They were the “original gangster” (OG) in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). At one point in time, enteroviruses were pretty much “it” in ME/CFS. Indeed, the ME/CFS outbreaks from the 1930s to 1960s resembled nothing so much as atypical poliomyelitis (enterovirus) disorder.
Enteroviruses are all over the place and they feature some intriguing characteristics. For one – they’re ubiquitous – there’s no avoiding them. For two, they love to infect two places that show up in ME/CFS regularly – the muscles and the central nervous system. For three, while most are pretty benign, they can also do some real damage (see polio, foot and mouth disease, aseptic meningitis, acute flaccid myelitis).
Enterovirus (from Wikimedia: University of Leeds)
As the new O’Neal/Hanson review article, “The Enterovirus Theory of Disease Etiology in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Critical Review (nih.gov)“, points out, the fact that the myalgic encephalomyelitis (i.e. ME/CFS) outbreaks mostly occurred in spring through fall suggested that an infectious agent was involved.
While some of the outbreaks had different initial symptom presentations, they generally resolved over time into the familiar symptom presentation we see today in ME/CFS: fatigue, cognitive and sleep problems and most of all, post-exertional malaise (PEM).
Over time, no less than 17 enterovirus RT-PCR studies were done in ME/CFS, 12 of which found evidence of enterovirus infections in a substantial subset of patients. At least six studies from the 1990s – several of which found enterovirus RNA in the muscles – pointed at enteroviruses. Another found it in the serum. One phylogenetic analysis even suggested that the enteroviruses found in ME/CFS were probably unique.
But then there were the negative antibody studies. Multiple antibody studies, including a large 1991 antibody study published in the British Medical Journal, found no evidence of increased enterovirus antibody levels in ME/CFS.
In the 2000s, the tide started to turn. A Swedish muscle/fecal sample and an English muscle study failed to turn up enteroviruses. The title of a 2003 paper, “Enteroviruses in chronic fatigue syndrome: “now you see them, now you don’t” (nih.gov)“, summed up the dilemma – sometimes they were found and sometimes not. Enteroviruses were still being studied – Lane’s 2003 paper, “Enterovirus related metabolic myopathy: a postviral fatigue syndrome“, was able to demonstrate an association between lactate accumulations during exercise and enterovirus sequences in the muscles – but the bloom was definitely off.
The Chia Years
Dr. Chia has continued to pursue the possibility that enteroviruses are causing ME/CFS. He will present on that topic at the 2021 IACFS/ME Conference in August.
In a 2005 review paper, John Chia MD reported that “Initial reports of chronic enteroviral infections causing debilitating symptoms in patients with CFS were met with skepticism, and had been largely forgotten for the past decade.” Indeed, between 2007 and 2020, only three studies – two by Chia – focused on enteroviruses in ME/CFS.
Chia, however, produced some large and seemingly compelling studies. He reported that his serological studies and DNA analyses of 200 ME/CFS patients with a flu-like onset found little evidence of herpesvirus infections but commonly found significantly raised neutralizing antibodies to two different kinds of enteroviruses (coxsackie and echoviruses). In what must be one of the largest pathogen detection efforts ever, Chia also found enteroviral RNA in 35% of over 500 patients. In 2004, Chia reported that enteroviral RNA was associated with symptom severity.
Chia believed that exercise in ME/CFS triggered a mostly failed attempt by the double-stranded enteroviral RNA to replicate. During the failed replication attempt, Chia proposed that the virus was producing proteins that perpetuated an immune response. (A similar hypothesis has been produced for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in ME/CFS).
In 2005, Chia highlighted what he believed were three urgent priorities for ME/CFS:
- the development of a reliable cell-associated viral RNA assay;
- a placebo-controlled trial of IFN-a and y;
- the development of viral RNA replicase inhibitors.
