Not Quite CFIDS

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Because they share common symptoms, lupus, fibromyalgia, and epstein-barr are commonly confused with cfids.

Epstein-barr

According to Dr. Bill, Thrive's in-house health expert, extensive studies on broad segments of the population indicate that virtually 100 percent of American adults have Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection.

Is it live in all of us?
Like the other viruses in the herpes family to which it belongs, EBV persists in our bodies forever once we are initially infected. Only about 20 percent of the population has the live virus circulating in their blood, and it is probably excreted in their saliva. The virus lies dormant in the remaining majority of the population.

Does EBV cause CFIDS?
Because EBV is so widespread, and only a small segment of the population has CFIDS, it is, in Dr. Bill's words, "hard to say" that EBV is the cause of CFIDS.

What's the mono connection?
Infectious mononucleosis - which is due to the EBV virus -- does cause severe fatigue in many people for a few weeks or even months. But this is the body's reaction to the first infection by the virus.

Once EBV becomes chronic, as it does in everyone, the body accommodates, and the fatigue disappears. The initial infection usually resolves within two to three weeks.

When do symptoms occur?
According to the International Herpes Management Forum, EBV symptoms may occur after the initial exposure in some patients, particularly those who are immunodeficient.

Symptoms of EBV
In the case of either initial exposure or recurrence in immunodeficient patients, the following conditions may be present:

• infectious mononucleosis (most common clinical manifestation)
• Burkitt's lymphoma (primarily in Africa)
• non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (primarily in immunocompromised patients)
• and atypical cases of EBV may present as viral encephalitis

Lupus

Unlike CFIDS, EBV, and fibromylagia, lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) is a well-defined disease that falls into the general category of auto-immune diseases.

What that means
What this means is that people with lupus have identifiable antibodies against their own body tissues.

Thrive's online Health Library lists the following as symptoms of lupus:

• Muscle aches
• Swollen glands
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss
• Hair loss
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Anemia
• Inflammation of the lining of organs, such as the heart and lungs
• Kidney problems
• Swelling in the legs
• Ulcers in the mouth or nose
• Drastic changes in emotions or behavior

Symptoms are unpredictable in that they manifest differently in different individuals.

What causes lupus?
Dr. Bill notes that the cause of lupus is unknown, though it is thought to be a problem arising during the development of the immune system.

Put another way, the mechanism that prevents the immune system in normal people from attacking their own tissues as foreign gets disturbed, allowing such an attack.

The effects
According to Thrive's online Health Library, "Lupus attacks collagen, the major protein in connective tissue. It can affect many parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys."

How do the effects manifest?
When the immune system mistakes the body's own cells for invaders and attacks them, the result is inflammation and injury to organs and tissue throughout the body.

Another form of lupus: discoid lupus
Another form of lupus is discoid lupus, a disease of the face, neck, and scalp, that generally does not affect the internal organs.

In very rare cases, discoid lupus can develop into systemic lupus erythematosus, but this is generally not the case.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia has been called soft-tissue rheumatism because it primarily affects the muscles. In some cases, fibromyalgia may also include bone pain.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar to those of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS).

In fact, the two are often mistaken for each other. Symptoms may include:

• Muscle and joint aches with tender "trigger points"
• Muscle stiffness throughout the body
• Disrupted sleep
• Pain, ranging from an aching, flulike discomfort to more severe discomfort
• Cognitive difficulties
• Irritable bowel
• Headaches

Diagnosis
According to the CFIDS Association of America, the following symptoms are required for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia:

• Widespread pain lasting a minimum of three months.
• Pain located in at least 11 of 18 specified tender points clustering around the neck, shoulders, chest, hips, knees, and elbows.

In some research circles, fibromyalgia and CFIDS are considered to be the same illness. Additionally, there is some question now of whether trigger points even exist. Research continues!