Thanks for this Jarred, and good luck with the grant. Every morsel of hope keeps us going with unrelenting CRPS and fibromyalgia pain. My beautiful daughter was five years bedridden yesterday, with the knock-on effect of her moderate to severe ME/CFS of 25 years then becoming severe for 5 years. Every ray of☀️gives us hope through the 🌧️of despair🌈and helps us to forget our traumatic history (+ black mould and bacterial + viral exposure) We really appreciate how hard you are working to find answers❤
I was a "double hit". I had a nasty cold that lasted three weeks back in 2021. Not having fully recovered I went to get my Covid jab. The next morning I woke up completely sick and never recovered from that flu like state. 3 years later I still have fevers, devastating fatigue, nausea, brain fog, muscle pain, etc
I can't believe I found someone similar except my booster vaccine timing could not have been worse. Due to the government pushing it, I took the 3rd dose after having Omicron covid fever (that I didn't know about at the time) for 4 days. Next morning I almost fell from the heaviness and fatigue as soon as I landed my feet on the ground. This happened 2 years ago and I'm still only at 40-50% of my pre-covid self. Anyway thank you for sharing your story. I thought I too was the only double hit case.
I'll be watching for reports on genetics and on dextro-LDN with great anticipation. These videos are tremendously helpful. I'm grateful you don't waste time on "production values" BS like background music, stock footage. Clear honest science is better than nonsense.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1988. I suffered horribly and actually did kidney damage from taking too much ibuprofen. 10 months ago I became carnivore. in those months, the inflammation has calmed dramatically to the point where I rarely experience anything resembling fibromyalgia. I have noticed that some carbohydrates experience a sudden serve inflammation in my symptoms that are like the flu. Getting off of carbohydrates has worked wonders for me.
Same experience and conclusion -- eliminating sugar and bread dramatically reduced fibromyalgia pain. Years later when I went on a low-carb and grain free paleo diet, I no longer needed pain meds. Anytime I overindulge in carbs, the pain returns. Supposedly, glucose feeds pathogens and candida in the gut, which then release endotoxins that causes pain.
Thanks for posting your success. Tried eating more towards Carnivore but also have Gastroparesis wasn't a good fit. But it definitely showed me what lower carb/keto benefits there are! Best to you.
Ime diagnosed CFS ibs now my fybromyalgia is either migraine or fybromyalgia was your pain in your body all over or certain places mines chronic shoulder s no headache do you have hypomobility heds now diagnosed autism ADHD genes
You should make some videos on the role of the mitochondria in all of this, and how microglia / neuroinflammation affect metabolism and cellular energy production downstream!
How sad that researchers can't collaborate more than they do. The fight for grants and the need to protect research from those that steal it and the desire to get credit means the patients endure suffering longer.
Regarding the environment, I’d be curious about your position on air fresheners (plug in, aerosols, candles, incense, etc.), and perfumes and colognes. Particularly in poorly ventilated places. I feel this is an under addressed health hazard, and hearing you explain this makes it all make sense.
The young students suffering from overexposure to these chemicals in poorly ventilated buildings, usually with water damage, sets many up for failure. Educators are focused on info going into minds instead of ambient neurotoxins.
I'm retired educator, 31 years, 4 degrees, we have NO CONTIL over building failures..I taught in the 70s w asbestos in ceilings, mold, ofia in gyms floor, mold, etc..all.i could do was open windows(no cross ventilation)..my passion was teaching, + the welfare of my students.. @@chantellekirk2993
Omg, i think about this stuff too, put their shoes on and realize i have the same shoes already, cancer and everything everyone else hates automatically.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make a video for us every Monday. It makes me very happy to wait and study the video every Monday. I had a question: we know that ME/CFS can be activated because of microglia that don't return to a resting state. When you develop ME/CFS, you can also develop MCAS. Is MCAS also linked to the continuous activation of microglia?
Thanks! Yes, definitely. Unfortunately, chronically activated mast cells have a considerable chance of causing a concomitant activation of microglia. Until the mast cells are brought under control, they would be considered the most likely driver of abnormal microglia state. - Jarred Younger
In one year, I was exposed to ticks, mosquitoes, carbon monoxide poisoning from my patrol car, and Covid. Four years later, my shift partner passed away, and my finally started LDN. 🙏🙏🙏
thank you for this informative video, Jarred. from what I've observed, neurodivergent individuals have a far higher rate of microglia-mediated illnesses, and that might be due to a variety of reasons (more frequent genetic mutations/rarer genes, psychological trauma, sensory overload, food sensitivities - you name it). this is a long-known thing in the neurodivergent community, but I haven't seen science address it. it is the main thing that stops doctors from diagnosing me with the autoimmune issues I do have as they view them as 'extremely rare', ignoring the fact how common they are within my neurotype.
Wow! That explain exactly what must have happened to me 13 years ago where I had a severe infection which spread to the brain. I never got really well afterwards and suffer from a lot of chronic pain now. Never had pain before I got ill. Thank you for sharing this. It gives me hope for finding a way to help my brain finding a way to calm down again some day.
Appreciate everything you're doing! This might be the first concise and clear explanation of a disease hypothesis out there. I had EBV and then lived in a home with huge amounts of toxic mold. I also started a business right at this time and had never been more stressed. This would make a lot of sense why my microglia could be primed.
I got my symptoms from the HPV vaccine. Same symptoms as ME/CFS and Post Viral Fatigue; Brain fog, blurred vision, anxiety and panic attacks, fatigue, fasciculations, palpitations, shortness of breath, joint pain, food malabsorption and I am sure I am forgetting more. I soon realized that the symptoms are very similar to those of Long Covid and now it makes sense. I am convinced all those conditions are the same disease which is triggered by a strong immune response. The question now is if recovery is possible and if so how can I achieve it.
I take ivermectin for any kind of illness, it's good for inflammation, virus, parasites...it's cheap, easy to take, and get it at feed store.....if it doesn't work,ok, but maybe it will
Thank you for all that you do Dr Jared Younger! This is a interesting presentation on the microglia. . I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 33 years ago..after a Tickbite. I'm on Low Dose Naltrexone. .Interesting video that you did recently on dextronaltrexone. Looking forward to the clinical trials!!
I've had two brain surgeries, first one in 2001. I basically never got back to my pre-surgical physical shape and was diagnosed with FM in 2006. My second brain surgery was in 2013. I've lost track of the number of MRI's I've had since 2001. My last one mentioned gliosis. I daily feel as though I'm awakening from anesthesia with some nausea and dizzy/woozy all day long. I've had CRP, cytokines tested with "normal" results. Long term opioid use, currently on tramadol for 18 months. Also gabapentin, venlafaxine. So tired of being tired. Thank you Dr Younger for all you do.
Jarred, wishing you clarity with the writing. I do value your clarity and presence of mind, in both thinking and explanations. We need inspired human beings on the planet.
3 masseurs touched my muscles and said they felt abnormal. One of them said my muscles were stiff and they felt like I was wearing full body armor. So it's not just my brain misinterpreting the signals from my body. There is indeed something wrong in my body that can be felt by other people.
If you have ruled out systemic inflammatory activity and autoimmune disorders, you may want a specialist to look for central causes of hypertonicity - it may need muscle relaxers or other treatment. The microglia in the brain aren't just passive, they can change the state of the body, including the "tightness" of the muscles. I hope you are able to figure it out! If 3 massage therapists mentioned it, then there is something there and it may need help above and beyond stretching and massage. - Jarred Younger
8 years ago: EBV infection + Concussion just short time after + mold -> First Symptoms started. 7 years ago: new viral infection + high exposure to chemicals at the same time -> big Crash, since then fully bedridden.