Chia extended the search for enteroviruses to the stomach in 2008, and published his last paper on them in 2010. Despite making quite a splash in the ME/CFS world, Chia’s findings, unfortunately, have never been independently assessed by other researchers. (The CDC assessed some samples, and Dr. Chia told me they confirmed his findings, but no public announcements were made or papers published.)
Interest in enteroviruses and ME/CFS seemed to plummet during the 2010s. Chia’s small 2010 paper was the last ME/CFS paper focused on enteroviruses until the O’Neal / Hanson paper showed up this year – eleven years later.
The O’Neal / Hanson Paper
Not so fast, say Adam O’Neal Ph.D. and Maureen Hanson Ph.D. of the Cornell University ME/CFS Research Center. Just because the interest in enterovirus has declined doesn’t mean the topic is dead. In fact, if they had their way, the field would devote a lot more resources to the enterovirus question in ME/CFS.
Their review contains some intriguing insights regarding post-infectious illnesses that we should all keep in mind. There are some things that we take for granted about long COVID and ME/CFS that maybe we shouldn’t. The paper asserts that some long-COVID patients – we don’t know how many – surely did not have their illness triggered by the coronavirus. Simply the fact that other viruses, including enteroviruses, have been around during the pandemic means that some long-COVID cases must have been triggered by other viruses.
The same applies to infectious mononucleosis/glandular fever-triggered cases of ME/CFS. Because enteroviruses are so ubiquitous, it’s possible that enteroviruses were involved in some people who thought their ME/CFS was triggered by infectious mononucleosis/glandular fever.
It’s also likely that some people with ME/CFS who don’t believe they had an infectious onset actually did. We know this because one of the (hopefully) many insights to come from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it’s now clear that even people with very mild or even asymptomatic coronavirus infections can still come down with long COVID. Because enteroviruses can produce mild or even asymptomatic infections, they could have triggered ME/CFS in some people who thought they had a gradual, non-infectious onset.
With regards to the trials and tribulations of past enteroviral research, the authors noted that most of the muscle, brain and cerebrospinal studies done in ME/CFS have found evidence of enteroviral infections. Those which didn’t tended to use incomplete primers that could have missed the enteroviruses that were there.
The authors concluded that it’s not nearly time to give up on enteroviral research:
“it is evident that more research must be conducted in order to determine whether or not the majority of pre-2020 ME/CFS cases have arisen from EV infection”.
They asserted that larger, more comprehensive studies are needed, and provided a roadmap. Certain types of methodologies (RT-PCR with optimal primer sets and/or RNAseq with target capture enrichment) should be used. (If I’m understanding them, they should be able to pick up the double-stranded RNA Chia believes are present). Targeted RNAseq is preferred as it is “completely comprehensive for the enteroviral family”. Muscle, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissues should be assessed. (The authors do not suggest blood testing.)
Did enteroviral research in ME/CFS stop too soon?
If the authors are right – we’re in situation that’s occurred all too often in ME/CFS research – and probably in the medical research field, in general: we’ve been drawing possibly inaccurate conclusions from small, often technically flawed studies.
It seems ironic and somehow right that as we confront the ravages left behind by a brand new coronavirus, this paper recommends taking us way back to the original potential pathogenic scourge in ME/CFS – the enteroviruses.
This brings up the question, though, of why it’s important to identify infectious triggers at all. If infectious triggers start off some generic process that results in ME/CFS and other post-infectious illnesses, it may not be important to identify the initiating pathogen. If that process is unique to each pathogen, though, then identifying that pathogen would clearly be helpful. If ME/CFS is triggered by the deposition of enteroviral fragments in the muscles and central nervous system, then identifying them would be crucial.
One of the problematic concerns regarding the enteroviral hypothesis of ME/CFS is the seeming drug treatment dead end. After his initial focus on the potentially toxic interferons, Dr. Chia turned to Equilibrant – a herbal supplement. I don’t know if anything has changed in that regard, but several years ago, Chia talked about the possibility of better enteroviral drugs becoming available. A patient of Dr. Chia’s recently reported that Dr. Chia thought that Remdesivir might become a good option as the pandemic waned.
