Azithromycin in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), an analysis of clinical data

Abstract

BackgroundCFS is a clinical state with defined symptoms, but undefined cause. The patients may show a chronic state of immune activation and treatment with an antibiotic in this subgroup has been suggested.MethodsIn a retrospective study, the response of CFS patients to azithromycin, an antibiotic and immunomodulating drug, has been scored from the patients records and compared with clinical and laboratory data. Azithromycin was not the first choice therapy, but offered when the effect of counseling and L-carnitine was considered insufficient by the patient and the clinician.ResultsOf the 99 patients investigated, 58 reported a decrease in the symptoms by the use of azithromycin. These responding patients had lower levels of plasma acetylcarnitine.ConclusionThe efficacy of azithromycin in the responsive patients could be explained by the modulating effect on a chronic primed state of the immune cells of the brain, or the activated peripheral immune system. Their lower acetylcarnitine levels may reflect a decreased antioxidant defense and/or an increased consumption of acetylcarnitine caused by oxidative stress.

Effects of Various Drugs on Alcohol-induced Oxidative Stress in the Liver

“…Azithromycin is an antibiotic with a wide range of imunomodulatory effects [ 19 , 20 , 21 ] used in the treatment of number of bacterial infections, due to inhibition of the generation of.…”

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Inflammation, immune function, and neuroendocrine interactions

“…A retrospective study measuring the response of patients with CFS to azithromycin found that 58 of the 99 participants reported a decrease in symptom severity [34]. The responders improved to an estimated maximum of 80% of their premorbid level.…”

Chronic Lyme Disease

“…The commonality and nonspecificity of fatigue, and the observation that antibiotics may improve chronic fatigue in noninfectious or other postinfectious illnesses, raise doubts as to whether it was the elimination of B burgdorferi that resulted in this outcome. 106–108 …”