So sorry for your situation. Have you looked into Mastocytosis / MCAS specialist? I’m trying to find one right now but they are few and far between (either don’t take insurance, or they are in a clinic a 1000 miles away). Hope we find a solution for ourselves sooner rather than later. 🙏🏻
A typical day for me: drive to work and get exposed to diesel fumes and other exhausts, arrive to work and am subjected to air fresheners, perfumes and colognes, and a sick coworker, leave work and get another dose of diesel and exhaust, then arrive home. No wonder I am TIRED all the time! My body has been in a battle!
Can these routes explain years (or decades) gradual onset ME/CFS? Seems either on or off. Or could total fatigue smoothly vary as more of the brain is affected?
Mine was caused mostly by eggs, whites in particular. When I quit eating eggs my brain pressure almost completely disappeared. Since eggs are used in so many things I have to read labels before eating things or I spend a day or two feeling bad. My husband also tested as sensitive to egg whites. I've come to suspect it may have to do with vaccines being grown in chicken eggs, which are then injected along with the active ingredients. I would imagine that would be the perfect way to make people sensitive to eggs, although unintended.
Please consider trialing methylene blue. It helps our mito issues as well as being neuro protective, as well as inexpensive and accessible to ppl worldwide. It works very similarly to photobiomodulation. Both of which I have excellent results with. LDN only worked for a bit and then caused major GI issues. Luteolin is another which I have had symptom relief with, both at low doses and high doses at times. Also, some ppl respond to arginine. I’m very interested in what BH4 would do for us as well. Thank you for working so hard to cure us💙. Mecfs x 16 yrs.
So anything that triggers inflammatory cytokines can make microglia in the brain get primed/ go into permanent sensitivity mode, causing pain & fatigue, brain stress. C-Reactive Protein test once a year is good to measure inflammation. Stress - Excess cortisol from stress can stress the microglia in brain & permanently activate them. It is believed this is behind Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, et al.
There aren't as many studies on PTSD and microglia, but there are some possibilities. There may be a bidirectional relationship between microglia and PTSD. Microglia are partly to blame for the PTSD to begin with, because they can remake the brain synapses to reinforce the pathological stimulus-response causing panic/fear. There is also some work showing that PTSD causes microglia to change the blood-brain barrier and inhibit cognitive performance (in an animal experimental model). - Jarred Younger
From recent experience, exposure to moderately high levels of directed microwave band RF, such as satellite equipment could be a significant trigger, along with reactivation of dormant pathogens. Worth looking at with your veterans at a guess.
After my bathroom was painted my ME-brain went haywire and the pressure that's already there became pretty bad. I don't understand how this can be an ongoing problem (let alone my housemates), the paint job was years ago! But my glia cells don't care, apparently...
In the video, you talk about how some people may just have a genetic predisposition to having microglia change, what about ACEs? (Adverse Childhood Events) Surely severe trauma at a young age may set the stage for someone to have these symptoms decades later, given a perfect storm of circumstances...a months long illness followed by a sudden injury which requires surgery, for example.
He can only speak to his area of expertise. Doesn’t mean that psychology isn’t a factor. Just means you have to ask another specialist about that subject.
Fantastic, incredibly helpful information. Especially helpful in understand what is happening in my body, and why this is happening to me and others like me. Thank you Dr Younger from the bottom of my heart.
Microglia might be the "root" cause of these diseases, but there is a new article out in nature about specific neurons in the brainstem that regulate the immune pathways... like two dials. I see it as a kind of gate between the vagus nerves and the brain, but these cells also have "admin" power. That would make the microglia a "downstream" issue for any issues in the body. Not for viruses directly in the brain, but for anything else. Any thoughts on this brainstem research? I will link the study in a reply.
Thank you for posting these great videos about these chronic diseases. If the condition has started from an infection, is your assumption that there can't be a chronic infection still ongoing in the brain? If so, what is your argument that the infection has just triggered the microglia and is not present anymore?
Yes good point. There are cases where the virus may be recalcitrant and hiding in the CNS. There are many virus they stay resident for the rest of our lives. Of course, in those cases, the proper treatment would be not be microglia modulation and would instead involve anti-virals, such as famciclovir, that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. We don't have a good tool to distinguish the two possibilities, which is why we have to be careful not to suppress the overall immune system. - Jarred Younger
Thanks you so much Dr. Younger for sharing this important information with us. I learnt it a few years ago and it really helped me to understand my fibromyalgia which at the time I was particularly experiencing as a 'sore spine' alongside multiple sensitivites aka central sensitisation aka inflammation aka microglial activation. For me it's mostly triggered by food sensitivities (primed I believe from a 20 years H/ Pylori infection that destroyed my gut health and integrity). I started LDN based on your hypothesis and it's made a significant difference. I only flare a couple of times a year now, and they only last a day or two (amazing considering what I was experiencing 10 years ago!) My flare last week seemed to be triggered by exposure to carbon monoxide (I accidentally left a gas stove on overnight in my small studio where I sleep) and the following day I ate some gluten. The combo set me off and I was forced to be horizontal, quiet and still for a few days.
As someone with Fibromyalgia (severe I get bed bound for days at a time) this is very useful info. It's interesting he mentioned the pain killers. Doc put me on 100mg Tramadol, 3 x daily for 4 months before I quit all my meds & changed my diet before re-introducing some meds again. I use my tramadol for extreme flare ups (It's crazy how much pain the brain can generate on it's own I was once in so much pain I was drifting in & out of consciousness for 2 days). However, I cannot take them for more than 3 days straight now before I start to suffer from opioid induced migraines. Still annoyed at how much worse the Doc made my condition. I could eat gluten & lactose before: I can't now.
I'm glad you were able to find some alternative treatment approaches! I haven't seen any evidence that periodic use of opioids would cause a problem like sustained use does. - Jarred Younger
You talk about a pathogens/drugs that prime the microglia. But what about trauma? Like car accidents or physical assaults? Do those prime the microglia?
Interesting article from 2010 by Held et al., 'Impaired immune responses following spinal cord injury lead to reduced ability to control viral infection'.
Jarred, I have a question! The most important thing I do for "stress management" is avoiding low blood sugar! Low blood sugar activates adrenaline and cortisol. Both low cortisol and low glycogen/glucose is found in ME/CFS patients, if I'm not mistaken? For me EBV was the trigger, and I think it also caused my liver to have some trouble storing glycogen, and that left me even more at risk for low blood sugar. I'm curious why this potentially very common negative spiral isn't talked about more? One of my first symptoms were issues with blood sugar regulation, and I hear people mention similar issues all the time. I learned all the "traditional" ways of managing stress and they're all great, but of course none of really "worked", because my blood sugar was actually low. Within weeks of avoiding low blood sugar I felt more stable, and I now sleep well, my cycle is healing, I have less pain etc. I am not seeing a lot of effect on PEM though. Wish I knew sooner, and wish it was talked more about, as an intervention!