Dr. Chia is going to give two talks at the 2021 IACFS/ME conference in August – one of which will be devoted to what are apparently new enteroviral findings. Find out more about the conference and how to register for it below.
Enteroviruses want to live, too. After we “eradicated” polio, their descendants evolved and… well, they’re here with us. Am I missing something? Isn’t this 7th grade science? Something similar is happening in today news. Those little buggers just keep changing and coming back at us.
I’m so glad O’Neal and Hanson are reviving the enterovirus theory. It certainly should still be in play, in my opinion. Dr. Chia, an ID doc (with a background, I believe, at the NIH), doggedly pursued this research avenue for many years – and I look forward to his talks at the August conference.
This is an important point that you highlighted: “Simply the fact that other viruses, including enteroviruses, have been around during the pandemic means that some long-COVID cases must have been triggered by other viruses.”
Good observations about enteroviruses. I think I remember your past column about gut issues (microbiome) being involved–which is aligned with this topic. Also that fecal transplants can sometimes improve fatigue symptoms. Makes one wonder…
Unfortunately, after all this time, researchers still don’t know the genesis of ME/CFS!
I recently heard about, but have not read, a new book called ‘Chronic’ by Phillips/Parish which posits that unrecognized vectors (many within the Lyme’s arena) could be causing ME/CFS symptoms. Trouble is that the diagnostic tests are not very good–nor are the treatment protocols–plus many doctors are unaware of these lesser known types.
Because of a tooth infection, I have been taking a long course of antibiotics and have noticed an improvement in my fatigue. Not sure if they are suppressing some sort of infective process (besides my tooth). Interesting to note that antibiotics are used for treating both vector borne and (some) intestinal issues. Not sure if there is a connection for me.
Haven’t got the recommended C-PAP yet but did finally receive my didgeridoo–and it is certainly a breathing workout! P.T. for hypoxia! Hope it helps!
And, after several drafts, I’m still not pleased with my column. Patience.
I also had major improvement during a round of antibiotics (doxycycline) a couple of months ago. I have spent a lot of time researching the issue and talking to some very knowledgeable people in the field and it seems clear to me that the improvement was a result of changes to the gut bacteria / biome from the antibiotic.
Have you been tested for Lyme disease? Doxy is the go to antibiotic to treat it
I had chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in 1985. I was able to get rid of the symptoms by vitamins and light exercise. I was 33 at the time I have not experienced anything since however since September of this year when I turn 71 I believe it has gone full-blown again I am constantly tired I wake up I’m back in bed an hour later, my intestinal stomach has given me nothing but headaches, I go from IBS to constipation to blowouts! And deep depression has taken over! My medical doctor says sorry there’s nothing we can do for you. I’m at a loss I just know I don’t like living like this am willing to do anything. For someone who’s always happy and busy and loving life I find myself sitting on a couch crying, no energy and all I wanna do is sleep.
I am thrilled that enteroviral causation is being considered again. I believe that is what started my illness and Dr. Richard Bruno’s book on this subject–that an enterovirus that did not result in the paralysis of polio, as most did not, could have caused the clusters of CFS cases as well as individual ones–was persuasive too, just as Dr. Chia’s experience has been.
Maybe now the research tools are better and if enteroviruses are a culprit, a form of treatment that effectively targets them and their particular form of damage could be discovered.
My thoughts as well. The research tools must be so much better than in the 90’s and 2000’s..
