Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome AKA ME/CFIDS, SEID
| Over 800,000 to perhaps 2.5 million Americans have some form of chronic fatigue disease, aka myalgic
encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, now with the new name of Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease, or SEID. Symproms include profound
fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (often transient "brain fog"), non-refreshing sleep, pain, and other symptoms made worse by activities most of us perform with minor
effort. It is a life changing disease which dramatically shrinks most victim's world. The late Dr. Catchart has been successful in treating many cases of this
disease. I, the webmaster, have met a number of them and have seen how much they have been helped. |
STATEMENT ON CFIDS
Robert F. Cathcart, M. D.
In retrospect, I saw the first patients with CFIDS in Incline
Village about 1978. The epidemic officially started sometime in
1983 in Incline Village. I left Incline Village January 1, 1980
but continued to treat patients for chronic fatigue. My treatment
was mainly with massive doses of vitamin C but it also included
many other nutrients. The rationale has been that CFIDS is a free
radical disease involving damaged mitochondria.
My suspicion that chronic fatigue was a free radical disease involving
mitochondria was because of the beneficial effect of massive doses of
vitamin C. I was using the massive doses of vitamin C not for the vitamin
C but for the electrons carried by the vitamin C. Ordinarily,
when a vitamin C molecule gives up its two extra electrons to scavenge two
free radicals, the vitamin C is refueled with two more electrons from the
mitochondria.
When the mitochondria are damaged and cannot provide the
electrons then the spent vitamin C is rapidly irreversibly lost.
By giving massive doses of C, this loss is prevented, and the
continuing supply of
fresh vitamin C substitutes for the inability of the
mitochondria to provide the electrons to refuel the spent vitamin C
(dehydroascorbate.)
Not incidentally, a major function of the mitochondria is to
provide electrons in the form of ATP to the muscles. Without
sufficient ATP to fuel the muscles, fatigue results.
The mitochondria are damaged by either viruses, bacteria
(sometimes cell wall deficient bacteria, L-forms), yeast toxins,
sensitivity to chemicals (including some drugs), allergic
reactions, etc. Probably, it usually involves two or more of the
above.
The damaged mitochondria become the major source of free
radicals.
A free radical cascade results. Fee radicals from a
damaged mitochondria damage adjacent mitochondria and cause them to
produce more free radicals. A domino effect results.
Because all
this up-regulates the immune system, various autoimmune phenomena
frequently result which may include aching in muscles, trigger
points, etc. (fibromyalgia).
The oral doses of ascorbic acid necessary to substitute for
the inability of the mitochondria to supply electrons to refuel the
free radical scavengers are at least
bowel tolerance doses (see my
other papers on this
website.) Many patients have found that
intravenous ascorbate is effective and necessary from time to time.
The main problem has been with insurance not paying for intravenous
ascorbate. While there is some expense involved with intravenous
ascorbate it has been more effective than that drug costing $15,000
to $19,000 a year. $15,000 of intravenous ascorbate would probably
have a chronic fatigue patient dancing a jig.
Ascorbate is not usually a cure for CFIDS but in patients who
tolerate massive doses orally (almost everyone tolerates IV
ascorbate), it ameliorates the disease better than other
treatments. This more effective amelioration is because replacing
the mitochondria function of providing the electrons for free
radical scavenging gets more at the basic pathological processes in
the disease and it helps protect the mitochondria so they can try
to repair themselves. The disinterest in the use of ascorbate is
hard to understand and it has contributed to not discovering basic
causes of the disease. I doubt that short of killing a virus that
may be the cause of many cases that there will be found a more
effective method of ameliorating the symptoms of the disease.
See also Dr. Catchart's articles Symptoms of
Wilson's
Syndrome, the effects of Chronic low
body temperature, and Titrating to Bowel
Tolerance on determining vitamin C dosage.
Content (C) 1995 and prior years, Dr. Robert F. Cathcart.
650-949-2822
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