@@cathyrowsome9870 absolutely! I have in part used sugar as medicine, with the approach that I would rather "run on" sugar than "stress hormones". I did a lot of other things too, and follow something called the pro metabolic principles. Kate Deering (although I'm not sure I can recommend the direction she's going, as she just posted something about pain based on the biopsychosocial model as truth 👀) has written a great book called How to heal your metabolism. It's about the principles, that are mainly based on Ray Peat's work and ideas about metabolism. Three years in I would say he's "right", more right than any other approach to metabolism I've followed in the past. Part of his ideas is that sugar is empty calories, but they're also more easily digestable. Not dangerous, but it's important to eat enough nutrient dense food alongside (not necessarily ever meal, but over time). There's a podcast episode called The truth about sugar, where Kate Deering is a guest, and that's the first thing I heard. It took me a while to unlearn the fear of sugar, but now I've been using white table sugar as part of my approach to avoid low blood sugar for three years. Before that I thought I had sibo (not tested, but I was treated for it by a nutritionist who had me avoiding sugar), and my sense is that has healed with using the pro metabolic principles. I've nevet have any markers for diabetes (currently testing my blood sugar at home and it hardly spikes, so high blood sugar is definitely not the issue; it also appears to fall "too" quickly). This approach has mostly "fixed" my sleep, cycle, mood, temperature issues, pulse, and somewhat digestion. (I am now exploring glucose in stead of sucrose, and it seems even easier for the body to use.) To sum up how I otherwise eat: balanced meals often. About 2500 calories a day, despite being housebound (no weight issues, but if you've been low carb it's a good idea to track and go slow; and don't overdo fat). I eat easily digestable protein and carbs, and a little fat. I'm exploring the ratio, towards even more carbs, but my jump off point was protein: 25 / carbs: 50-55 / fat: 20-25. Hope this helps, just ask if there's anything!
There’s emerging recognition of this sort of approach in mental health, and quite a bit of research activity. You might be interested in some of the researchers featured on the channel Metabolic Mind: youtube.com/@metabolicmind?si=M5W7mki6hMr5DEW9
@@cathyrowsome9870 I'm so sorry, my response to you appears to not have been posted. I follow the pro metabolic principles, and have read a lot of Ray Peat's work. Kate Deering's book How to heal your metabolism is a great starting point. If you search her name and "the truth about sugar" you'll find a podcast episode that's thought provoking and interesting!
@@BecPlumbe I had a look, and in my opinion they don't understand the metabolic system well enough. Would not trust that channel, it's surface level speculation about why things work. My advice is: Do your own research on the metabolic system, so it's easier for you to gauge the accuracy of what someone is saying. It will make it easier to recognize if an intervension will be helpful for a short time, but cause harm long term… or if it’s a sustainable intervention.
Super interesting video, I look forward to these every week! Could TBI (or any kind of physical trauma) also be a potential cause of primed/activated microglia? It's been really interesting to see how similar my Long Covid symptoms are to those of people I know with post-concussion syndrome. Do you think there's a possibility of some shared pathophysiology in TBI and complex chronic illness that might explain why recovery is so difficult for both?
Given the links that have been established between developmental trauma, chronic inflammation and immune disorders I can't help but wonder if trauma triggering and the related chemical cascade could also be priming those microglial
Thank you for starting the videos again. I was watching back in 2020 and then it stopped. I’ll have to check to see how long back from now you had started posting them again
Dr. Junger, I've been reading about how microglia play a role in multiple sclerosis, and I wondered whether you believe the mechanism of action is similar to the conditions you describe?
Do patients with CFS have elevated CRP and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)? If yes, does the degree of elevation correlate with the severity of CFS? Thank you!!
Yes - almost every individual with CFS tested in my lab has elevated CRP (around 6mg/L). ESR tends to be high-normal to moderately elevated, around 40mm/hr. I haven't conducted a correlational analysis between severity and CRP/ESR, but I certainly have enough data to do that now. I'll put that down to do in the next few months. Thanks! - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab This would be really interesting to hear about as I often read that people with ME have low CRP. My CRP and ESR have been increasing over the 4 years since I got covid. I also have past history of ME and post-viral illness. My recent values were 14 and 30 respectively. My doctor just shrugs and said its hard to know how to treat this because they don't know where the inflammation is coming from, I was assuming blood vessels? I also have elevated D-dimer and fibrinogen and have the ME/POTS phenotype. Would love to hear more about blood test abnormalities seen in your patients!
I often have to hawk up and spit out an excessive amount of mucus. I know mold drs are pushing the concept of a sinus infection causing cfs symptoms. It would seem consistent with my symptoms. The excessive mucus and what I call brain burn could be an infection in my sinus? A lot of foods seem to trigger runny nose mostly in the past before I was careful about what and how much I ate. An mri in 1998 showed a polyp in my sinus also. I suspect if anything could trigger microglia a sinus infection could. I dismiss a lot of the mold dr's knowing what they are talking about cause they never seem to be able to provide evidence for their theories or evidence for the efficacy of their treatments. It angers me that the CDC and NIH won't fund studies to clear up all the questions surrounding sick building syndrome but are very quick to encourage and fund the idea that it is psychological. I also often have air hunger as do probably most CFS sufferers. So maybe there is no ongoing infection just a hyper alergic state like anaphylaxis but not life threatening like anaphylaxis. On a totally different note has anyone with CFS ever been given a antiviral cocktail like those given to aids patients? No need to respond to any of my rantings I am just talking out loud.
Lithium is a fascinating drug with such complex actions. I haven't worked with it, but the reported effects on brain inflammation are definitely intriguing. - Jarred Younger
Pathologist Dr. Alan MacDonald found novel tapeworm larvae (microscopic) in all ten of the MS brains he studied. The paper and pictures of the tapeworm larvae are available online. How would these worm larvae effect microglia in the brain? Have you studied how parasites effect microglia? Thank you for the video.
For sure. Chronic copper exposure pushes microglia to an activated state and increases the inflammation of the brain. Depending on the severity of the exposure, that inflammatory activity could damage neurons and cause neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's' and Alzheimer's. I don't know of any current sources of high-level copper. If someone is using a private source of water, they should have levels tested. It doesn't take much copper to cause problems. - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab interesting thanks. There are some high-copper foods out there also. And of course copper-based reproductive medicine interventions. Given enough time I'd think this could potentially contribute to relevant levels.
A better predictive/diagnostic model than "germ" theory: “All disease, at some period or other of its course, is more or less a reparative process, not necessarily accompanied with suffering: an effort of nature to remedy a process of POISONING or of DECAY, which has taken place weeks, months, sometimes years beforehand, unnoticed.” - Florence Nightingale
@@helenahandkart1857 "Healthy people are those who live in healthy homes on a healthy diet; in an environment equally fit for birth, growth work, healing, and dying... Healthy people need no bureaucratic interference to mate, give birth, share the human condition and die. Modern medicine is a negation of health. It isn't organized to serve human health, but only itself, as an institution. It makes more people sick than it heals." - Ivan Dominic Illich
Dr. Younger, are you aware of any studies that support that magnesium theronate calms the microglila back into the resting state? I would speculate that people with neuroinflammation from mitochondrial dysfunction might benefit from this supplementation.
You helped ME to understand, given that I have experienced ALL you mentioned, except Epstein Barr. But more importantly, I have shared this video with family members who couldn’t possibly understand what is happening to me. Giving us a voice that is clear science is great medicine. God bless you and your whole team.
Look at concussion syndrome or something like that. You'll see that the symptoms are pretty much the same as CFS. Only they seem to go away after some period of time?
@@djVania08 I have ME/CFS and have taken part in a study in Sweden which showed an overrepresentation of a history of head/neck/spine trauma (that I have had) in ME/CFS. However, I haven't seen a study that has shown causality between trauma and microglia activation.
