Many people have never heard of Epstein-Barr and ask me
questions about it. So here it is in
simple terms from the one who is the expert – the virus itself!
Hi. My name is
Epstein-Barr Virus, but you can call me EBV for short. You will want to listen up because I infect
about 95% of human beings by the time they are adults. So chances are I am living in you. I am part of the herpes family of viruses,
like chicken pox and shingles. I am
Herpes-4 to be exact. So I can cause an
infection, lay dormant, and then awaken later to cause another infection. I am
usually initially transmitted from person to person by saliva such as sharing
drinking utensils. If I infected you as a young child, you may not have even
noticed. The infection would have
mimicked a cold or other minor illness.
However, if you’re not initially infected with me until teen years or
early adulthood, I can cause a more intense illness called mononucleosis
(mono). This is what happened to Marianne.
She was 20 years old when I infected her body leaving her with wicked
fatigue, horrible sore throat, swollen tonsils and uvula (that little thing
that hangs down from the top of your throat). She spent the night in the
hospital and recovered enough to go back to work after a month. Lucky for me, she was not fully recovered
and working hard as an RN on a hospital unit which involved working 12 hour
shifts and rotating from days to nights every month or so. This made it easy for me to reactivate in less
than six months. You see, I love human beings
under stress! That stress can be physical, mental, emotional, or
environmental. When the body is
stressed, it causes a break in the immune system and then I can thrive once
again. Some specific stressors may
include, work stress, chemical exposures, divorce, illness, surgery, death of a
loved one, sleep deprivation, or something as simple as the standard American
diet (SAD) which is high in processed foods causing the gut to get out of whack
leading to a broken immune system. (Did
you know that 70% to over 90% of your immune system is in your gut? That’s another topic for another time.)
Except for a nine month relapse, I kept quiet and subdued in
Marianne’s thirties. When I’m dormant I am inactive and simply wait for a break
in the immune system. She was thriving
in her mid-forties – enjoying time with family friends, working a job she
loved, being in the best shape of her life, and loving her hobbies. Nothing
could stop her at this point. Did I say
“nothing?” Well, nothing except for me-
good old EBV! Because I am life
changing, she remembers the exact day I returned. No one can ever forget the intense fatigue
and weakness I cause. Simple tasks such
as getting ready for work or cooking a meal become unbearable and impossible at times. If my victims are lucky enough to be able to push
themselves through work and a few social events, they often look normal to
their friends and coworkers. Most have no clue what a struggle it is to be my
victim.
Some experts call me
a “stealth microbe” and for good reason.
When the body is invaded by a virus, the immune system is alerted that there is an invader and it needs to be destroyed. However, I interfere with that messaging and
tell the immune system not to bother. I
am then able to hide and thrive. I have
been known to affect the spleen and liver. In some people I attack the thyroid,
leading to an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I also mess
with the mitochondria. These are the
powerhouses in human cells. They are a
major player when it comes to energy. I
don’t stop there though. Once the body
has been trying to fight me for so long, the adrenal glands get tired and lose
their spunk. These little walnut sized
glands that sit on top of the kidneys pack quite a punch. They are responsible for producing several
hormones one of which is cortisol. Symptoms
of low cortisol include fatigue, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), salt cravings,
increased thirst, low blood pressure, dizziness upon standing to name a
few. So this just adds to the already
debilitating fatigue of the EBV. There were times Marianne would have to lay
down after making a quick breakfast before she mustered up the energy to eat
it! Yes, I am one beast of a virus.
But it gets better. I
not only hide out in the human body, but I can be stealth when it comes to
doctors as well. Except for having
active antibodies to EBV (a positive IgM antibody), for the most part Marianne’s
basic bloodwork was "normal." Doctors
aren’t sure what to do with that unless it is a teenager. They usually tell teens to rest, stay off
school for a while, no sports, eat well, drink lots of fluids and take your
time when you go back. But when it’s a
woman in her mid-forties they don’t say much.
Marianne was told by an infectious disease doctor that, “anyone can have
antibodies to anything, but it doesn’t mean they have it.” He tested her blood for EBV DNA which was
negative so he dismissed her. Boy am I
good or what??!! A little virus like me
not only brought down a healthy, thriving woman but I was able to sneak past
the expert! Marianne is relentless
though and later through her research found out the truth. She learned that I may only express DNA in
her blood for two weeks or so, then hide out in the tissues. Therefore an EBV
DNA test can be negative although I have actually been reactivated. Then there was her primary care doctor. Her response to Marianne asking what she
thought about her recurrent EBV was, “Exercise.” I couldn’t stop
laughing! Of course Marianne would
exercise if she could! The truth is
pushing oneself can make EBV symptoms worse. They certainly do not tell the
teenagers with mono to exercise. To give
physicians the benefit of the doubt, reactivated Epstein-Barr Virus is not
front page news in the medical journals, so knowledge is limited. What I’ve
been talking about is the reactivated from of EBV. There is also CAEBV (chronic active
Epstein-Barr Virus). This form is a rare and a progressive disease that
eventually leads to severe immunodeficiency, multi-organ failure, and even death.
This type will show a significantly elevated PCR and is taken seriously by the
medical community.
Current
research has implicated me (EBV) as the culprit in MS and other diseases. There are 200,000 new cases of EBV associated
cancers every year worldwide. There is
currently work being done to come up with a vaccine.
I hope I have been able to answer your
questions about EBV and maybe even spark some curiosity. Science is trying to catch up with me, just check
out Cincinnati
Children's Hospital and The Mono Project at the University of Minnesota. Therefore, I better run!!!..............
MARIANNE: Well, that was quite a mouthful from the
lovely Epstein-Barr Virus. Thanks for
hanging in there and reading. If you or
a loved one are suffering from recurrent EBV (or any stealth microbe), you know how difficult it is to
find a doctor who takes you seriously and who is willing to do the research to
help you. That is what prompted me to do
my own research once I had the energy and to share this blog. What I learned about treatment could
encompass another blog! To put it simply
though, there is no single thing that can put this illness into remission. It involves addressing a multitude of things
and those things may be different in everyone.
The virus can affect us differently and there may be various triggers as
to why it reactivates in me as compared to someone else. From what I have learned, it takes a
combination of addressing vitamin/mineral deficiencies, supporting the HPA axis (hypothalamic
pituitary adrenal)and thyroid, optimizing gut health, supplements to support the immune
system and to fight the virus, and minimizing stress. Some have also found antiviral medications to
be helpful.
Most people I have been in
contact with who have improved did so by working with a functional medicine
doctor, an integrative medicine practitioner, or a naturopath. I am thankful to have recently started
working one on one with Dr.Rodger Murphree, as I continue my journey “back to life.”
Whew!! There is a lot of information out there so
I’ve included some resources below for further reading.
Remember: It’s your body, your health, your life. YOU are your best advocate!
Remember: It’s your body, your health, your life. YOU are your best advocate!
References
and For Further Reading
Kines,
Kasia. The Epstein-Barr Virus Solution. 2018.
Murphree,
Rodger. Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Cardinal Publisher’s Group. 2013.
Best in Wellness,
Best in Wellness,
Marianne
Share your comments below or contact me directly at mrbush1990@gmail.com
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Share your comments below or contact me directly at mrbush1990@gmail.com
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"Take time to do what makes your soul happy."(Unknown)
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician. The readers should regularly consult with their primary care practitioner in matters relating to health, disease, and/or symptoms. The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is recommended you speak with your primary care provider before making any lifestyle changes.
Thank you for your blog. It looks like The Mono Project has been moved to Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, they do have a Facebook page as well.
ReplyDelete