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Chronic fatigue syndrome shares risk markers with IBS
28 Apr 09
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and irritable bowel syndromes (IBS) share the same predisposing markers, but triggering markers differ, a new study by UK researchers has found.
Researchers matched 4,400 patients with any fatigue syndrome to two groups of patients: those attending for IBS and those attending for any other reason.
Infections were specific risk markers for both syndromes. Viral infections increased the risk of a fatigue syndrome by 2.3 times compared to patients attending for any other reason, and gastroenteritis increased the risk of IBS by 1.5 times compared to a fatigue syndrome.
Psychological Medicine, 15 April early online publication
Readers' comments
Our practice observes this same grouping - patients attending with IBS, Crohn's or double incontinence (sudden) who also have neurological symptoms such as CFS. We suspect these are all symptoms of a root cause nutritional deficiency (mainly B12), and for many of our patients a therapeutic trial has confirmed this diagnosis.
I have IBD (it is always an uncertainty whether Crohn's or UC).
Hugo Minney's comment makes sense to me.
The question to be asked is: if the vit b12 levels are normal, can we exclude the same deficiency and so the probable cause for the same? or is it worth giving a therapeutic trial with vit b12....?any suggestions?