Yes, long-term effects of head trauma are caused either by direct neuronal damage, or by a chronic microglia activation syndrome. There are very compelling studies on individuals with repeated mild head trauma (e.g., American football players or boxers) who have lifetime elevated inflammatory microglia activity in the brain. There is a long history of work into this effect of traumatic brain injury, which we call "reactive gliosis". - Jarred Younger
Thank you so much Dr Younger for taking the time to put these videos together; they're really informative and make me hopeful that effective treatment(s) will become available. My concern at the moment is whether 40 years of microglial activation means I will have Alzheimer's Disease when I'm old. Any thoughts on this?
We look for these relationships and haven't found any evidence that chronic microglia activation in the realm of that seen in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome increases risk of neurodegenerative disorders. There are several MRI tools that let us look at neuronal health. While there has been a smattering of articles suggesting long-term chronic pain and fatigue disorders is associated with cerebral aging, I do not find the evidence presented to be convincing. I think the identified genetic variants of increased Alzheimer's risk (e.g., APOE and APP) are more important than any long-term microglia activation. - Jarred Younger
Can you do an episode on Ozympic? I have just started the first dose and right away I feel more relaxed and feel like my body is so grateful for the help. I have lost 7 pounds and I swear it feels like it is repairing my digestive track. It feels similar to when I tried bio identical hormone replacement cream, but much better. It is supposed to be just peptides? After a lifetime of stress and pain and inflammation I feel like I stumbled upon the fountain of youth. 🎉❤😊
I have severe severe CIRS, two of the dreaded genes and have had countless concussions and any little tap and I mean even a gentle tap to my head causes even more severe neuroinflammation I don’t feel I’m going to be alive much longer . CIRS is not recognised in Australia and they have listed me as somatic at the hospital.
This whole realm is better understood now than even a year ago. Seek to understand yourself, but let go of the need for others to understand. Can’t control that. Pacing is the only solid help right now, but a breakthrough from these new understandings from scientists could happen tmro! Keep your spirits in the best shape possible, just in case they can lift this burden. We can all tend the garden of our humanity and grace while we wait and nice WE understand that this is not just our imaginings.
I wonder if this is why so many get helped with rewiring the brain? Also, I feel better some from taking Bromelain and quercetin? Have Me for 34 yrs now. Thanks for all this information, gives me hope!
It has been 40 years for me. Something has changed this past year and a half. The fatigue is unremitting and the brain fog aka neuroinflammation has gotten worse, particularly in the first few hours of waking up.
@@DanielleRadicanin the treatment that helped me so very much is LDN, probably because it helps the microglia and inflammation! look into it, hope you feel better real soon!
I've had significant fibromyalgia symptoms that I have to medicate everyday for more than 10 years. I had COVID a couple years ago that really set me back and even with significant medication treatments have still left me struggling.
I've had several stool biopsys during previous GI diagnostics. This was at least 15 years ago before we finally found a medication combination that allows me to live without continuous diarrhea, nausea, constipation. My psychiatrist, out of concern my depression changed my antidepressant to mirtazapaine which dramatically relieved my GI problem. This verified my diagnosis was fibromyalgia. I finally had an answer for all of my symptoms over the years. So maybe I should ask my doctor about this screening. What diat are you referring to?
I had a head injury in October 2019, I briefly lost consciousness. The following May, I developed long covid/ME. Could the head injury have primed the microglia so they went into full attack mode when I caught covid? Iam still sick with ME/LC. Interestingly I have no bodily inflammation as my CRP is less than 1.
Yes it could. A TBI in proximity to an infectious insult is one of the classic two-hit paradigms of microglia priming. However, if the head injury was mild, the time-difference was 6+ months, and you felt fine in that interim period, there is less likelihood that the head injury was a significant factor in the Long-Covid. With a more severe injury with lasting symptoms, that connection would be considerably higher. - Jarred Younger
Oh yes, not many people are willing to turn their thoughts to their own depths like Jung did. I keep some objects like the Red Book around to counterbalance the scientific drive to define and distill everything into their fundamental parts. That process is important, but I don't want to miss something important by being a reductionist. - Jarred Younger
Autoimmunity with the addition of high cortisol from anxiety can cause serious illness such as Chronic fatigue. The reaction to stresses environmental such as mould or chemicals with the addition of Sjogrens already causing problems 😳 Can possibly push the immune response into confusion overload 🤔 . Consequently allergies IBS tiredness depression and more anxiety.
Can anyone explain to me why my body has an all around ache but occasionally one part feels like it’s about to break and later it switches to another area it’s absolutely excruciating at times.These typically don’t last motor than a couple of days but happen at least once a month.$They have me diagnosed with CFS.
It won't be 016 (talking about a different upcoming treatment approach), but I will talk about it. Methylene blue has been on my high priority list for about a year now. Thanks! - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab Lord please help me to reach them. Help me to set aside my cynicism and please allow me to express my sincerity so that they can hear the love contained in my message. Amen. I'm gonna apologize in advance cause I know how I can be. Please just hear me out and I'll happily clarify anything you'd likex please let's correspond and try to turn this nightmare around. You should talk about silver oxide and its effects cause it sure the hell seems like the entire "medical" industry is willfully ignoring it and citing argyria as the reason why. Argyria is a risk of silver nitrate not dilute silver oxide. This is because nitrates are very strong acids thats precisely why they use silver nitrate for wart removal. The acid chemically burns it off and the trace silver inhibits secondary infections. It's the chemical burning coupled with the silver that causes deep subdermal deposition of silver particles. Instead of beating the argyria dead horse that's constantly fear mongered about incessantly by the medical establishment. The other aspect of aging that the entirety of the medical industry is utterly neglecting is deep tissue massage and its connection to the lymphatic system function. The body is a pump and somehow it seems yall doctors have forgotten about that. The only time I ever hear a doctor mention the lymphatic system is when they wanna throw chemotoxins at someone who severely metabolically ill and has malignant neoplasms invading their lymphoid organs cause nothing like getting paid when your solution almost guarantees the patients death. Works great for doctors cause dead people don't sue you. Smdh. Welcome to 2024 where even the medical industry gas lights you about gas lighting you. Sorry for my cynicism I'm just tired of seeing the obvious be ignored and after reading many thousands of clinical research papers proving this to me I cant do nothing while the vast majority continue to ignore it. If this goes on any longer we will have mass casualty event and I know you can see it coming in the statistics. I'm at my wits end with doctors pretending to care while not being willing to look into the use of drugs anything that isn't being recommended by a big pharma representative. I have to ask that, please if you have any ounce of humanity in you left just hear me out. I have an almost unfathomable amount of evidence to back up what I'm saying. I pray you read this and consider what I'm saying here. If we don't find solutions, were screwed guaranteed. Lord knows we're gonna be so fucked if we can't start turning this tsunami of illness around just look at the excess deaths in the west. The numbers are horrifying. God Speed, and God Bless my brother. Amen.
I suppose exercising or exertion falls under the category of Stress which you mentioned? Also, do SSRI's? Either usage or withdrawal prime microglia in anyway?
