFS
I’ve for a long time felt estrogen deficiency played a major role in me/cfs. Have had this crappy disease ever since chemo and radiation treatment for breast cancer 12 years ago put me in overnight complete menopause. But just try to ask for estrogen therapy when you have a history of breast cancer…You might as well ask your doctor for a presription for heroin. At what point is the cure worse than the disease? Many times I think I’d rather be dead already than suffer for years on end with no real relief in sight. Oh, well…have to wait for my cats to die of old age or other natural causes before I can commit suicide with a clear conscience.
I too was blessed with Cfs following chemotherapy for cancer- Hodgkins disease. The remedy, I also agree was worse than death. 1997 I finished chemotherapy and within months I was worsening and falling into the Cfs spiral, never to recover so far. My hormones are also completely out of wack but the doctors won’t test me because they believe as long as I have a period, they are fine. But I am thin by most standards for any 45 year old inactive (due to poor health but not lack of desire) couch potato. I think my estrogen is low as well but also believe my estrogen to progesterone ratio may actually be high due to low progesterone levels. Have been considering a functional medicine doctor but not sure how many thousands of dollars in out of pocket care and testing I can afford. Been to many other doctors lots a tests, lotsa money but not much help. Sure wish we could self order reliable hormone tests and stool culture tests. Maybe even a microbiome test would be great. Sigh! Maybe in my next life I will be healthy again.
“If estrogen plays a role it’s probably low not high estrogen levels that are the problem. ”
“Overall, the evidence suggests that estrogen probably plays a protective role in IBS, multiple sclerosis, pain disorders and possibly chronic fatigue syndrome.”
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I disagree with the above statements from the study. I believe it is just the opposite, that ME/CFS in women has more to do do with a high ratio of estrogen to progesterone. Estrogen activates mast cells to release histamine and serotonin. Serotonin and estrogen have many systematically interrelated functions, and women are much more likely to suffer from anxiety/depression than men are. Serotonin and histamine are increased by estrogen, and their activation mimics the effects of estrogen. Serotonin is closely involved in mood disorders, but also in a great variety of other problems that affect women much more frequently than men. Irritable bowel syndrome syndrome is also very common in women, with premenstrual exacerbations, when estrogen is highest. The high incidence of multiple sclerosis in women, and its onset during their reproductive years, is well known, when estrogen is highest. Serotonin, like estrogen, lowers cellular ATP and interferes with oxidative metabolism. Serotonin activates glycolysis, forming lactic acid. Excess lactic acid tends to decrease efficient energy production by interfering with mitochondrial respiration. The only amino acid that has ever been found to be carcinogenic is tryptophan. Its ability to mimic estrogen in promoting the release of prolactin is probably responsible.
Source: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/serotonin.shtml
Yup. Probably what got me: stress + age + pregnancy. Try expecting while doing a high pressure research physics job with two little boys and a third on the way – while attending high-stress annual physics meeting.
This one rings true – right then they measured high EBV.
Lovely.
Women, don’t have your children late, like I did (36, 39, 42). One MORE thing working women have to contend with.
Okay. Now fix it.
No kidding….really interesting stuff. It does make you wonder if the trend to later pregnancies is putting more women at risk for ME/CFS and other disorders…
Study just released:
http://www.prohealth.com/ME-CFS/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=19451
I’m perplexed….says pro-inflammatory cytokines were REDUCED in cerebrospinal fluids of CFS patients….I thought we had higher pro-inflammatory cytokines?
Ive tried saying this to many specialist over the yrs I don’t think it just affects women. I read a report from the U.S.A about a group of men who had C.F.S a few had E.D.S and chronic pain they was put on T.R.T. the improvement was incredible.
I looked up natural medicine herbs that increase hormone levels in men to see if it worked I had great improvement with my E.D.S/C.P.S so I spoke about this to my specialist and asked about T.R.T and was told no because of other side effects it could cause to me its about quality of life without pain I would sign any form saying it my choice. I would prefer 20 yrs painfree than 30/40 yrs in pain.
I would be able to go back to work feel human again not be class as a second class citizen(disabled). So maybe it should be more widely available because it makes you think about getting it off the internet and medicating yourself