My mother believes I had a polio virus when I was 6, I was complaining about being tired ( put down to sulking) and crying every night with leg pain. I still have terrible leg pain and have had and still have all sorts of other problems. Basically housebound now. Diagnosed with ME/CFS and Fibro 4 years ago I’m 71 now. At the time, it would have been 1955, doctors told Mum that I had “ growing pains”. We had neighbours whom we were constantly in contact with, playing, riding to school, in a tiny classroom together etc. One daughter died from polio she was 16, the other daughter also contracted it but recovered. As well, over the years I have had contact with ag chemicals, supposed Lyme Disease and glandular fever. Let’s live in hope that someone can help us.My heart is broken for all you young ones out there as I have luckily managed to live a reasonably good life up to now ❤️ I hope this is understandable my writing skills have gone down the proverbial, took me ages
Thank you for making such a terrific effort and letting us hear your story. Hugs.
Thank you Sunie
My age and experience is much like yours! There was also a polio outbreak near me. 10% of the kids in my class were paralyzed from polio along with a scattering of older kids and adults I knew in the community. We lived by the shore on Long Island. In those days raw sewage from boats, maybe restaurants, etc. went right into the harbor where people swam. I did not have muscle pains when young but aching and contractions have been an ongoing problem since my 20’s. The rest of a common “suite” of physical issues followed as I got older with the neurological ones the most disabling.
How was it that those of us from post WWII to recently believed that lethal and disabling infections that afflicted us before that and still afflict the less developed world were a thing of the past? We thought we were “past that”. Now with Covid-19, Delta variant and on, the old reality is crashing back in as we start to learn that we are not.
Some people are not “learning” and resist knowing this big picture change, but it is happening. Human life is very vulnerable once again. Those of us with chronic illness have to recognize this every day.
Gosh. I am so sorry. and i thought I had it tough. 44 years now since I woke paralysed. September 1977. Happened every year for 5 more years.. Got myself to The National, Queen Sq. London, and thought, when diagnosed, my troubles would be over. How silly of me !!
“Muscle, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissues should be assessed.” I can see giving a muscle or CSF sample, but brain?
Oh yes – brain! From dead people I assume. Some autopsy banks for ME/CFS have sprung up – so there may be some tissue somewhere. Brain tissues are already being studied in COVID-19 and at some point I imagine they will show up for long COVID. Unfortunate that it takes such a drastic occurrence to get to them.
My mother and son developed ME/CFS in March/April 1994. Blood tests after 4 weeks indicated that both had Enterovirus B in their blood. Both of them are at the severe end of the scale, being housebound, often bed bound. My son in particular has muscle and joint pain, constant headache centring around the base of his skull, brain fog, nausea and other stomach issues, dizziness, sleep problems with vivid dreams and severe hyperacusis.
I would be so excited to see this research revived, particularly if treatments can be found.
@ Marylin Lockett: I have help for you for the hyperakusis caused by cfs !
It helps me every time (45 minutes after taking) !! And it builds up a “protection”, that means you don´t have to take it regulary, only when hyperakusis is active.
It is named “red panax ginseng” extract, and it is in a small wood box.
it contains more than 50 anti-inflammatory ginsengoides.
it is very powerful, but only against cfs hyperakusis, not brainfog.
if you have strong hyperakusis, you can feel how long the ginseng works, but after 3 takings i feel that akusis don´t come back for month sometimes. it is magical, and i think that it builds a “protection” shield, for the nerve fiber.
Hi Andre, would you have a more specific name and dosage of the ginseng product you use, so I could try to find a similar product? There seem to be many brands and preparations of red panax ginseng available.
I have hyperacusis always so would very much like to try this. Thanks!
Hi Andre,
Thankyou so much for taking the time and trouble to let me know about red panax ginseng. I will definitely be getting some for my son and I will let you know whether or not it works for him
I’ve been a patient of Dr. Chia’s since 2004 and am glad to read this return to his hypothesis. Local doctors appreciate his work–even if they don’t get it–and have been glad to oblige for his research with samples from biopsies when I’ve had colonoscopy, endoscopy, and sinus surgery, finding loads of Coxsackie B5 in all of those tissues. The first blood tests he did in 2004 showed that virus to be at the highest reactivated level of my pathogenic cocktail that also included EBV, HHV-6, Chlamydophila pneumonia, an echo- and another enterovirus. I have so much appreciated his steady presence in my life. I would be glad for both of us if his research is corroborated–and soon.