No lol, exercising does not fall under the category of stress. Exercising is good for you, unless you are forced to run a marathon everyday then it is streas
@@Jay-kk3dv I'm not sure if you're familiar with MECFS and PEM but exercise is detrimental to this condition. Probably one of the few, if not only, disease where exercise is contraindicated
I'm curious about microglia and spinal cord injury, the acute phase of inflammation and secondary injury, as well as their role in repair. Have you done, or are you aware of any work on SCI?
ihad an overhwelig threat with the feeling of overwhelming dread and torture, would that count, then contracted lyme, and parasites. and chronic degeneration of my soul, body and life
Thanks for this Jarred, and good luck with the grant. Every morsel of hope keeps us going with unrelenting CRPS and fibromyalgia pain. My beautiful daughter was five years bedridden yesterday, with the knock-on effect of her moderate to severe ME/CFS of 25 years then becoming severe for 5 years. Every ray of☀️gives us hope through the 🌧️of despair🌈and helps us to forget our traumatic history (+ black mould and bacterial + viral exposure)
We really appreciate how hard you are working to find answers❤
I was a "double hit". I had a nasty cold that lasted three weeks back in 2021. Not having fully recovered I went to get my Covid jab. The next morning I woke up completely sick and never recovered from that flu like state. 3 years later I still have fevers, devastating fatigue, nausea, brain fog, muscle pain, etc
I can't believe I found someone similar except my booster vaccine timing could not have been worse. Due to the government pushing it, I took the 3rd dose after having Omicron covid fever (that I didn't know about at the time) for 4 days. Next morning I almost fell from the heaviness and fatigue as soon as I landed my feet on the ground.
This happened 2 years ago and I'm still only at 40-50% of my pre-covid self.
Anyway thank you for sharing your story. I thought I too was the only double hit case.
Thank you very much. Extremely interesting and informative and well enough explained to keep even those of us with brain fog in the loop.
I'll be watching for reports on genetics and on dextro-LDN with great anticipation.
These videos are tremendously helpful.
I'm grateful you don't waste time on "production values" BS like background music, stock footage. Clear honest science is better than nonsense.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1988. I suffered horribly and actually did kidney damage from taking too much ibuprofen. 10 months ago I became carnivore. in those months, the inflammation has calmed dramatically to the point where I rarely experience anything resembling fibromyalgia. I have noticed that some carbohydrates experience a sudden serve inflammation in my symptoms that are like the flu. Getting off of carbohydrates has worked wonders for me.
That is interesting. I wonder if it was glucose-mediated inflammation. It's always great when a diet change is the answer! - Jarred Younger
Same experience and conclusion -- eliminating sugar and bread dramatically reduced fibromyalgia pain. Years later when I went on a low-carb and grain free paleo diet, I no longer needed pain meds. Anytime I overindulge in carbs, the pain returns. Supposedly, glucose feeds pathogens and candida in the gut, which then release endotoxins that causes pain.
Thanks for posting your success. Tried eating more towards Carnivore but also have Gastroparesis wasn't a good fit. But it definitely showed me what lower carb/keto benefits there are! Best to you.
Ime diagnosed CFS ibs now my fybromyalgia is either migraine or fybromyalgia was your pain in your body all over or certain places mines chronic shoulder s no headache do you have hypomobility heds now diagnosed autism ADHD genes
@@GnosticGurudid or does you pain feall like migraine no headache
You should make some videos on the role of the mitochondria in all of this, and how microglia / neuroinflammation affect metabolism and cellular energy production downstream!
Are you thinking about the Intaconate Shunt also?
Would be interested to knowing if the mitochondria in the microglia can impact (in how far?) its function?
How sad that researchers can't collaborate more than they do. The fight for grants and the need to protect research from those that steal it and the desire to get credit means the patients endure suffering longer.
Researchers are neurons by analogy. Microglia is public who is mostly unaware of science is privatized and militarized.
Babe wake up, Dr. Younger dropped a new video
😂❤
I am looking forward to your video on potential treatments for the microglia.
Regarding the environment, I’d be curious about your position on air fresheners (plug in, aerosols, candles, incense, etc.), and perfumes and colognes. Particularly in poorly ventilated places. I feel this is an under addressed health hazard, and hearing you explain this makes it all make sense.
The young students suffering from overexposure to these chemicals in poorly ventilated buildings, usually with water damage, sets many up for failure.
Educators are focused on info going into minds instead of ambient neurotoxins.
I'm retired educator, 31 years, 4 degrees, we have NO CONTIL over building failures..I taught in the 70s w asbestos in ceilings, mold, ofia in gyms floor, mold, etc..all.i could do was open windows(no cross ventilation)..my passion was teaching, + the welfare of my students.. @@chantellekirk2993
I feel a bit bad for my microglia now because it sounds like they've just been traumatized 😄
My poor microglia need therapy 😂
Stop it
😂😂 same
Omg, i think about this stuff too, put their shoes on and realize i have the same shoes already, cancer and everything everyone else hates automatically.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make a video for us every Monday. It makes me very happy to wait and study the video every Monday. I had a question: we know that ME/CFS can be activated because of microglia that don't return to a resting state. When you develop ME/CFS, you can also develop MCAS. Is MCAS also linked to the continuous activation of microglia?
Thanks! Yes, definitely. Unfortunately, chronically activated mast cells have a considerable chance of causing a concomitant activation of microglia. Until the mast cells are brought under control, they would be considered the most likely driver of abnormal microglia state. - Jarred Younger
In one year, I was exposed to ticks, mosquitoes, carbon monoxide poisoning from my patrol car, and Covid. Four years later, my shift partner passed away, and my finally started LDN. 🙏🙏🙏
🙏🙏🙏
thank you for this informative video, Jarred. from what I've observed, neurodivergent individuals have a far higher rate of microglia-mediated illnesses, and that might be due to a variety of reasons (more frequent genetic mutations/rarer genes, psychological trauma, sensory overload, food sensitivities - you name it). this is a long-known thing in the neurodivergent community, but I haven't seen science address it. it is the main thing that stops doctors from diagnosing me with the autoimmune issues I do have as they view them as 'extremely rare', ignoring the fact how common they are within my neurotype.
@@Mr.Phoreskin good luck and lots of spoons to you, fellow AuDHDer :)
Wow! That explain exactly what must have happened to me 13 years ago where I had a severe infection which spread to the brain. I never got really well afterwards and suffer from a lot of chronic pain now. Never had pain before I got ill. Thank you for sharing this. It gives me hope for finding a way to help my brain finding a way to calm down again some day.
Appreciate everything you're doing! This might be the first concise and clear explanation of a disease hypothesis out there. I had EBV and then lived in a home with huge amounts of toxic mold. I also started a business right at this time and had never been more stressed. This would make a lot of sense why my microglia could be primed.
I feel very fortunate to have had your channel show up in my feed!
I got my symptoms from the HPV vaccine. Same symptoms as ME/CFS and Post Viral Fatigue; Brain fog, blurred vision, anxiety and panic attacks, fatigue, fasciculations, palpitations, shortness of breath, joint pain, food malabsorption and I am sure I am forgetting more.
I soon realized that the symptoms are very similar to those of Long Covid and now it makes sense.
I am convinced all those conditions are the same disease which is triggered by a strong immune response. The question now is if recovery is possible and if so how can I achieve it.
Yes it can. 25 years ill. Cured now for 10.
@@lindareid7153 You also got injured by the HPV vaccine?
I take ivermectin for any kind of illness, it's good for inflammation, virus, parasites...it's cheap, easy to take, and get it at feed store.....if it doesn't work,ok, but maybe it will
@@lindareid7153what did you have CFS mcas? Do you have hypomobility 27 years here found out have autism ADHD heds after 27 years
Thank you for all that you do Dr Jared Younger! This is a interesting presentation on the microglia. . I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 33 years ago..after a Tickbite. I'm on Low Dose Naltrexone. .Interesting video that you did recently on dextronaltrexone. Looking forward to the clinical trials!!
