Posted 12/27/2008 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Dr. Myhill is far from the first to have this theory of Mitocondria dysfuntion as the cause of CFS. I have a little concern about her calling herself a Doctor unless I am missing something on her credentials and selling products at the same time. It looks to me like she has a Masters and a Bachelors degree. Its not illegal to do that. Anyone can call themselves a Doctor. Its the validity of the credential that means something. I could call myself Dr. Grailhunter MP JE CTD That would be for Master Plumber, Journeyman Electrician, Commercial Truck Driver.
As was already said though, she seems to know her stuff and she should. She has made a study off the work of two real Doctors, and then put together her formula for what has worked the best for her.
That said:
The first recognized cases of CFS was in 1978 in Incline Village Nevada by Robert F. Cathcart MD that had his practice in Incline Village Nevada. He also believed it was a Mitocondria problem like Dr. Myhill, but for different reasons. Cathcart believed the Mitocondria were failing due to a free radical cascade. And if you pumped in enough anti-oxidents it would slow the cascade down and give the Mitocondria a chance to recover. He treated with very large doses of Ascorbic Acid and had quite a bit of success. He would have success if Myhill's theory is correct also, since high dose Ascorbic Acid wouldn't just help to stop free radicals, it would increase ATP.
Dr. Myhill's theory is taken from the research of other Doctors, and those Doctors may have been working off of Dr. Cathcart's original theory since he was I believe, but can't swear to it the first Doctor to treat CFS as a problem with the Mitocondria. I believe he was the first, since its a preaty well known fact that the first recognized cases were in Incline Village where he practiced 30 years ago.
If you want to read Dr. Cathcart's theory and treatment for CFS here is a link to his webpage explaining. It probably won't link, but you can always type it in. It might give you a little more confidence on what Myhill is saying.
http://www.mall-net.com/cathcart/cfids.html
Coincidentaly, in 1978 through 1983 I was working as a Plumber in, yup, you guessed it, Incline Village Nevada. I also did a whole lot of sewer and drain cleaning there in those years and was up to my arms so to speak in allot of those residents waste. Which is why I tend to lean somewhat toward the Microbacteria theory on CFS. Its just to much of a coincidence for me personaly that I was in the exact ground zero location of the original recognition of what is now called CFS and I was doing hundreds of service calls dealing with unplugging the waste lines of Incline Village residents. In my mind, how could this have spread from 16 original recognized cases out of one town, which is a resort town with lots of people coming and going, to something resembling a epidemic 25 years latter unless it can be passed in some form, and some peoples immune systems deal with it, and some don't for whatever reason.
Also, it was originaly called the Yuppie Flu. It was called the Yuppie Flu because it originaly seemed to impact primarily upper middle class and above people. What does this class of people do allot? Many tend to travel, vacation and go to the same places.
However, I have to add that I did not start experiencing the first symptoms of CFS until about 7 years latter, which leads me to believe that if it is a Virus or Microbacteria problem, my immune system dealt with it for awhile.
Whether Cathcart and Myhill are correct in that this is purely a Mitocondria damage problem, or whether there is a underlying disease process in the cells which is damageing the mitocondria, my opinion is they are fundamentaly correct on how to treat the symptoms. Throw enough at it to increase mitocondria function, and you will feel like you have better and more consistent energy.
I can personaly testify to this. I tried Dr. Cathcarts way and tossed 15 to 20 grams of Vitamin C a day at it, plus added in 600 milligrams of COQ10 a day on my own and 2000 milligrams of L-Carnitine. So I was already taking a couple of the components of Myhills protocol, and the main component of Dr. Cathcart's.
Dr. Cathcart was treating it with IV infusions of Vitamin C at allot higher doses then 20 grams a day. But I still noticed a almost emediate increase in energy, and after a few weeks I started noticing a improvement in my cognition and memory. Most of the people that follow Cathcart's theory on CFS anymore though don't rely on high dose vitamin C nearly as much as they do high dose COQ10, because the level of Vitamin C necessary is hard to do.
I quit doing this after a month, because the high dose Vitamin C flushes the medications you take out of your system preaty fast and their effect won't make it anymore from one dose to the next one. The effectiveness time was getting cut about in half.
But if Myhill's treatment works, there is no high dose Vitamin C and there shouldn't be a problem. If I do this protocol though, I will probably use Ascorbic Acid with it, but in a limited fashion, like 3 to 5 grams a day instead of 15 to 20.
But if there is a underlying disease process going on inside of the cells, and I personaly believe there is because of my own odd circumstances and the way it spread from something minor, effecting a handful of people in one place to being everywhere a couple of decades latter, this would improve your symptoms, but its something you will be doing from now on. There wouldn't be a point that the mitocondria would repair themselves and be able to hold their own if you stopped doing the supplements that help. Not unless your immune response reached the point it could normalize again and keep up with the cause.
But, then again. We take drugs to deal with the pain and sleep issues and they are not fixing anything either, so if you can afford the supplements for Myhill's treatment, its probably worth a test run. Better energy and mental function would certainly be a major gain. I think I will give it a try and see what happens.
Edit: Something I have to add on the concept of this being a epidemic. If you search enough through the Social Security Disability files you will find a odd statement by the people that decide what is a disability and what isn't. CFS is a recognized disability by Social Security. They estimate there are millions of people in the US with CFS and Fibro. In Canada it is not called CFS, it is called ME and is recognized as a idiopathic disease. Social Security is well aware that their are millions of people disabled to different degree's by CFS, and they actualy feel bad about the fact they put people through the wringer to get disability for CFS, but they have no way of knowing how disabled people really are without denying them the whole way until it gets in front of a Judge for the final decision. There are so many people with CFS and Fibro right now that if Social Security let up and made it any easier to get disability, it would literaly overwhelm disability. So its not that its not being recognized. Its highly recognized, and they do actualy feel bad about the people that are at they point they should be on disability, but they can't afford to do anything but fight the recognition to the bitter end for each individual or the system would not handle it. That is nothing short of a epidemic.
Edit 2: Part of Myhill's theory, is that cognitive dysfuntion is due to decreased blood flow to the brain. I have a Inverter in the back room of my store for my back. But I also notice that everytime I use, my ability to focus, essentialy brain fog, and my sense of balance improve. What is the most likely thing I am doing flipping myself completely upside down for a couple of minutes, brain wise, then dramaticaly increasing blood flow.