Is There a Link between Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
By Linda on Nov 29, 2009 in Infections
Is There a Link between Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
by Richard A. Van Konynenburg, Ph.D.
9th International IACFS/ME Conference
Reno, Nevada
March 12-15, 2009
Summary
A link has been hypothesized between Lyme disease and chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS). This link is based on the Glutathione Depletion-Methylation Cycle Block (GD-MCB) hypothesis for CFS [6].The GD-MCB hypothesis proposes that in a person who is genomically predisposed, stressors that place demands on glutathione can cause it to become depleted, and can lead to a partial
block in the methylation cycle. The resulting vicious circle interaction maintains CFS as a chronic condition.The present paper suggests that Lyme disease is one of the stressors that can produce this
vicious circle interaction in the body of a person who is genomically predisposed. It is suggested that this leads to chronic Lyme disease.If the Borrelia bacteria are subsequently eliminated by treatment, the patient then has post-Lyme disease syndrome. Post-Lyme disease syndrome is one of the post-infective fatigue syndromes, a category of disorders within chronic fatigue syndrome [25]. A commercial test
panel is available to test this hypothesis [26], and treatment to lift the methylation cycle block and to restore glutathione is available [7] if these are found to be present.
