Questions to help determine a particular PWC's etiology

[Guest guest]

Since a couple of people have expressed interest in finding out what

my list of questions is to help determine a particular PWC's

etiology,

here they are.

I want to make it clear that I am not licensed to diagnose or treat

disease. My intent in presenting this list of questions is to

provide

an aid to help individuals on the list to figure out their own

situations. Anything I suggest should be taken as information to

consider together with a licensed doctor, not as a prescription. The

questions I ask below are directed toward trying to find out if any

of

the hypotheses that I have heard of currently being discussed among

researchers would fit a given PWC's particular case. If anyone wants

to share their answers with the list or with me personally, that is

up

to them. If anyone wants to send me their answers to get my opinion,

and wants them kept in confidence, I will oblige. I have no idea

what

the response to this will be, so if it's large, please understand

that

it may take me a while to get to all of them. And also, please

understand that all I can do is give an opinion from my current state

of understanding (or ignorance!) There are no implied guarantees.

Questions:

What major symptoms are you dealing with? I presume you have extreme

tiredness. What about immune dysfunction (low grade infections, mild

fevers, painful lymph nodes, constant feeling of having the " flu, "

etc.). What about pain? What about sleep problems?

Neurally-mediated hypotension (get dizzy when standing, feel like you

might faint)? Irritable bowel syndrome (diarrhea, constipation, gas,

pains down there)? Brain fog (problems with memory, calculating,

thinking clearly)? Constant thirst? Frequent urination?

Sensitivities

to chemicals? Anything else? Have you been " officially " diagnosed as

having chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia?

Have you had any lab tests that have come back abnormal? If so, which

ones, and what were the results? Have you had your urine organic

acids measured? How about amino acids in the blood or the urine?

Have you had thyroid tests? If so, what were the results?

What supplements are you taking? Do you maintain any kind of a

special diet? If so, have you found any supplements that seem to

help? Are there any foods that make you feel worse or better? How

do

you respond to citrus juices? How do you respond to heavy doses of

sugar or white starches (white potatoes, white rice, pasta, bread,

etc.)? How do you respond to drinking alcoholic beverages?

Do you tend to gain or lose weight? Have your muscles gotten

noticeably smaller since you've had CFS? Do your muscles have

constant contractions or hard lesions in them?

Is there any history of arthritis or rheumatism in your genetic

relatives? Did you have " growing pains " when you were young? What

was your health like as a child (allergies? frequent colds? asthma?)

Do any of your genetic relatives have CFS or fibromyalgia?

What happens when you get too much exercise? How much is too much?

Do you get fatigued easily? Does it take a long time to recover?

How

long?

What were the circumstances of your CFIDS onset? Was it sudden or

gradual (i.e., can you point to a certain day?) Did you experience

any of the following in the few months preceding the onset of

symptoms?

Infections, frequent antibiotic use, major use of drugs or

pharmaceuticals (including over-the-counter remedies such as

acetaminophen), physical trauma, major emotional stress, significant

consumption of alcohol, extreme physical exercise, surgery,

anesthesia, consistently getting less sleep than you really needed,

workaholism, diet that did not include adequate amounts of the

essential nutrients (particularly proteins, minerals, and vitamins),

significant consumption of convenience foods, soft drinks, or sport

drinks, known exposure to toxic organic chemicals or heavy metal

toxins, prior illnesses such as polio or mononucleosis, exposure to

carbon monoxide, such as from a home heating system with cracks or

inadequate venting, or an automobile that is " warmed up " in a garage

connected to your house, or sitting in stalled heavy traffic for long

periods of time.

Have you ever tried breathing into a large paper bag held against

your

mouth for two minutes? If so, how did this make you feel, better or

worse?

Have you had your venous blood pH or your venous blood gases (oxygen

and CO2) measured? Have you had your blood sedimentation rate

measured? If so, what were the results? Has anyone drawing your

blood

ever remarked that it seemed " thick " ?

Do you have any history of lung problems, such as pneumonia or

bronchitis? When you go to the mountains, do you get altitude

sickness? How do you respond to airplane flights?

Have you been tested for mycoplasma or chlamydia or rickettsia or

lyme

disease? Is it likely that you could have been exposed to tick bites

(i.e., did you garden or hike in brushy areas before you became ill?)

Is there anything else that you think might be relevant to

determining

the root cause of your illness? Is there anything you know of that's

different about your illness from that of other PWCs you've

communicated with?

Rich Van Konynenburg