On Jan. 15th i attended a lecture by Dr. David Bell discussing XMRV and CFS. I thought i had read all of the latest XMRV news, but i really got alot out of the lecture.

He started out discussing the basics like the definition and criteria of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The current definition says that a person has to have 4 of the following 8 symptoms to meet the criteria for CFS. Those symptoms are:
1 – post exertional malaise
2 – cognitive disturbance
3 – non-refreshing sleep
4 – recurring sore throat
5 – lymph node pain
6 – recurring muscle pain
7 – multi-joint pain
8 – headache
& the absence of any alternative explanation.
( i personally only have 3 out of 8, i have no pain issues)

.
Then, he discussed the basics of what retroviruses are and how they infect cells.

XMRV stands for xenotropic murine retrovirus. It is an RNA virus that is able to “change the DNA within a cell and insert itself within the human genome. The xmrv virus then replicates as part of the host cell’s DNA. Once the virus’ genetic material is incorporated into the host cell, further generations of the cell will also contain this viral DNA.

In early October the Whittermore Peterson Institute came out with a suprising announcement that may change everything we think about CFS. They found a new retrovirus called the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (or XMRV) in 67% of a study group (with more sensitive testing this number went to 90%+), as opposed to 3.75% in their controls out of a total of 101 patients. At this point it’s unsure whether it is the cause of CFS or just a co-infection (similar to EBV, HHV-6, CMV).

Because there was such an extreme lack of information of the science around CFS, This discovery has caused an explosion of media attention including articles in the New York Times, Science Magazine, and even the Dr. Oz show.

So, what is a retrovirus?

A retrovirus is an RNA virus that inserts its own genetic code into a host cell’s cytoplasm. This host cell then produces DNA from the virus’ RNA template. The new viral DNA has the virus’ genetic code incorporated into it and

The #1 question we get on the forums is “Where can i find a CFS doctor in my area?” I thought it would be really helpful to have this chronic fatigue doctor database widget developed, so you can find cfs doctors in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. You can even embed this widget in your own website or blog, by copying and pasting the code below.

Powered By
Chronic Fatigue Treatments

This is still a work in progress as more doctors are being added. If you have a doctor that you think should be added. Write their name, address, and a description in the comments below and i’ll add it.

COPY & PASTE – the code below to embed on your website or blog
<br /> <iframe src='http://www.chronicfatiguetreatments.com/doctorwidget/widget.php' width='182' height='234' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /> <small><span style='color: #666;'>Powered By</span><br /> <a href='http://www.chronicfatiguetreatments.com'>Chronic Fatigue Treatments</a></small><br />

Also let me know if you have any ideas for features that you would like to see i have in the future. If you need any help adding it to your site, let me know in the comments

**Having issues with the database? Most problems can be solved by using Firefox (which is a much better browser). Also works in Internet Explorer 6-7, not sure if it works in IE8 yet (i have a mac).

Written by: Ashok Gupta
Harley Street Solutions, No.1 Harley Street, London W1G 9QD UK. info@guptaprogramme.com
guptaprogramme.com“, Tel: +44 (0) 845 475 1 475

I used to suffer from ME/CFS myself around 10 years ago, when I contracted it whilst studying at University. Since then, for the last 10 years I have dedicated my life to finding an effective treatment for ME/CFS, and associated conditions such as Fibromyalgia and MCS. I have since recovered 100%, and I successfully treat patients at my clinic in Harley Street in Central London.

THE AMYGDALA HYPOTHESIS

My medical research seems to indicate that ME/CFS is a neurological condition, and may be caused by abnormalities in a brain structure called the amygdala

Flavinox is an herbal supplement recommended by Dr. Martin Pall as a part of the treatment of elevated nitric oxide/peroxynitrite cycle (NO/ONOO- cycle). Dr. Pall believes the NO/ONOO- cycle can be set off by stressors like a viral or bacterial infection, chemical exposure, trauma, or psychological stress. It is proposed to be a main cause of CFS and possibly other diseases like Fibromyalgia, and MCS.

Flavinox contains herbs that have high levels of a compound called flavinoids. Flavinoids may be helpful in treating chronic fatigue syndrome because they inhibit nitric oxide coming from macrophages. They also may be powerful anti-histamines, like the anti-depressant drugs sinequan and elavil, which have history in treating CFS.