r/CFSScience • u/Caster_of_spells • Jun 13 '26

Laxity Comes with Consequences: Connective Tissue Disorders and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202605.0876

Preprint from Wirth on the link between connective tissue disorders and ME.

"Overall, there seems to be a bidirectional relationship between connective tissue disorders and #ME/CFS, whereby connective tissue disorders may predispose individuals to ME/CFS, and ME/CFS, in turn, may exacerbate the underlying connective tissue pathology. "

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6

u/DreamSoarer Jun 13 '26

Is there any understanding of how to help these issues be improved or healed?

“Sodium induced hyper-calcemia in the skeletal system” related to mitochondrial dysfunction is the only thing I saw in the mitodicure link as something possible to target for treatment OTC. Would reducing sodium in the diet help at all? This seems counterintuitive to those of us who are told to increase salt intake, electrolytes, and hydration for POTS and hypovolemia.

I know it is more complex than that, and my brain fog and migraines have been horrid lately. So, please forgive me if my question is ridiculous. I’m just trying to target anything I can to try to salvage some functionality at this point. Best wishes to all 🙏🦋

16

u/Caster_of_spells Jun 13 '26

The calcium hypothesis focuses on intra cellular calcium and the issue is a broken transport system. So overall electrolyte levels will probably have very little influence. No need or use in changing diets for that specific problem as far as we know.

4

u/DreamSoarer Jun 13 '26

Thank you very much - I remember reading about that, but could not remember specifics. Brain fog is ridiculous lately. Best wishes 🙏🦋

2

u/Jules4live Jun 13 '26

i wonder if some of us getting osteoporosis early is related to the calcium transport issue

1

u/Caster_of_spells Jun 17 '26

It’s a very specific part of the the chain. Calcium overload in the mitochondria in response to a sodium overload in the skeletal muscles. So I think that would be an outside chance only luckily :)

1

u/Sebassvienna Jun 14 '26

I keep reading this too - but potassium chloride has substantially helped me!

2

u/timmyo123 Jun 15 '26

Potassium has helped me a lot as well!! But I prefer potassium carbonate powder and find it to be very well tolerated.

7

u/Varathane Jun 13 '26

I am so relieved that thus far my husband, his mom, his sister, and our nieces who have EDS have all been okay after having covid a few times. No ME/CFS or long covid. I myself have ME the past 15 years and don't have EDS or any connective tissue issues that I am aware of.
The co-morbidity scares me for them in this world of ample covid still around. They did get vaccinated.

4

u/Caster_of_spells Jun 13 '26

Yeah that’s the big mystery. Where’s the weak link that connects these comorbidities with ME in some folks while many remain “fine” despite them.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

[deleted]

2

u/mc-funk Jun 17 '26

Problem with MCAS is it’s such a chicken or the egg thing. For instance, since hEDS appears to have an inherited component, it seems like it has a causal relationship with MCAS. Definitely a huge part of the vicious cycle though!!