Things have really come a long way in the 8 years that i have been sick. It seems like every week there is a new study into the physical causes of CFS. In 2001 about 1/3 of Dr.’s even believed chronic fatigue was a real disease.
Now it seems like they are zeroing in things like inflammation, oxidation, and nitric oxide. Almost every week i have read about a new study that relates CFS to these processes.
A new study off of pubmed is a review of recent research showing the activation of the inflammatory, oxidative, and nitrosative stress.
(Ive never heard the term nitrosative stress, but i believe that it is oxidative stress as a byproduct of nitric oxide.)
Although there is no concrete proof in the paper, and just theories. The good news is that drugs that go after the targets mentioned in the study, are already in development for other diseases. Targets like nuclear factor kappa beta (NFkappabeta), cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) (listed in the study) already have drugs that may affect them.
INOS is a type of nitric oxide that is created by macrophages in the immune system. Currently drugs that inhibit iNOS are being tested. And there are even some supplements that may inhibit iNOS.
Flavinox is a supplement made from herbs that contain high levels of flavinoids. Flavinoids have been shown to inhibit iNOS. Also an amino acid derivative called Aminoguanidine was shown to inhibit inos and is experimentally being used in patients with autoimmune disorders like diabetes.
I personally take Flavinox, and it is one of the supplements that improves my symptoms the most. The ingredients seem pretty harmless (Milk Thistle, Bilberry extract, Ginkgo, Grape Seed Extract, Green Tea Extract, Cranberry Juice, Hawthorn) and it relative inexpensive.
On the other hand, i have no experience with Aminoguanidine. I just recently read about it. I dont know if there are any side effects or if it would even help. (Remember i’m not a doctor, so if you are interested in it, print out the info and bring it to your doctor)
Cox-2 inhibitors are already available under the names Vioxx and Celebrex.
Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta turns genes on and off that cause inflammation. There is an approved drug called Indomethacin that has shown changes in Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta activity when being tested for Alzheimer’s disease.
These drugs and supplements may or may not work for CFS, but I feel more hopeful than i ever have about new research and treatments. Compared to 2001, when i was first diagnosed, the knowledge and acceptance of CFS is growing at a huge rate.