I assume you were tested for Lyme disease?
I've had two brain surgeries, first one in 2001. I basically never got back to my pre-surgical physical shape and was diagnosed with FM in 2006. My second brain surgery was in 2013. I've lost track of the number of MRI's I've had since 2001. My last one mentioned gliosis. I daily feel as though I'm awakening from anesthesia with some nausea and dizzy/woozy all day long. I've had CRP, cytokines tested with "normal" results. Long term opioid use, currently on tramadol for 18 months. Also gabapentin, venlafaxine. So tired of being tired. Thank you Dr Younger for all you do.
So how do you turn the microglia off?????
Jarred, wishing you clarity with the writing.
I do value your clarity and presence of mind, in both thinking and explanations.
We need inspired human beings on the planet.
Hey I appreciate that! I agree, clarity is paramount. I never want to annoy a grant reviewer with unclear writing. :-D
3 masseurs touched my muscles and said they felt abnormal. One of them said my muscles were stiff and they felt like I was wearing full body armor. So it's not just my brain misinterpreting the signals from my body. There is indeed something wrong in my body that can be felt by other people.
Same here. Muscles feel awful...stiff and very painfull. No energy
I had that, and it turned out to be Lyme.
If you have ruled out systemic inflammatory activity and autoimmune disorders, you may want a specialist to look for central causes of hypertonicity - it may need muscle relaxers or other treatment. The microglia in the brain aren't just passive, they can change the state of the body, including the "tightness" of the muscles. I hope you are able to figure it out! If 3 massage therapists mentioned it, then there is something there and it may need help above and beyond stretching and massage. - Jarred Younger
Thank you for posting this update! I am so glad you are doing this work, it's important to so many people.
8 years ago: EBV infection + Concussion just short time after + mold -> First Symptoms started.
7 years ago: new viral infection + high exposure to chemicals at the same time -> big Crash, since then fully bedridden.
So sorry for your situation. Have you looked into Mastocytosis / MCAS specialist? I’m trying to find one right now but they are few and far between (either don’t take insurance, or they are in a clinic a 1000 miles away). Hope we find a solution for ourselves sooner rather than later. 🙏🏻
A typical day for me: drive to work and get exposed to diesel fumes and other exhausts, arrive to work and am subjected to air fresheners, perfumes and colognes, and a sick coworker, leave work and get another dose of diesel and exhaust, then arrive home. No wonder I am TIRED all the time! My body has been in a battle!
You’re a f*cking saint for making these videos Sir
Can these routes explain years (or decades) gradual onset ME/CFS?
Seems either on or off. Or could total fatigue smoothly vary as more of the brain is affected?
Mine was caused mostly by eggs, whites in particular. When I quit eating eggs my brain pressure almost completely disappeared. Since eggs are used in so many things I have to read labels before eating things or I spend a day or two feeling bad. My husband also tested as sensitive to egg whites. I've come to suspect it may have to do with vaccines being grown in chicken eggs, which are then injected along with the active ingredients. I would imagine that would be the perfect way to make people sensitive to eggs, although unintended.
Please consider trialing methylene blue. It helps our mito issues as well as being neuro protective, as well as inexpensive and accessible to ppl worldwide. It works very similarly to photobiomodulation. Both of which I have excellent results with. LDN only worked for a bit and then caused major GI issues. Luteolin is another which I have had symptom relief with, both at low doses and high doses at times. Also, some ppl respond to arginine. I’m very interested in what BH4 would do for us as well. Thank you for working so hard to cure us💙. Mecfs x 16 yrs.
Agree 💯
So anything that triggers inflammatory cytokines can make microglia in the brain get primed/ go into permanent sensitivity mode, causing pain & fatigue, brain stress. C-Reactive Protein test once a year is good to measure inflammation. Stress - Excess cortisol from stress can stress the microglia in brain & permanently activate them.
It is believed this is behind Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, et al.
What about complex PTSD as a trigger?
There aren't as many studies on PTSD and microglia, but there are some possibilities. There may be a bidirectional relationship between microglia and PTSD. Microglia are partly to blame for the PTSD to begin with, because they can remake the brain synapses to reinforce the pathological stimulus-response causing panic/fear. There is also some work showing that PTSD causes microglia to change the blood-brain barrier and inhibit cognitive performance (in an animal experimental model). - Jarred Younger
This so helpful, thank you so much. My covid was neurological from the start. It explains why I keep relapsing.
From recent experience, exposure to moderately high levels of directed microwave band RF, such as satellite equipment could be a significant trigger, along with reactivation of dormant pathogens. Worth looking at with your veterans at a guess.
After my bathroom was painted my ME-brain went haywire and the pressure that's already there became pretty bad. I don't understand how this can be an ongoing problem (let alone my housemates), the paint job was years ago! But my glia cells don't care, apparently...
In the video, you talk about how some people may just have a genetic predisposition to having microglia change, what about ACEs? (Adverse Childhood Events) Surely severe trauma at a young age may set the stage for someone to have these symptoms decades later, given a perfect storm of circumstances...a months long illness followed by a sudden injury which requires surgery, for example.
He can only speak to his area of expertise. Doesn’t mean that psychology isn’t a factor. Just means you have to ask another specialist about that subject.
Fantastic, incredibly helpful information. Especially helpful in understand what is happening in my body, and why this is happening to me and others like me. Thank you Dr Younger from the bottom of my heart.
Microglia might be the "root" cause of these diseases, but there is a new article out in nature about specific neurons in the brainstem that regulate the immune pathways... like two dials.
I see it as a kind of gate between the vagus nerves and the brain, but these cells also have "admin" power. That would make the microglia a "downstream" issue for any issues in the body. Not for viruses directly in the brain, but for anything else. Any thoughts on this brainstem research?
I will link the study in a reply.
So interesting
This is hands down the most accurate and science-based explanation of what I believe I’m experiencing with MCS. Thank you ❤
This video is pure gold and explains so much, thank you from Germany
Thank you for posting these great videos about these chronic diseases. If the condition has started from an infection, is your assumption that there can't be a chronic infection still ongoing in the brain? If so, what is your argument that the infection has just triggered the microglia and is not present anymore?
Yes good point. There are cases where the virus may be recalcitrant and hiding in the CNS. There are many virus they stay resident for the rest of our lives. Of course, in those cases, the proper treatment would be not be microglia modulation and would instead involve anti-virals, such as famciclovir, that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. We don't have a good tool to distinguish the two possibilities, which is why we have to be careful not to suppress the overall immune system. - Jarred Younger
Thanks you so much Dr. Younger for sharing this important information with us. I learnt it a few years ago and it really helped me to understand my fibromyalgia which at the time I was particularly experiencing as a 'sore spine' alongside multiple sensitivites aka central sensitisation aka inflammation aka microglial activation. For me it's mostly triggered by food sensitivities (primed I believe from a 20 years H/ Pylori infection that destroyed my gut health and integrity). I started LDN based on your hypothesis and it's made a significant difference. I only flare a couple of times a year now, and they only last a day or two (amazing considering what I was experiencing 10 years ago!)
