Any New Data About Chickenpox Causing Dysautonomia?

[MelissaCrystal]

I'm still on the mission of finding out what caused my Dysautonomia to make sure it isn't anything fixable, and so far I haven't been able to rule out any of my previous suspicions. Like all of us, there are just too many symptoms, and they don't all make sense with one diagnosis. All I know is that it is generalized Dysautonomia, with the symptoms of POTS, and I have joint/ligament problems as well, which may or may not be related.

I've recently found out that my father has many symptoms that I do (I don't directly communicate with him, no relationship) and that his symptoms started when he was a small child. He had bladder problems, and all kinds of stuff--same thing with me as a kid. He's was disabled at 40, and has basically every problem with his body that you can think of, with many many many surgeries and meds and no relief. He's never considered looking into what I have because he's stubborn and thinks he knows exactly what is wrong, and he hates doctors. But anyway.

I also found out that we both had really, really bad cases of Chickenpox. Supposedly, in infants, chickenpox can damage your nervous system and result in Dysautonomia and permanent nerve damage. But as far as I know, there are no articles about older children having nervous system problems after a bad case of chickenpox.

I'm thinking that if this is genetic, and we both had it wayy before puberty, that Chickenpox might've been the trigger. It's not like knowing anything about this will help me, but if this is the case, I might be able to stop searching for the cause.

Anyone read or find any more articles about Chickenpox and the nervous system?

[Megan]

I have no idea, I just thought I'd mention that while I don't remember having the chicken pox at all, I do have scars from it. Whether this is because of the severity or because I scratched myself excessively, I don't know. Couldn't this be just like any other virus trigger?

Meg

[MelissaCrystal]

I have no clue if Chickenpox is the kind of virus that attacks your nervous system----I just know that it lives dormant in it.

Other viruses that have been known to trigger POTS actually do affect the nervous system during the course of the sickness. I have no clue if Chickenpox is one of these. I can't figure out exactly why it can damage a newborn's nervous system---like if it has something to do with the virus, or if it's just because newborns are so fragile.

I also have really bad Chickenpox scars, and so does my dad. My mom said she was really careful that I didn't pick at them, and we constantly had the bad ones covered with bandaids to try and prevent scarring. I scar easily, so I don't know exactly what contributed to my bad scars. All I know is that it was one of the worst cases you can have as a kid, with many many waves of new pox forming over and over (big ones, too), and it lasted really long.

[ramakentesh]

It could be caused by direct damage caused by the virus, but in most post-viral auto immune illnesses - including Pandysautonomia and Guillaine Barre syndrome its an auto immune response following the virus that results in the onset of the condition - in other words antibodies made to the virus start attacking proteins or receptors, etc in the body that the immune system cannot differentiate from the actual virally infected cells.

Also there are studies that suggest POTS is caused by hypermethylation of the NET gene. Hypermethylation is also a causal factor that is being investigated in some cancers - in particular the Human Pappilloma virus has been linked to hypermethylation of some tumor sypression genes in some studies.

Normally a child acquires that illness and then years later are more likely to demonstrate hypermethylation of the tumour supressing genes of a particular type of cancer.

I met a guy that got POTS after being electrocuted. Others get it after a car accident, virus, stress, heavy exercise, taking some medications, one girl in the stories section of this site got it after smoking marijuana. I think its more likely a suspectibility like other autoimmune illnesses (although Im not saying POTS is one) like M.gravis and thyroid issues - the thing that brought it on was a catalyst.

[MelissaCrystal]

I can see how anything can be a catalyst if you have an autoimmune disorder, but I definitely don't have one and that isn't the type of reaction I was referring to. Is the Chickenpox virus the type of virus that can do nervous system damage in non-autoimmune instances though? Do we even know? Or maybe I didn't read your post correctly, I'm not sure.

[EarthMother]

I know very little about this but here's what I think I can remember ...

Chickenpox is part of the Varicella zoster virus (Herpes varicellae) ... it is the same virus that causes Shingles. Which certainly is a nerve issue. If you have Chickenpox then the virus stays dormant until some point down the line when it can reactivate again as Shingles in an adult. It will be interesting to see what happens with this first generation of kids who all have the Chickenpox vaccine to see if they are effectively immune from Shingles as well.

As for me ... I never had chickenpox as a kid. And my first born was just months too early to get the vaccine before she contracted them at preschool at age 2. So! Long story short ... I got chickenpox as an adult. And a really NASTY case that had me sick in bed for weeks. Recovery was slow and probably resembled a POTS crash. But who knew back then?

As far as chickenpox and pots theory on which came first ... I had already various orthostatic intolerance notes in my charts from when I was just out of college and then also during my first pregnancy ... which all proceeded the chickenpox outbreak .... in my case.

[ramakentesh]

Sorry my post was a little confusing.

If POTS turns out to be an autoimmune disorder and Dr.Grubb believes that 90% of POTS is then it might explain the cause of the disorder in that any virus could cause POTS.

But I was also suggesting that some viruses have been known to hypermethylate genes. If some researchers are correct, this is the cause of POTS in some patients - a viral infection resulting in a change to a gene's promoter effectively turning the gene off. (the gene being the NET gene).

But you are also right in that shingles in particular relates to Herpes Zoster laying dormant in the nerves of a person.

I did actually read somewhere something about someone getting POTS and testing positive to high levels of either herpes zoster or its antibodies. But I didnt realise that herpes zoster WAS Shingles.

Anyway here is the info on shingles - it basically results from herpes zoster virus laying dormant in the nerves and then coming out years after initial infection causing shingles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingles:

[edit] Prognosis

The rash and pain usually subside within three to five weeks, but about one in five patients develops a painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is often difficult to manage. In some patients, herpes zoster can reactivate presenting as zoster sine herpete: pain radiating along the path of a single spinal nerve (a dermatomal distribution), but without an accompanying rash. This condition may involve complications that affect several levels of the nervous system and cause multiple cranial neuropathies, polyneuritis, myelitis, or aseptic meningitis. Other serious effects that may occur in some cases include partial facial paralysis (usually temporary), ear damage, or encephalitis.[1] During pregnancy, first infections with VZV, causing chickenpox, may lead to infection of the fetus and complications in the newborn, but chronic infection or reactivation in shingles are not associated with fetal infection.[26][27]

There is a slightly increased risk of developing cancer after a herpes zoster infection. However, the mechanism is unclear and mortality from cancer did not appear to increase as a direct result of the presence of the virus.[28] Instead, the increased risk may result from the immune suppression that allows the reactivation of the virus.[29]

[edit] Treatment

[MelissaCrystal]

So I guess there's no way of knowing for sure if my case of Chickenpox is what caused my Dysautonomia, and perhaps the fact that my dad had a similar case is just a coincidence. I heard that if your immune system is faulty, you can have a worse cause of chickenpox than others, so maybe that was the case for us.