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Dysautonomia in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

CFS and the Involuntary Nervous System

Jul 16, 2009 Jim Lowrance

There are many associated causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but one of the more significant connections is imbalance in the involuntary nervous system - "dysautonomia".

People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have been found in research studies, to be experiencing imbalances in their involuntary nervous systems (INS) or "autonomic failure". This part of the nervous system is responsible for increasing bodily functions when needed (sympathetic) and decreasing them when needed (parasympathetic). The bodily functions affected by the INS include blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, bodily fluid balance and digestion.

Imbalances in the INS also called the “autonomic nervous system” is sometimes referred to by the medical term “dysautonomia”. While strong association between dysfunction of the INS in patients with CFS has been clearly established, there is still no definitive explanation as to why this connection exists or as to whether the problems with the INS are a cause of CFS or a result of it. It is clear however that dysautonomia plays a significant role in the symptom-complex of CFS.

Orthostatic Hypotension-Dizziness upon Standing

One of the more common forms of dysautonomia experienced by CFS patients is called “Orthostatic Hypotension” (OH). This condition causes the blood pressure to drop with positional changes of the body but occurs more often when a person is rising from a seated or lying down position (supine) to a standing position. It is also referred to as “postural hypotension” and some medical sources refer to it as “neurally mediated hypotension”.

Normally, blood pressure rises slightly when a person first stands up, which allows blood to be transferred from the lower part of the body, to the upper part of the body. With orthostatic hypotension the blood pressure instead will drop slightly, causing a person to feel lightheaded, dizzy, headachy and faint. Some people with this condition do actually pass out but is not common. Because of this abnormal and sudden drop in blood pressure, some people with OH will also experience a short term increase in heart rate, referred to as “tachycardia” (beats exceeding 100 per minute without exertion). This is the body’s attempt to correct the sudden episode of hypotension.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and CFS

POTS, is a form of dysautonomia that is diagnosed by neurologists and other physicians who specialize in nervous system disorders. When symptoms of OH and tachycardia are serious enough and result in other significant symptoms, a diagnosis of POTS may be given. Some medical research groups are finding that the similarities between POTS and CFS may point to these syndromes as being one and the same in some patients, rather than being two separate illnesses. If this is proven to be the case at some point, CFS may be placed in the category of neurological illness. While post viral illness and other proposed factors are also being studied as causes of CFS, the resulting effect on the nervous system may prove to be the most significant factor in the syndrome.

Treatments for Dysautonomia

Dysautonomia and CFS are also similar in the fact that both illnesses have no specific treatments available for them. There are effective treatments to control or to relieve symptoms of these illnesses but each patient experiences the varied symptoms of these syndromes to different degrees. Some patients may be treated with beta-blocker medications that help control blood pressure and heart rate irregularities. Others may be treated with drugs that control neurological symptoms such as those used to treat epilepsy while others may be treated with mineral corticosteroids (mineral version of cortisol steroid) that helps regulate blood pressure. Yet others may be prescribed psychiatric medications to help them cope with the severity of symptoms that can impact emotions or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that helps them cope psychologically with their syndromes.

Autonomic Nervous System and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

U.S. Centers for Disease Control - CFS

The copyright of the article Dysautonomia in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in General Medicine is owned by Jim Lowrance. Permission to republish Dysautonomia in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.