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ME/CFS AUSTRALIA (SA) INC
Registered Charity 698
Mailing address:
GPO Box 383,
Adelaide,
South Australia 5001
Office:
266 Port Road,
Hindmarsh,
South Australia 5007
Ph: (08) 8346 3237
('834 MECFS')
Office Hours:
Wednesdays, 10am-3pm
Support Line:
(Mondays and Thursdays,
10am-3pm)
Ph: (08) 8346 3237
SA country callers:
Ph: 1300 128 339
(local call)
FIBROMYALGIA HELP: Contact Fibromyalgia SA at the Arthritis Foundation of SA 118 Richmond Road, Marleston 5033 Ph: (08) 8379 5711 |
ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.
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Disclaimer
ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc aims to keep members informed of the various research projects, diets, medications, therapies etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.
Medical articles
Basic information
ME/CFS: a basic overview (PDF, 57KB)
Overlap between CFS & other symptom-based syndromes (PDF, 19KB)
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (PDF, 32KB)
MCS: Basic Overview (PDF, 18KB)
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (PDF, 34KB)
Information for ME/CFS physicians
Autonomic function in CFS (PDF, 32KB)
Cardiovascular Function & Exercise in CFS (PDF, 33KB)
ME/CFS Guidelines: Management Guidelines for General Practitioners (PDF, 460KB)
ME/CFS: Basic Facts for General Practitioners (PDF, 18KB)
Cognitive Function in CFS (PDF, 32KB)
Research Definition of CFS, known as the CDC or Fukuda (1994) [external link]
Miscellaneous articles
CFS-like states (Jan 6, 2005)
Adelaide Uni 1: lactic acid (Nov 7, 2004)
Adelaide Uni 2: lactate threshold (Nov 7, 2004)
Adelaide Uni 3: total body potassium (Nov 7, 2004)
Grade Exercise Therapy for ME… or you? (Mar 2001)
What causes CFS? (Oct 23, 2004)
Adelaide research into CFS, fibromyalgia, & brain fog (Sep 22, 2004)
Adelaide University research 3: total body potassium
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Adelaide University research 2: lactate threshold during exercise |
The following information was supplied as part of a handout at the November 7 talk given by Professor Garry Scroop at the AGM of the ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society of Victoria Inc:
Total Body Potassium in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
1Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital (R.B.B.)
2Department of Nuclear Medicine Royal Adelaide Hospital (B.E.C, R.D.G)
3Exercise Physiology Research Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Adelaide (G.C.S)
November 7, 2004
Normal potassium levels (both intra and extracellular) are essential for initiating a full muscle contraction and neural transmission. Approximately 80% of the body potassium is found in muscle and a further 10% in the brain. The remainder is in the blood stream and other organs. Potassium is primarily an intracellular ion.
A number of medical conditions that cause low potassium are associated with fatigue. Previous studies in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have not demonstrated an abnormality in the level of serum potassium but the present studies have concentrated on intra-cellular potassium and its relationship with CFS.
An initial study of Total Body Potassium (TBK) measured by whole body counting in 20 matched pairs of patients and controls matched for age, weight and sex showed that there was a significant decrease in the values of those persons who had CFS as defined by the British, Australian and American clinical criteria. Eight pairs of subjects in this study had a whole body DEXA scan which showed no significant difference in the amount of lean body mass or total bone mass.
There was overlap in the levels of TBK in patients with CFS and controls so further investigations were undertaken to define the abnormality.
Patients with CFS were divided into two groups, those with fatigue symptoms only and those patients who had a mixed symptomatology of fatigue and myalgia. This was defined by patient assessment of their disability at the medical consultation.
Fifty-one subjects with CFS only (29) or myalgia/fatigue (22) were studied with a TBK a full biochemical profile and the results were analysed for these 2 groups. The CFS group with fatigue only, showed a significant reduction in the level of TBK and in one half of these the reduction in TBK was greater than 10% of the normal estimated for age weight and sex. The serum potassium levels were normal in all subjects.
In the myalgic group there was no reduction in TBK. There was no correlation in the TBK with age, sex, duration of illness, reduction in daily living activities and time for recovery from exercise. Nor was there any correlation with any allergic symptomatology or recurrent chronic infections. There was a strong inverse correlation of the TBK and the total time spent resting (p=0.02).
These investigations show that in approximately 50% of subjects with CFS where fatigue is the primary symptom there is a significant reduction in the level of TBK. This decrease in TBK is not found if there are myalgic symptoms even if there is associated fatigue.
Longer term studies are needed to define this abnormality further, whether it fluctuates with the disease and its progression is unknown.
This finding of a lowered TBK has great significance as a possible marker of CFS with fatigue and also points a way to improving therapy by determining the effects of normalising the intracellular potassium.
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