Coxsackie virus was found in your sinus tissues?
Were each and all biopsies sent to Dr. Chia and viruses found by staining only?
Yes, found in my sinus tissues, and yes, for all three biopsies (each a couple of years apart in succession) were stained. Per the reports: “Enteroviruses-speicific antibody” and DsRNA staining by J2 antibody.”
Re: “sent over to Dr. Chia.” Dr. Chia provided me with the sterile vials which I presented to my surgeons in pre-op for the out-patient procedures, and then they’d hand over to my husband post-op, and then we’d swing past Chia’s office on our way home. Those doctors, the hospital where the out-patinet procedures were performed, and CHia’s offic are all within a half mile of each other and five miles of me. These doctors were colleagues and friends of Chia’s, glad to support his research efforts. And that’s what they were for me, too, not really diagnostic though I’m glad to have the results.
It had a peculiar kind of fun sense about it, “citizen scientists stopping at the lab.” Until you look into the bag and see your “sample” floating in the vial. (Cort, no sick-face emojis available here?!) Don’t try this at home!
Hey could you tell me more about your treatment and progression over the past 18 years with Dr Chia? I have tested at a lab in Germany to have very high Coxsackie levels and have no hope of a Doctor here in Canada to even consider the results or running their own tests.
Dr Byron Hyde one of the real “old timers”from way back has for decades always maintained the trigger for ME is an enterovirus
As for the brain samples,as a Scot I attended a lecture by Prof Peter Behan who was both a neurologist and psychiatrist (Harvard awarded)in the 90s who said what he needed to further his research was the brains of deceased ME sufferers.
Maureen, how would one donate their brain/body to this research?
I’m not Maureen however I am a ME/CFS patient at Stanford. I signed up for tissue and organ donation through their research department maybe five years ago, back when Dr Montoya was in the department. Perhaps that program is still active.
Yes, Dr. Hyde has been adamant about the role of enteroviruses in ME for a long time. I remember thinking that he seemed overconfident, given the mixed results of pathogenic investigations. Maybe he was right all along?
I am also a patient of Dr. Chia. I have had CFS/ME since at least 1985 and am now 50 years old. The severity of my symptoms have waxed and waned over the years with periods of being bedridden to other times being able to work part-time and carry on most of the normal activities of my life. Over the years, I have seen almost every kind of practitioner from MDs to holistic providers. I have never met a more humble and devoted health practitioner in the fight to treat CFS/ME than Dr John Chia.
I am so pleased to see his research being recognized and hopefully more money and attention being paid to find anti-virals to help us. Dr. Chia has studied brain tissue from CFS patients that have passed away, at least one from suicide brought on from severe depression of living with CFS/ME.
I look forward to his presentation at the upcoming conference. Researchers, NIH and pharmaceutical companies, I implore you to listen.
the improvement occurred with im subcuvia immunoglobulin.
please see Dr spurr’s work.
Enterovirus RNA in 35% of 500 patients. That’s roughly the same percentage of patients as Lipkin found with MECFS with IBS. Possibly a nice subset there. Am loving the work by Scheibenbogan too for a potential adrenergic/ muscarinic subset. Thanks Cort for sharing their recent hypothesis. Brilliant work by them.
Equilibrant is an immune modulator rather than an antiviral and I wonder if other immune modulators like LDN and inosine might help Enterovirus or autoimmune subsets. My understanding is that an antiviral drug is due to be released for Coxsackie B but I might be wrong on this.
Like gesq I also sometimes experience partial remission with antibiotics and have a friend with MECFS who swears by doxycycline. I don’t think there is any Lyme in our country and so Lyme as an infectious agent is an unlikely explanation for our positive response to antibiotics, although not impossible. For me I think antibiotics help kill off the SIBO for a bit, but doxycycline also has some anti-inflammatory actions in the brain. By contrast, any sort of tummy bug sets me back for weeks and sometimes months.
