The cause of immune dysfunction in CFIDS & FM is a mystery but it is been concluded that hypothalamic dysfunction and poor sleep more than likely play a role. It is also noted that CFIDS/FM patients will get infections caused by organisms that will not cause illness in other people (opportunistic infections).
Some common types of infections that affect CFIDS/FM sufferers are:
Chronic sinusitis – bacterial or fungal
- Bowel infections – Parasitic, fungal and bacterial overgrowths are common and account for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These overgrowths can then in turn cause leaky gut syndrome, which can lead to food sensitivities and liver overload.
- Viral infections – Some viruses can cause hypothalamic suppression.
- Infections caused by mycoplasma, chlamydia and other organisms. There are several organisms that are difficult to test for that may both trigger and feed CFIDS/FM.
It saddened me to read that the lady who wrote the first comment got her son to eat jello and swallow tylenol when he was sick. Jello contains sugar and colourant, which suppress the immune system, and tylenol cripples the ability of the hypothalamus to generate fever. Avoiding those things unfortunately does not make chronic sickness go away, but consuming them makes the underlying problem worse.