Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Are They Caused by the Epstein Barr Virus?

Millions of Americans suffer with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, most of them women. Autoimmune diseases like these can be difficult to diagnose because of the variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms and lack of scientific testing methods. In fact, whether or not you have one or both of these overlapping syndromes yourself, you probably know at least one or two people with these conditions. Statistically, more than one in fifty people have them!

For both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, the prime age for diagnosis... particularly in women... is 25 to 45 years old, although it's diagnosed in both sexes, and all age and socio-economic groups. Fibromyalgia symptoms include painful points on the body, tenderness in tendons and muscles, extreme fatigue, mental "fog" and memory problems, insomnia, anxiety and depression, and dozens of other conditions that can vary widely from one individual to another. Chronic fatigue syndrome also known as CFS,is identified by debilitating fatigue that lasts for six months or longer. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that between 4 and 10 people in 100,000 have chronic fatigue syndrome.

Because fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have only been widely recognized as real medical problems in the last couple of decades and cannot be scientifically proved, some physicians still refer patients with these bizarre symptoms to psychiatrists instead of rheumatologists or other physical-medicine specialists. However, all the disbelief and uncertainty about these illnesses may be about to change for the better.

We may be on the verge of revolutionizing the treatment and prevention of some types of autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, according to US News - Health and the CDC. A Florida otolaryngologist, Doctor Daniel C. Dantini who also suffers with fibromyalgia, has authored a book detailing the use of antiviral drugs as a means of overcoming these debilitating illnesses. Doctor Dantini says that he believes that fibromyalgia is triggered by physical or psychological stress, but that the underlying cause may be viral... And many private researchers and the CDC scientists agree.

In fact, one upcoming theory is that a combination of viruses is responsible for both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndromes. Suspected viruses include Epstein Barr (which causes mononucleosis), parvovirus, herpesvirus 6, or cytomegalovirus. Even hepatitis and Lyme disease are being considered since any chronic infection may give rise to these types of symptoms.

Famciclovir and valacyclovir represent breakthroughs in antiviral drugs which may be used in the treatment of chronic infections like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Although the drugs themselves can cause allergic symptoms in patients who are infected with active viruses, Doctor Dantini has stated that the allergies respond to treatment with nutritional, controlled diets or allergy shots, or a combination of both..

If you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome and would like to consider this type of antiviral treatment, you should confer with your physician and follow-up with your insurance company regarding coverage, since this is a new treatment under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration.

To learn more about how you can overcome the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome without drugs or needles, click the link below.

Find out how to survive fibromyalgia!

By Carol Ryland