I’ve been taking LDN for almost 4yrs & still have Severe spectrum M.E./CFS & Fibromyalgia getting on for 8yrs. The LDN literally stopped 29 separate incidences of nasty, painful eye stye’s, often multiple at once & I rarely get other infections since, but it’s done nothing further to cure or help me manage these still very debilitating symptoms unfortunately. Have to take it asa wake up, otherwise would be intolerable as it’s also a Sleep disruptor med. Excellent immune moderator though & I’m reluctant to be without it as yet!
I’ve been on LDN almost 4yrs & still have Severe Spectrum M.E./CFS & Fibromyalgia. It initially stopped repeated nasty eye stye’s, multiple at once in it’s tracks & raised immunity, rarely get even mild infections. Sadly done nothing else for the ongoing severe M.E. & still 99.9% housebound almost 8yrs on!
Hi,
I first met Dr. John Chia at the InvestinME conference in London in 2005. He gave an amazing talk on his research into enteroviruses. His son was there and Dr.Chia was in the process of curing his son of an enteroviral illness. He has helped many other patients get better or somewhat better.
Dr. Chia is an incredibly generous and insightful physician. I have spoken with him at length at various conferences and have communicated with him via email. There is no money exchange; he is naturally interested in my daughter’s situation and in wanting to help. In my twenty years of dealing with this illness, I have not met a physician as smart and able at Dr. Chia.
The interesting thing is that Dr.Chia makes only modest traction in the ME/CFS world. He gives talks and very few seem to listen or do not listen very hard. He is an outsider with perhaps the best inside information on this illness. I speak of Dr. Chia to ever patient, physician or researcher that I know or meet. Certainly some have high respect for him, but it does not translate into a reality that moves things along.
And yet he soldiers on.
Years ago, by chance, my daughter did the Coxsackie B antibody test via neutralization at ARUP labs. Her coxsackie b4 came back high >1:640; other antibodies, especially b3, were high – 1:320. Each year, for ten years, my daughter continued to have high b4 and b3 (and a few others). That these antibodies were sustained combined with the difficulty of her illness have inclined me towards believing that she has an enteroviral infection, perhaps along with something else.
For years I have urged physicians, researchers and patients to do this ARUP antibody testing. On this subject, I draw a blank, a complete blank No one is interested. It is strange and depressing. The entire issue with Dr. Chia is depressing. He needs to be elevated in this ME/CFS world, as he is really among the best, right at the top.
I listen closely, very closely, to what Dr. Chia says
Christopher Cairns
Christopher, I, too, listen closely to Dr. Chia and appreciate his work so much. I’ve posed questions in forums with government entities (a while back now, IOM, FDA, CDC) about why Chia’s research hasn’t been replicated because his stats should have lead to that. I am glad that Dr. Chia’s son Andrew did so well on the antiviral herb from the Traditional Chinese Medicine repertoire, Oxymatrine, though I did not. Indeed, it would cause flare ups of chronic shingles, which also plague me, on the three different times I tried it (“start low, go slow,” you know the drill.). Dr. Chia an I noted that Andrew had Coxsackie B4 while I have B5, and also that he is a couple of decades younger than me. I have my regular appointment with him next month and I look forward to hearing the latest on his research and the treatment possibilities on the horizon. I hope they’re soon. I know a lot of ME research time for him was put on hold while he was tending to COVID patients in the hospital. He tells me he hasn’t retired yet because he cares so much about his patients. I know how lucky I am that he’s my doctor.
I think Dr Prusty who looks into how HHV6 might cause ME/CFS by sabotaging mitochondria mentioned that he thinks many other pathogens are likely to have similar strategies. So maybe it’s not the one pathogen that explains it all. Also there’s his theory that one infection (e.g. Covid) might trigger another underlying pathogen such as HHV6 which is then causal for ME/CFS.
