"Falres" around menstral cycle

[wonko]

Dear Prof.,

I've read on patient forums for various conditions (MS, CFS, fibro, Lyme, ...) that many female patients experience regular "flares" or periods of worsened symptoms that line up with the menstral cylce.

Is there a physiological explanation for this?  Is there any way for women to combat this effect?  I personally dread my cycle because of this.

Thanks (again!)

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

This is a common problem, not only in CFS, but in other chronic diseases as well.  Although we do not have a detailed explanation of this, the situation certainly improves with successful treatment of chronic bacterial and viral infections.  I suspect that it is caused by wide swings in hormone levels, which are in turn caused by infectious changes in endrocrine gland cells, like nerve cells, a target of infections like Mycoplasma and Chlamydia species. ProfGN

[wonko]

"Falres"  =  "Flares."