"Dr. Holtorf on Infectious Causes of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia ProHealth.com by Kent Holtorf, MD May 25, 2011
Dr. Kent Holtorf, founder of the non-profit National Academy of Hypothyroidism, directs the Holtorf Medical Group in Torrance, Foster City, Pasadena, and Sacramento, CA, Kansas City and Minneapolis. Dr. Holtorf specializes in researching and employing "innovative evidence-based therapies for hard-to-treat and poorly understood illnesses: hypothyroidism, complex endocrine dysfunction, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia and chronic infectious diseases including Lyme and chronic viral illness."
As noted below, Dr. Holtorf was intrigued to find that the only patients in his practice who tested XMRV-positive were chronic Lyme patients, and has been supervising some of them on anti-retroviral regimens . An upcoming newsletter will feature his Q&A with representative patient(s) from this group.
Numerous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of chronic infections in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
These include viral infections of Epstein-barr (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes virus-6, (HHV-6), and bacterial infections such as mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)."
I was skeptical about XMRV at first and thought it was most likely an opportunistic infection. One reason was that Quest did a pilot study in our office and we found that all the patients who were positive were the chronic Lyme patients. [Quest Diagnostics Clinical Trials in Valencia, CA - See their poster, "A Sensitive Real-time Assay for the Detection and Quantification of XMRV," presented at the recent 2011 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.]
Thus my thinking was that Lyme must the primary infection with XMRV being secondary or opportunistic.
Now I think that was too simplistic and think the evidence is showing that having XMRV is a reason that Lyme may not be cleared in some or many patients and may need to be treated.
Our initial treatment with anti-retrovirals has been encouraging. I have been using Isentress [raltegravir] and then adding Viread [tenofovir]. Also using GcMAF ["vitamin D-binding protein," thought to activate immune macrophage response to infectious micro-organisms] in some.
[ProHealth note: As a means of sharing the findings of these anti-retroviral treatments, Dr. Holtorf has indicated he will construct a brief Q&A with one or more of the chronic Lyme patients in his care who may wish to volunteer their experience and observations regarding the therapy. To be included in a future newsletter.]"
Posts: 191 | From Ontario | Registered: Feb 2006
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
There is some controversy surrounding XMRV. A well respected researcher in UT couldn't find it.
There are alot of theories about this issue. Take a look at this one...
Suspected New Species of Chronic Roundworm Parasite, Cryptostrongylus pulmoni, Associated with CFS in Blinded Trials
RESULTS: Decayed specimens of C. pulmoni were found in 50 percent of three-day sputum samples from CFS patients -12 in 24-, but not in 16 controls -chi-square association, P<0.003-. The infection rate, corrected for test sensitivity, is conservatively estimated at 66 percent -95% CL, > 44% to > 84%-. Two positive patients re-tested two years later were both still positive. Late larval stages were also found in sputum. Approximately 50 to 100 hours were needed to isolate and identify each specimen.
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Most of us have never heard of this study & it was done over 10 years ago.
Also, many people with Morgellon's Disease also test positive for Lyme. Go figure? Just in case you might be interested - Joni Mitchell has Morgellon's... I wish she would speak out about it but I understand why she wouldn't want to.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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