mitochondrial dysfunction and fatigue

[nonemus]

Anyone with a medical/scientific background who can tell me if there is a sound basis to the theory that chronic fatigue may be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction?

The background is that I have suffered from intermittent severe tiredness for a long time but have found my gps (moved house so more than one) unhelpful. I have had a load of blood tests (eventually, very reluctant gp) to rule out anaemia and fatigue and my blood sugar is normal. I've been told I was depressed (found my own way to cure that) and should exercise more.

Started to get palpitations and headaches caused, I believe, by the exercise as they stopped when I stopped doing as much. My gp now suggests I have chronic fatigue.

Mitrochondrial dysfunction does seem a possibility and I'm thinking of trying various supplements like co-enzyme Q10, d-ribose and NADH. I'm almost certainly vitamin D deficient and will spend more time in the sun (if we get any). However if possible I'd like a view on these supplements from someone who understands the science.

the possible link with autism was based on very small numbers. There are also suggestions that autism is linked to D3 deficiency.

Tales Q10 and l-carnitine have few side effects and are considered very safe. D3 is more of a problem but you can't overdose with sunlight, I wouldn't use vitamin D supplements. Q10 is fat soluble so needs to be taken at a meal with fat in.

Chronic fatigue often means disturbed sleep too - 5-HTP is helping me sleep but anyone considering that does need to read about possible side effects before trying it. I wouldn't use it for children.

Personally I'm working on the cup of energy principle - if I need to use my brain I have to limit physical activity, if I need to be active I must try not to think . I have to accept that my cup refills very slowly. I'll be adding L-carnitine to my diet when I get it and I'm hoping that longer term I might manage to increase energy flows.

Non emus that cup of energy is a helpful way of thinking (I think mine should be an egg cup). I have noticed I simply cannot think on my feet and it is a problem when out and about with ds or at work. I would really like supplement guidance or failing that a home learning course to teach myself!

mitochondrial dysfunction seems to be implicated in a whole host of diseases.

Marking place :)

I had my halfway session with the CFS counsellor today - and it finally started to sink in. I am going to have to rework my view of myself to accommodate pathetically low functioning. I'm currently in a state of grief. But I do know this is necessary. MrsSnapelegs, your post about acceptance being key was very powerful for me.

I need an exceedingly early night :(

well it depends on what you mean by acceptance. My body tells me it needs to rest, I have to listen to that. I am NOT going to accept that there is nothing more I can do about it. The NHS seems to me to spend a lot of money basically telling people there is nothing they can do for you, learn to accept that and stop bothering them. I won't accept nothing can be done until someone finds the cause of these problems. I've found solutions to medical problems before when my doctors told me they had no idea what's wrong and/or I just have to live with it, I will find a way to make that cup into a mug even if I can't make it a jug.

I'm feeling marginally better. I don't know if that is the various supplements or just the normal process of recovery, might be able to tell you in a few months. For now I'd say I dislike the taste of d-ribose, it is expensive and I'm not convinced it helps. Made my heart race a bit but it may help me get going in the morning, now the only time I take it, or that may just be having anything to eat. 5-HTP works well in helping me sleep.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is part of many problems. Anyone who thinks it is involved in their problems might want to make dietary changes to ensure they eat a lot of antioxidants and they get as much sun as they can. Carrots are back in my diet. Try being gluten free for 2 weeks and good luck

I know what you mean about the NHS! Can't afford out-of-the-ordinary supplements and already take vitamins & minerals, loads of antioxidants and am outdoors every day. Hmmm. Am trying gluten-free, though not sure how long I can keep it up. I used to eat very little padding but, on my tiny budget now, you need rice, pasta, bread and pulses to fill up.

My first day of 'acceptance' means reducing expectations of myself by around 95%. It's a big attitude shift - until recently, I've been told my condition was due to my depression. That makes it ... not quite my own fault, but something I can fix by altering my thinking and doing more, not less. That doesn't work. So today is my first day with a cup of energy; am monitoring everything as I need to learn how much of my 'cup' everything takes. Ho hum.

Glad you're feeling a little better :) Hope it stays that way!

garlicnutty how do you feel about green tea, that's supposed to be useful? Rice is gluten free, so are potatoes and pulses. Bread and pasta are problems, gluten-free pasta is pretty terrible and you need a breadmaker for edible bread. You need to be really careful about avoiding any trace for the 2 weeks.

I suppose if mitochondria are malfunctioning due to illness of whatever type what we need to know is how best to get them working well again. So you think gluten free is a good starting point Nonemus? I tried gluten free with ds (who has ASD?ADHD/MLD) for a very short time and it seemed not to make much difference. It is ages ago now and with my fussy brain I cannot remember all the allowed foods but perhaps time to look again.
I have accepted that I am unwell and in all probability will not regain my former health, but I do espect to do all in my power to get slowly somewhat better!

I drink a lot of coffee, which is massively anti-oxidant, and cocoa for the epicatechin. I kind of doubt there's any one 'best' answer, since our metabolism does such wondrous things to stuff after we've eaten it. All you can do is read, suck it and see, imo ...

I do feel better when I can afford a lot of red meat and salad. I've drastically reduced the dairy in my diet - haven't noticed much difference tbh, but am willing to accept it's hard for most people to process. Rice does have gluten (it's the gooey stuff that comes out when you cook it) but I understand wheat gluten seems to be more often blamed for irritations; I could try using more rice and less wheat ... OK, I'll give that a go :)

What I really want is an old-fashioned sleep cure! Just a year of sleeping, gentle walks in calm countryside, and someone feeding me nutritious broth.

I have been trying to approximate that in real life, but you need to be a lot richer than me to pull it off ... Damn that real life, eh?!

magso it made a big difference to my life, in fact so much so that I didn't think I had a problem any more. Then too much exercise and a mild infection and it was obvious I did. I have no idea if it will help you but a 2 week trial seems worth a go.

garlicnutty it's funny you should mention salad because I feel I need to eat it a lot. Must look up what is in lettuce or maybe its the flavenoids in the tomatoes. Rice doesn't have gliadin, it's wheat grains that seem to be the problem. Quinoa, buckwheat, millet are other grains that are OK but not as easy to find/as cheap as rice. I would also love a sleep cure, fat chance though Dairy doesn't seem to be a problem for me, just gluten.

Thanks, I'd forgotten about quinoa & buckwheat!

Oops, forgot: lettuce is a good source of chlorophyll and vitamin K, both have been indicated as good for mitochondrial function (have lost the link, sorry.) The greener the lettuce, the more vitamins and phytonutrients it provides.

Must get the energy to weed my veg patch!

if anyone else is interested in trying supplements I bought 30 tablets of 500mg L-carnitine in Holland & Barrett for 4.23. This was 99p for a copy of Healthy for Men magazine and 3.24 for the tablets with a money off voucher from the magazine. They were advertising this on the shelf, it isn't a magazine I've bought before . They also have offers on n-acetyl cysteine (4.24 I think?), that is supposed to help the immune system and other things like Q10 and fish oil. I added in L-tyrosine, that's to try and boost a slightly underactive thyroid.

garlicnutty meat, especially beef, is apparently a good source of carnitine. I would think I have enough meat in my diet for a supplement to be expensive urine but I'll give it 30 days and see how I feel.

Hello,
A quick read of your post made me wonder if you have ever had an accurate
Lyme's disease test? Many of the symptoms that you mention are common with Lyme's disease. Just a thought.
Take care,
Ranger1000