So whenever someone says “pathogen xyz not found in a study” I probably wouldn’t exclude it from the ME/CFS discussion because it might still be found in another subset of patients.
This sounds like another distraction.
I will be stunned if one virus or type of virus is found to cause CFS.
I am sure it is not just one virus that causes ME/CFS and believe the research has been clear on this. Also certain bacterial and parasitic infections can also result in this same general syndrome. However, if there is a particular pathogen still in the body, or that affected the body in one particular pattern, then a treatment for that subset, each subset, might be better designed, I expect–Eventually!
This article made me sit up and take notice (even more than the usual informative articles – thank you, Cort!). My daughter has struggled every spring with an ME/CFS flareup (since what appeared to be a sudden onset encephalitis followed by a months long course of high dose prednisone started us on this road 5 years ago), and one strange and unexplained symptom she has always gotten has been red dots (petechiae?) on her palms, only when other symptoms are also intensified. Lots to think about here.
Same as I have, except its on my fingers or back of the hand typically, circular red patches that are just a coloration change, no structural changes, at the worst health point these actually spread, starting as dots and turning into rings which grew, and areas of my hands turned completely red. From what I’ve read this may be related to something called MCAS, mast cell activation syndrome. I also get hard burn like areas occasionally, always on the side of the fingers, usually index finger, its very specific.
I had acute infectious onset that resembled what they call Labyrinthitis.
@Little My
Hope for your young daughter answers come soon.
Likely these things have already been ruled out, but will add a link here in case interested in reading about Osler’s Nodes or Janeway Lesions, both are kind of red spots.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557621/
Thank you Ash and Sunie! More food for thought.
I had fatigue a long time after CMV and apparently an echovirus, around age 40, found by IgM bloodwork. I took equilibrant a lot. It did seem to keep me from getting more infections in the winter and finally I ceased getting many symptoms when I started taking taurine. I recommend giving taurine a try for a few weeks if you haven’t. I recently got something, probably am echovirus going around now that my father tested positive for that may also be confounded with long COVID (which I also had, loss of smell). I took taurine a few days and the morning nausea, depression, brain fog, seem to be getting better, and my smell was coming back today, thank God. The brain fog is the scariest part for me.
Thank you so much for your information! I think I will go to a vitamin store tomorrow and see if I can pick some of this up. I hope it’s a breakthrough. I will certainly let my experience be known on here we all need to be in this together. The medical profession has let us down and we must help each other. I will say that today I heard on television that wasabi can help mental stimulation so you might Google wasabi and see if it comes in other forms besides eating that hot stuff by itself.
Thank you for mentioning the Taurine…. I just started taking it two days ago. I will see if that helps. I really appreciate your advice and your outcome.
I had an endoscopy in December 2020, and was able to have the doctor contact Dr Chia’s lab and take the proper biopsy. It came back positive for enterovirus. But none of the doctors I see are willing to treat it. Does anyone know if Dr Chia will work with another doctor remotely to treat? Or is there anyone else that treats enterovirus? Dr Chia is not taking new patients, even so, I am too weak to leave the house.
Nice of Dr Chia to remember us up here in Incline Village.
Yes, there was a sewages spill. But it was down at Burton Creek near Tahoe City in California, which had fewer cases of Mystery Illness than Incline Village did.
There were some sick people on East Shore and Glenbrook who hadn’t even gone to the California side.
I used Chias oxymatrine successfully when I got CMV the first time in early 40s to get over fatigue and brain fog lasting over a year. However, when I tried it for long COVID it seemed to make things worse. Rather I found that maraviroc helped the first two times, and for the third the nicotine patch and PEA/luteolin and Chinese skullcap are more useful. So there may be different things going on depending on the virus and even the variant. .
I also found for energy every time that niacin, vit c, taurine, selenium , vit d and a and omega 3 seemed to help.