NEWS: Local Doctor Gives Hope To Fibromyalgia Sufferers

[Guest guest]

Local Doctor Gives Hope To Fibromyalgia Sufferers

Reporter: Samson

New Media Producer: Kerry Corum

An ville physician is going to the American Academy of Pain Management

conference in San Wednesday, to present what could be a breakthrough

finding.

He suspects the chronic pain of diseases like fibromyalgia could be caused

by a series of viruses.

Anita Held, 64-years-old, needs a basket to hold all the pills she needs to

get her through the day. Fibromyalgia leaves her sore all over and

constantly tired. She says, " Breathing is an effort, just moving the least

little bit is just an effort. So some days I actually will sleep all day

long. "

Pain specialist Dr. realized the fatigue, aches and chills

many of his patients describe are the same symptoms that come with a case of

the flu. So he had an idea: What if he tested them for some common viruses?

" I went through and listed about three or four viruses, and didn't even know

if the labs could test for them, and my gosh, they came back positive. "

He eventually came up with list of 17 viruses and found that his

fibromyalgia patients were all testing positive for anywhere from three to

nine viruses each. Dr. believes their immune systems aren't

recognizing the viruses as pathogens and as they steal cell material to

replicate, the patient is left with a host of ailments. He's prescribing

anti-viral medications to try to suppress the viruses, which can take years.

In the meantime, says, " I want to get the word out to physicians to

test for the virus, use the anti-viral medication and let's all have some

input and see if we can eradicate this condition. "

That would be a dream come true for Anita Held, who just found out she has

three viruses. " I am glad they found something, because now we have

something to work with, is the way I look at it. That's not bad news. "

She says it's good news to think maybe someday she could spend more time

with her grandchildren without getting too tired.

So far, 26 of Dr. 's patients have tested positive for up to nine

viruses. He says six are responding well to anti-viral medication.

Besides fibromyalgia, the treatment is also helping sufferers of chronic

fatigue and irritable bowel syndromes.

Dr. outlined a list of the viruses he's testing for in fibromyalgia

cases:

*Epstein Barr virus EBV

*Cytomegalovirus CMV

*Herpes virus: 8 types

*Parvovirus B 19

Norwalk agent

*Rotavirus

*Enteric Coronavirus

*Enterovirus

Astrovirus

Calcivirus

*Varicella - Zoster virus VZV

Torovirus

*Adenovirus

Picovirus

Pogosta virus

Sindbis virus

*sackie A and B virus

*The most frequently involved virses. Most patients will have from three to

nine of these viruses at abnormal levels.

For more information on Dr. 's research, contact his office at

812-425-2662.