My flare last week seemed to be triggered by exposure to carbon monoxide (I accidentally left a gas stove on overnight in my small studio where I sleep) and the following day I ate some gluten. The combo set me off and I was forced to be horizontal, quiet and still for a few days.
As someone with Fibromyalgia (severe I get bed bound for days at a time) this is very useful info. It's interesting he mentioned the pain killers. Doc put me on 100mg Tramadol, 3 x daily for 4 months before I quit all my meds & changed my diet before re-introducing some meds again. I use my tramadol for extreme flare ups (It's crazy how much pain the brain can generate on it's own I was once in so much pain I was drifting in & out of consciousness for 2 days). However, I cannot take them for more than 3 days straight now before I start to suffer from opioid induced migraines. Still annoyed at how much worse the Doc made my condition. I could eat gluten & lactose before: I can't now.
I'm glad you were able to find some alternative treatment approaches! I haven't seen any evidence that periodic use of opioids would cause a problem like sustained use does. - Jarred Younger
How does microglia coordinate with mast cell activation? I have considerable brain and eyes burning/watering with PEM.
Just ----- Thank You.
Thank you so so much for your work and your weekly updates! It’s giving me so much hope…
Thank you so much! I’ve been suffering chronic pain for decades. No answers.
Consider CBD and dig into Elliot Overton on mega dose thiamine and the biological/enzymatic reasons for it.
@@DCGreenZone Mahalo Nui, I will look into it.
Thank you, looking very forward to your many studies. Very grateful 😊
You talk about a pathogens/drugs that prime the microglia. But what about trauma? Like car accidents or physical assaults? Do those prime the microglia?
So looking forward to the future video on this topic! Thanks for sharing this valuable information.... greatly appreciate it!
Where have you been all my life? Really helpful information. Thank you.
If chronic exposure to a corticosteroid can trigger this kind of microglial activation can chronic exposure to cortisol do the same thing?
14:04 how stress sensitizes microglia
15:15 parasympathetic activity to combat the sensitization
TMS
How about anatomical issues like CCI or other spinal issues causing stress to the brain?
Interesting article from 2010 by Held et al., 'Impaired immune responses following spinal cord injury lead to reduced ability to control viral infection'.
Is emf exposure a factor?
Jarred, I have a question! The most important thing I do for "stress management" is avoiding low blood sugar! Low blood sugar activates adrenaline and cortisol. Both low cortisol and low glycogen/glucose is found in ME/CFS patients, if I'm not mistaken? For me EBV was the trigger, and I think it also caused my liver to have some trouble storing glycogen, and that left me even more at risk for low blood sugar.
I'm curious why this potentially very common negative spiral isn't talked about more? One of my first symptoms were issues with blood sugar regulation, and I hear people mention similar issues all the time. I learned all the "traditional" ways of managing stress and they're all great, but of course none of really "worked", because my blood sugar was actually low.
Within weeks of avoiding low blood sugar I felt more stable, and I now sleep well, my cycle is healing, I have less pain etc. I am not seeing a lot of effect on PEM though. Wish I knew sooner, and wish it was talked more about, as an intervention!
hello, would you be willing to share what helped you to stabilise your blood sugar? I think I have this going on as well. C
@@cathyrowsome9870 absolutely! I have in part used sugar as medicine, with the approach that I would rather "run on" sugar than "stress hormones".
I did a lot of other things too, and follow something called the pro metabolic principles. Kate Deering (although I'm not sure I can recommend the direction she's going, as she just posted something about pain based on the biopsychosocial model as truth 👀) has written a great book called How to heal your metabolism. It's about the principles, that are mainly based on Ray Peat's work and ideas about metabolism. Three years in I would say he's "right", more right than any other approach to metabolism I've followed in the past.
Part of his ideas is that sugar is empty calories, but they're also more easily digestable. Not dangerous, but it's important to eat enough nutrient dense food alongside (not necessarily ever meal, but over time).
There's a podcast episode called The truth about sugar, where Kate Deering is a guest, and that's the first thing I heard. It took me a while to unlearn the fear of sugar, but now I've been using white table sugar as part of my approach to avoid low blood sugar for three years. Before that I thought I had sibo (not tested, but I was treated for it by a nutritionist who had me avoiding sugar), and my sense is that has healed with using the pro metabolic principles.
I've nevet have any markers for diabetes (currently testing my blood sugar at home and it hardly spikes, so high blood sugar is definitely not the issue; it also appears to fall "too" quickly).
This approach has mostly "fixed" my sleep, cycle, mood, temperature issues, pulse, and somewhat digestion. (I am now exploring glucose in stead of sucrose, and it seems even easier for the body to use.)
To sum up how I otherwise eat: balanced meals often. About 2500 calories a day, despite being housebound (no weight issues, but if you've been low carb it's a good idea to track and go slow; and don't overdo fat). I eat easily digestable protein and carbs, and a little fat. I'm exploring the ratio, towards even more carbs, but my jump off point was protein: 25 / carbs: 50-55 / fat: 20-25.
Hope this helps, just ask if there's anything!
There’s emerging recognition of this sort of approach in mental health, and quite a bit of research activity. You might be interested in some of the researchers featured on the channel Metabolic Mind: youtube.com/@metabolicmind?si=M5W7mki6hMr5DEW9
@@cathyrowsome9870 I'm so sorry, my response to you appears to not have been posted. I follow the pro metabolic principles, and have read a lot of Ray Peat's work. Kate Deering's book How to heal your metabolism is a great starting point.
If you search her name and "the truth about sugar" you'll find a podcast episode that's thought provoking and interesting!
@@BecPlumbe I had a look, and in my opinion they don't understand the metabolic system well enough. Would not trust that channel, it's surface level speculation about why things work.
My advice is: Do your own research on the metabolic system, so it's easier for you to gauge the accuracy of what someone is saying. It will make it easier to recognize if an intervension will be helpful for a short time, but cause harm long term… or if it’s a sustainable intervention.
Does chronic secondhand cigarette smoke exposure count as one of the causes?
He mentioned pollution as a cause and seems like it would definitely fall under that category.
Wow....never heard of this before ! Thank you for educating us....could explain a lot....will be viewing your other videos !
Super interesting video, I look forward to these every week! Could TBI (or any kind of physical trauma) also be a potential cause of primed/activated microglia? It's been really interesting to see how similar my Long Covid symptoms are to those of people I know with post-concussion syndrome. Do you think there's a possibility of some shared pathophysiology in TBI and complex chronic illness that might explain why recovery is so difficult for both?
Nevermind - I saw you answered this question below! Thanks again!
Mold and Lyme did it to me. Condition #2. And I lived right near a highway. Help!! What about ketotifen for pain, calming the microglia?
Given the links that have been established between developmental trauma, chronic inflammation and immune disorders I can't help but wonder if trauma triggering and the related chemical cascade could also be priming those microglial
So much worthwhile information. Thank you so much.
Thank you for starting the videos again. I was watching back in 2020 and then it stopped. I’ll have to check to see how long back from now you had started posting them again
How about sleep deprivation aggravated by emotional stress as a driver?
Dr. Junger, I've been reading about how microglia play a role in multiple sclerosis, and I wondered whether you believe the mechanism of action is similar to the conditions you describe?
What about heavy metals?
Do patients with CFS have elevated CRP and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)? If yes, does the degree of elevation correlate with the severity of CFS? Thank you!!
