Chasteberry, Prolactin, Post Polio Syndrome

[Guest guest]

S. Bruno is a doctor who works at the Kessler Institute in New

Jersey. He has described the striking similarities between Post Polio

Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and has published on this subject.

This appeared on Co-Cure Mar 9, 2001.

Recently, one of our members, Merle Peer, has been reporting on the success

she's been having with Chasteberry, a prolactin inhibitor.

--Penny

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Q. Regarding the hormonal abnormalities, I'd be interested in knowing which

ones PPV and CFS have in common, ie. HPA axis abnormalities, CRH, ACTH and

cortisol, growth hormone, or discrepancies in stress hormones related to

orthostatic intolerance like norepinephrine. (There is anecdotal evidence

for this latter, though I am not aware of any controlled studies.)

A. We found no ACTH increase with an overnight fast in polio survivors with

fatigue, a finding similar to lack of ACTH release in PWC. The more fatigue,

the less ACTH. We use ACTH as our own in-house test to r/o other causes for

fatigue in difficult to diagnose polio survivors. I can't say it is a test

for PPS fatigue.

We also found a correlation between prolactin, fatigue and right hemisphere

slow-wave and theta %power in polio survivors, suggesting the lower dopamine

secretion (therefore increased prolactin) were associated with EEG slowing

and fatigue.

I don't know of a study of prolactin in PWCs.

Both CFS and PPS are still dx of exclusion.