Re: Immune system, Rich

[Guest guest]

Rich, Your explanation of the immune response in CFIDS was great. I finally

understand why the flu is life threatening for me, but I absolutely cannot catch

a headcold. In 12 years I've had many horrible infections. But never any head

cold I've been exposed to.

I would add that there may be a genetic factor involved with the triggering of

CFIDS. Some of us show hereditary blood defects on the ISAC panel.

Also, as far as the immune system being involved with FM I would think that the

immune system is going to be involved with any condition or disease that is

chronic. The immune system is programmed to correct disease and injury. If a

condition becomes chronic like FM, wouldn't it suggest that the immune system is

defective in some way? Just a thought. I'm no expert!

Judy R.

[Guest guest]

> Rich, Your explanation of the immune response in CFIDS was great. I

finally understand why the flu is life threatening for me, but I

absolutely cannot catch a headcold. In 12 years I've had many horrible

infections. But never any head cold I've been exposed to.

>

> I would add that there may be a genetic factor involved with the

triggering of CFIDS. Some of us show hereditary blood defects on the

ISAC panel.

>

> Also, as far as the immune system being involved with FM I would

think that the immune system is going to be involved with any

condition or disease that is chronic. The immune system is programmed

to correct disease and injury. If a condition becomes chronic like FM,

wouldn't it suggest that the immune system is defective in some way?

Just a thought. I'm no expert!

> Judy R.

Judy,

I agree that there is probably a genetic factor involved in at least

some of the cases of CFIDS.

I don't know why you get flu but not head colds. Both of these are

viral. I hear many PWCs say that they have something like a herpes

family virus such as HHV-6, CMV, or EBV, but they don't get colds or

flu. It may be a combination of the Th1-to-Th2 shift and the RNAse-L

process. I think there was some discussion of this recently. Was it

from Dr. Cheney? I'll have to look at the past messages.

Concerning " pure " fibromyalgia, I'm not convinced that the immune

system is involved. I don't think the immune system protects us from

every kind of ailment. It has to have something that it identifies as

" foreign " to trigger a response. But until we understand exactly

what's going on, I can only speculate.

Thanks.

Rich