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Summary of responses to my CFS/CD query of 12/6/96
 
1.  I, too have CFS and CD.  Both self-diagnosed.I think the link between
them is called General Adaptive Stress syndrome (G.A.S.).  It is simply a
name for the fatigue and dodther syndromes that set in when the adrenal
glands are exhausted.  The adrenal glands react to all stresses including
immune stresses.  They produce corticosteriods among other hormones.  With
CFS it is believed that something (a virus?)  affects the mitrochondria in
certain cells-including the adrenal cells and muscle cells.  The
mitrochondria is the inner part of the cell which burns nutrients to create
energy for each cell.  So now we have inefficient cells in the adrenal
cortex.  In the case of a person who already had CD, they were probably
working the adrenal glands overtime to begin with.  The rest of the story is
a "chicken and the egg" controversy:  did the Cd wear out the adrenal,
causing G.A.S.  syndrome and consequently chronic fatigue?  Or were the
adrenall glands "cocvering up" for the pre-existing Cd for years and now they
are unable to because they have been compromised by CFS?  This would then
cause the "sudden" appearance of C.D.  symptoms.  This is mostly my
speculation on the 2 diseases from wht I've read and my own experience.  I
don't know if you are familiar with the benefits of Magnesium Malate for
Fibromyalgia.  It really works for me.  Without it I would probably be taking
pain killers everyday.
 
2.  I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia before CD and almost all symptoms have
gone away with the GF diet.  As I understand it, Fibromyalgia and CFS may be
the same "disease".  I certainly was chronically fatigued and had very itchy
skin and I'm better.
 
3. Fatigue is reported to be almost a universal symptom in newly diagnosed
patients with Cd. It may be due to one or more factors including
malnutrition, dehydration, inflammation(of the intestine), micronutrient
deficiency causing anemia, low calcium or magnesium, along with other
deficiency states. When a patient who already has the diagnosis of CD for
several years it can be any of the above, though the important first step in
checking someone like that out is usually rechecking for activity of the C.D.
Other entities that can cause fatigue that may be seen in higher frequency
in patients with Cd include depression, Vit B 12 def, other autoimmune
diseases including Sjrogen's syndrome, Lupus, hypothyroidism, diabetes,
addison's amopng others. Of course someone can also develope other illnesses
including heart, lung, liver, and kidney problems that can all cause
fatigue, but are not associated with CD.
This is not medical advice and should be used as such.
 
4. I too have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. However,most of my sympstoms
are manageable with the GF diet. I still suffer from extreme fatigue(relief
with B-12 injections) and some life style modifications (I am married to the
Energizer Rabbit!)  When I encounter gluten I have problems with the
fatigue, depression, and flu-like symptoms. They were what drove me to the
doctors(the diarrhea was attributed to "irratable bowel" and I had learned
to adapt in spite of the pain and embarrassing situations. My guess is that
all these things are related and that science won't follow in my lifeeetime
unless perhaps gene therapy would work.
 
5.  I am new to this list.  as a baby I was diagnosed with CD which was
believed to have gone away.  Now I have been informed by Don Wiss that this
is not a curable disease.  I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic
fatigue, and irritable bowel syndrome about 10 years ago.  For 8 years I
searched from dr.  to dr.  looking for the cause of my pain.  I never
connected it to my childhood illness, as I believed it was cured.  Boy am I
surprised!  My question, has a medical professional ever suggested to you
that you have fibromyalgia?  Many of the symptoms seem to overlap.
 
Sorry for the delay in responding to the many requests for this list but we
have been having systems/modem probs plus the Christmas festivities
complicated things a bit..
Anyway, Happy New Year to all.
 
Marjorie