Fibromyalgia and Herpes Virus

A doctor from Evansville, Indiana, has discovered that fibromyalgia patients are more likely to have several common viruses, which could explain why they go on to develop the condition. According to a report on News14.com, Dr. David Johnson, who specializes in managing pain, came up with the idea to test his fibromyalgia patients for 17 common viruses. He was surprised to find they tested positive for between three and nine of the viruses.

Some of the common viruses were rotavirus, herpes, and Epstein-Barr virus. Dr. Johnson is hoping treating the viruses with antiviral medications will help fibromyalgia patients with some of the common symptoms associated with the disease such as chronic fatigue, aches, and chills. He says some of his patients are responding well to the treatment. He will also be presenting his findings at the upcoming San Antonio American Academy of Pain Management conference.

Relation between Herpes and Fibromyalgia

Two herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and HHV-6, have been of interest in chronic fatigue syndrome for decades.  However, it was not until the Pridgen antiviral Fibromyalgia study put the spotlight on the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) that it has shown up in a big way.  Like other herpes viruses, HSV tends to reactivate during times of physical, hormonal and/or emotional stress.

A recent study found a link between the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Fibromyalgia (FM) Dr. Pridgen is Board Certified in General Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. William Pridgen says that herpes viruses may be the underlying cause, and the “key” to understanding Fibromyalgia. A major study attempted to determine if the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is linked to Fibromyalgia.

The study lasted four months and included 143 patients. The study was conducted by Dr. William Pridgen and his co-workers at Innovative Med Concepts. (1) “Dr. Pridgen saw a pattern emerge in his treatment of thousands of patients with chronic gastrointestinal issues that intrigued him. A patient would get better, but then experience a stressful event that would send him/her back into the soup.

They would get better, but during the next relapse they would stay sick longer and their recovery period would be shorter. Eventually they would be sick all the time.”  Dr. Pridgen, and other scientists, now believes that herpes viruses are the underlying cause of Fibromyalgia.

“Other than a 1993 theory proposing herpes simplex virus was at play in ME/CFS, interest has been scanty. HSV-1’s ability to affect many of the genes and gene pathways suspected of playing a role in nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and autism, however, lead one researcher to propose it could play a role in all of them.” To summarize, Dr. Pridgen concluded that, based on the data collected by his team, that HSV-1 is the cause of Fibromyalgia.

What is Herpes Simplex?

Herpes Simplex is a dsDNA (double-stranded DNA) virus that belongs to the Herpesviridae family of human-infecting viruses.  This virus subset comes in two forms: HSV-1 commonly referred to as “cold sores”, and HSV-2, commonly referred to as “genital herpes”.

One of the distinguishing attributes of this virus is that it stays with the host for lives by residing in the nerve ganglia, which are nerve clusters within the body that act as conduits between the central nervous system and the various functional components of our body: organs, glands, skin, blood vessels, and muscles.

Our immune systems are generally so good at bottling up herpes simplex viruses that we tend to associate them with unpleasant but mostly innocuous problems such as cold sores, fever blisters and genital blisters. Let’s get something straight: viruses INFECT! That’s their hallmark.

For the most part, they attach onto, and hijack, host cells, turning them into little factories to produce copies of them.  Of course, each virus has its own set of nuances: what kind of cells they can infect, where, etc. Most people with cold sores probably don’t know that herpes virus infection in and around the mouth typically results in the virus establishing permanent residence in the three nerves that run from the ear across the face (trigeminal ganglia).

Pain, it’s unavoidable. But having pain daily and all over your body can drastically limit a person’s life. Many people with fibromyalgia describe this type of crippling pain. It’s a mysterious disease that for many years had no known cause or treatment. In fact, it wasn’t even officially recognized until 1987. Since then, we’ve realized the problem is a malfunction in the central nervous system, specifically in the way the brain and nerves process the signals that cause pain. Now, researchers theorize the cause is a virus called herpes simplex virus type one (HSV-1), the same one that causes cold sores.

Treatment

The CBCD recommends that people infected with the herpes virus take Gene-Eden-VIR or Novirin. The formula of these natural antiviral products was tested by Hanan Polansky and Edan Itzkovitz from the CBCD in two clinical studies that followed FDA guidelines. The studies showed that the Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin formula is effective against the herpes simplex virus, and other viruses.

The clinical studies were published in the peer reviewed, medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, the first, in a special edition on Advances in Antiviral Drugs. Study authors wrote that, “Individuals infected with the HSV reported a safe decrease in their symptoms following treatment with Gene-Eden-VIR.”

The study authors also wrote that, “We observed a statistically significant decrease in the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms.” Ninety percent of patients had improved gastrointestinal, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia symptoms. Also Read “15 Low cost Treatment for Fibromyalgia”

Rationale behind the efficacy of the drug

The rationale behind the efficacy of these two drugs is that they attack the virus on several fronts. The virus can become dormant and hide from the immune system in nerve cells, then reactivate and travel within nerves. The drugs work together to inhibit the active virus from replicating, and stop the latent virus from reactivating.

Also Read:

Your Fibromyalgia may be the cause of occiptal neuralgia

References:

• Buchwald, D., Goldenberg, D. L., Sullivan, J. L., & Komaroff, A. L. (1987). The ‘chronic, active epstein-barr virus infection’ syndrome and primary fibromyalgia. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 30(10), 1132. doi:10.1002/art.1780301007
• Does Herpes Cause Fibromyalgia? via utmb Health
• Hedberg, N. R. (2013). EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS & AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE: THE INFECTION CONNECTION. Original Internist, 20(1), 18-19.
• The Devil Is In The Details – A Herpes Simplex Virus Inquiry For Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome via Health Rising