Both appear to have similar causes and symptoms, and both respond to many of the same treatments.
With either condition, patients often experience unrelenting fatigue that lasts for months on end, along with brain fog, an inability to concentrate, impaired memory, and exercise intolerance.
Whether the two conditions are connected remains a mystery, but their similarities help to guide the development of effective treatment protocols here at BioDesign Wellness Center, a Tampa, Fla., functional medicine clinic.
What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems, including the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems — all of which have far-reaching effects on the body’s physiological functions.
Patients often find it difficult to perform their usual daily activities. And may even have trouble “dragging themselves out of bed.”
The cause of the condition remains a mystery. Research suggests that two or more factors may contribute to its onset. Examples might include a hidden infection, such as from the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and exposure to a source of environmental toxins, such as toxic mold.
Symptoms include the following:
- Severe fatigue — even when well rested
- Poor sleep quality and/or quantity
- Post-exertional malaise (PEM) — symptoms are worse after physical or mental activity
- Cognitive difficulties, such as an inability to concentrate and/or impaired memory
- Aches and pains
- Dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint, especially upon standing
While there’s no cure or approved treatment protocol for ME/CFS, doctors typically resort to trying to alleviate symptoms, which vary from patient to patient. Treatment may include the following components:
- Medication, such as anti-depressants, anxiolytics (for anxiety), pain relievers, and sleep medications
- Activity management (pacing) to balance activity and rest
- Counseling to develop coping strategies
- Dietary changes
- Nutritional supplements
- Complementary therapies, such as meditation, massage, and relaxation therapy
What Is Long Haul COVID?
Long haul COVID (or simply long COVID) is a term used to refer to cases in which symptoms last for longer than four weeks (and as long as six months) after the initial infection. Patients whose symptoms persist long after testing positive for the coronavirus are referred to as long haulers, and they account for about one out of every three people afflicted with COVID-19.
Symptoms include one or more of the following (symptoms like those of ME/CFS are listed first and appear in italics):
- Brain fog
- Change in taste and smell
- Changes in menstrual period cycles
- Chest or stomach pain
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness or lightheadedness when standing up
- Fast-beating heart (heart palpitations)
- Fever
- Headache
- Joint or muscle pain
- Mood changes
- Pins-and-needles feeling
- Rash
- Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities
- Tiredness or fatigue
Conventional medicine focuses on treating the different systems that are affected and tends not to seek or treat the overlapping nature of the above symptoms.
Depending on the patient, conventional treatments may be provided for neurological symptoms, such as brain fog and lost sense of taste and smell; cardiovascular symptoms, such as blood clots and chest pain; respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath and exhaustion after very little exertion; and mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.
Our Clinical Observations and Insights
Based on what we’re seeing here at BioDesign Wellness Center, we would not say that patients with ME/CFS are necessarily more susceptible to COVID-19 or that ME/CFS patients are more likely to be COVID long haulers.
What we are seeing is that patients who have had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated often share the symptoms and the appearance of patients whom we have treated in the past for ME/CFS.
Learn More Here: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Its Connection to Toxic Mold
Here are the similarities we’ve been observing:
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ME/CFS often starts after a bacterial or viral infection. There have been many studies linking the altered immune state of ME/CFS patients, showing hyperactive immune responses. In the case of long haulers, the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is clearly the culprit.
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The COVID-19 long haulers we see have symptoms very similar to patients with ME/CFS that we have treated in the past: Many COVID-19 patients are experiencing chronic unrelenting fatigue months after recovering from the infection. Commonly, they complain of brain fog, loss of concentration, and difficulty recalling words.
One recent patient — a 27-year-old female with a prior clean bill of health pre-COVID-19 — suffered a two-week bout with COVID-19 that has lingered for more than three months. She also received the vaccine and a booster shot. Upon our initial consultation, she complained of anxiety, night sweats, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and inability to exercise. When she tried to exercise, she felt faint and weak.
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Patients with ME/CFS often respond well to treatments that address hyperactivity of the immune system. This includes a variety of vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant therapies that reduce inflammation.
I am seeing long haulers who are responding well to antioxidant therapies, including nebulized glutathione, high-dose vitamin C, and luteolin, along with an anti-inflammatory diet.
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Long haulers, much like patients who have ME/CFS, often have allergies. This requires that we take a close look at the patient’s environment. Many of our patients with ME/CFS have had a previous or current exposure to mold that is upregulating their nervous system and causing a chronic inflammatory response syndrome.
Patients who have had COVID-19 whose symptoms persist beyond two weeks may, in fact, not be healing due to their environment. Due to COVID-19 infections, they may now be more susceptible to mold or other environmental factors that have all contributed to immune hyperactivity.
Our Testing and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 Long Haulers
Our approach to diagnosing and treating patients with long COVID starts with testing:
- We run various tests to check for inflammatory markers, including D-Dimer (to detect any serious blood clots), blood clotting markers, and acute inflammatory markers such as ferritin that may be present post-infection.
- Additional panels may include TNFα and γ-interferon to check for elevated cytokines post-COVID-19.
- In patients with depression, we order the Tryptophan/Amino Acid Profile and Serotonin Test to check for deficiencies.
Treatment starts immediately, based on the patient’s symptoms and test results, and is directed at the area of greatest concern. In many cases, this means increasing the patient’s energy and stamina as well as calming the nervous system.
This can be done without using prescription medications, instead focusing on antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier to alleviate inflammation.
Treatment may also be directed to the lungs using a nebulizer with antioxidant therapy, namely glutathione.
Most patients respond to treatment within days or weeks, demonstrating appreciable changes in symptoms—improved cognition, increased strength and energy, improved sleep, and better mood.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms discussed in this post, regardless of whether you sense they’re being caused by ME/CFS or long COVID, we strongly encourage you to schedule an evaluation with a functional medicine and integrative medical clinic to get checked out.
If you’re in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area, call us at (813) 445-7770, or schedule a consultation online. Don’t continue to suffer unnecessarily. We can tailor a treatment protocol specifically for you that will get you back to feeling like yourself again.
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Disclaimer: The information in this blog post about myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and “long haul” COVID-19 is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect current medical thinking or practices. No information contained in this post should be construed as medical advice from the medical staff at BioDesign Wellness Center, Inc., nor is this post intended to be a substitute for medical counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate medical advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a licensed medical professional in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.