Yes - almost every individual with CFS tested in my lab has elevated CRP (around 6mg/L). ESR tends to be high-normal to moderately elevated, around 40mm/hr. I haven't conducted a correlational analysis between severity and CRP/ESR, but I certainly have enough data to do that now. I'll put that down to do in the next few months. Thanks! - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab This would be really interesting to hear about as I often read that people with ME have low CRP. My CRP and ESR have been increasing over the 4 years since I got covid. I also have past history of ME and post-viral illness. My recent values were 14 and 30 respectively. My doctor just shrugs and said its hard to know how to treat this because they don't know where the inflammation is coming from, I was assuming blood vessels? I also have elevated D-dimer and fibrinogen and have the ME/POTS phenotype. Would love to hear more about blood test abnormalities seen in your patients!
I often have to hawk up and spit out an excessive amount of mucus. I know mold drs are pushing the concept of a sinus infection causing cfs symptoms. It would seem consistent with my symptoms. The excessive mucus and what I call brain burn could be an infection in my sinus? A lot of foods seem to trigger runny nose mostly in the past before I was careful about what and how much I ate. An mri in 1998 showed a polyp in my sinus also. I suspect if anything could trigger microglia a sinus infection could. I dismiss a lot of the mold dr's knowing what they are talking about cause they never seem to be able to provide evidence for their theories or evidence for the efficacy of their treatments. It angers me that the CDC and NIH won't fund studies to clear up all the questions surrounding sick building syndrome but are very quick to encourage and fund the idea that it is psychological. I also often have air hunger as do probably most CFS sufferers. So maybe there is no ongoing infection just a hyper alergic state like anaphylaxis but not life threatening like anaphylaxis. On a totally different note has anyone with CFS ever been given a antiviral cocktail like those given to aids patients? No need to respond to any of my rantings I am just talking out loud.
Please look into the low-dose Lithium - microglia connection.
Looking forward to your upcoming video series!
Lithium is a fascinating drug with such complex actions. I haven't worked with it, but the reported effects on brain inflammation are definitely intriguing. - Jarred Younger
You ask really good questions. I really appreciate it. Benefits us all!
Pathologist Dr. Alan MacDonald found novel tapeworm larvae (microscopic) in all ten of the MS brains he studied. The paper and pictures of the tapeworm larvae are available online. How would these worm larvae effect microglia in the brain? Have you studied how parasites effect microglia? Thank you for the video.
Is there a connection between copper toxicity and continuous microglia activation?
For sure. Chronic copper exposure pushes microglia to an activated state and increases the inflammation of the brain. Depending on the severity of the exposure, that inflammatory activity could damage neurons and cause neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's' and Alzheimer's. I don't know of any current sources of high-level copper. If someone is using a private source of water, they should have levels tested. It doesn't take much copper to cause problems. - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab interesting thanks. There are some high-copper foods out there also. And of course copper-based reproductive medicine interventions.
Given enough time I'd think this could potentially contribute to relevant levels.
Can severe/constant stress combined with a pathogen (say EBV) also cause this microglia hyper vigilance?
Maybe I should watch the whole thing before asking questions? 🤣
Lol….I too had so many questions in the middle of the video.
It happens to all of us, I think!
A better predictive/diagnostic model than "germ" theory:
“All disease, at some period or other of its course, is more or less a reparative process, not necessarily accompanied with suffering: an effort of nature to remedy a process of POISONING or of DECAY,
which has taken place weeks, months, sometimes years beforehand, unnoticed.”
- Florence Nightingale
❤
Good ol' Florrie!👍
@@helenahandkart1857 "Healthy people are those who live in healthy homes on
a healthy diet; in an environment equally fit for birth, growth work, healing, and dying...
Healthy people need no bureaucratic interference to mate, give birth,
share the human condition and die.
Modern medicine is a negation of health. It isn't organized to serve human health,
but only itself, as an institution. It makes more people sick than it heals."
- Ivan Dominic Illich
Dr. Younger, are you aware of any studies that support that magnesium theronate calms the microglila back into the resting state? I would speculate that people with neuroinflammation from mitochondrial dysfunction might benefit from this supplementation.
XMRV viruses also benefit from magnesium. Be careful
Would stem cell treatments help calm the microglia priming?
You helped ME to understand, given that I have experienced ALL you mentioned, except Epstein Barr. But more importantly, I have shared this video with family members who couldn’t possibly understand what is happening to me. Giving us a voice that is clear science is great medicine. God bless you and your whole team.
Can head trauma prime microglia?
Look at concussion syndrome or something like that. You'll see that the symptoms are pretty much the same as CFS. Only they seem to go away after some period of time?
@@djVania08 I have ME/CFS and have taken part in a study in Sweden which showed an overrepresentation of a history of head/neck/spine trauma (that I have had) in ME/CFS. However, I haven't seen a study that has shown causality between trauma and microglia activation.
Yes, long-term effects of head trauma are caused either by direct neuronal damage, or by a chronic microglia activation syndrome. There are very compelling studies on individuals with repeated mild head trauma (e.g., American football players or boxers) who have lifetime elevated inflammatory microglia activity in the brain. There is a long history of work into this effect of traumatic brain injury, which we call "reactive gliosis". - Jarred Younger
👍Thank you Jared for a very interesting and informative presentation.
Thank you so much Dr Younger for taking the time to put these videos together; they're really informative and make me hopeful that effective treatment(s) will become available. My concern at the moment is whether 40 years of microglial activation means I will have Alzheimer's Disease when I'm old. Any thoughts on this?
We look for these relationships and haven't found any evidence that chronic microglia activation in the realm of that seen in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome increases risk of neurodegenerative disorders. There are several MRI tools that let us look at neuronal health. While there has been a smattering of articles suggesting long-term chronic pain and fatigue disorders is associated with cerebral aging, I do not find the evidence presented to be convincing. I think the identified genetic variants of increased Alzheimer's risk (e.g., APOE and APP) are more important than any long-term microglia activation. - Jarred Younger
So what to do about it?
Magnesium calms microglia?
Looking forward to hearing about how to stop this. Thanks.
Lose weight, get sun exposure, sleep well, eat well and exercise enough.
@@gstlynx Have done that but doesn't make the inflammation stop.
@@garyg6000 He said, in the video, excess adiposity increases glial inflammation.........
Thank you for what you do!
Can you do an episode on Ozympic? I have just started the first dose and right away I feel more relaxed and feel like my body is so grateful for the help. I have lost 7 pounds and I swear it feels like it is repairing my digestive track. It feels similar to when I tried bio identical hormone replacement cream, but much better. It is supposed to be just peptides? After a lifetime of stress and pain and inflammation I feel like I stumbled upon the fountain of youth. 🎉❤😊
I have severe severe CIRS, two of the dreaded genes and have had countless concussions and any little tap and I mean even a gentle tap to my head causes even more severe neuroinflammation I don’t feel I’m going to be alive much longer . CIRS is not recognised in Australia and they have listed me as somatic at the hospital.
I have Epstein Barr, Lyme, cytomegalovirus, Ross river virus and I can barely walk or talk. I can’t get any help in Australia
@@tiatorus likewise in USA for me im wasted ever day
@@franciscafazzo3460 we need to be strong and get through this 🥺💖
This whole realm is better understood now than even a year ago. Seek to understand yourself, but let go of the need for others to understand. Can’t control that. Pacing is the only solid help right now, but a breakthrough from these new understandings from scientists could happen tmro! Keep your spirits in the best shape possible, just in case they can lift this burden. We can all tend the garden of our humanity and grace while we wait and nice WE understand that this is not just our imaginings.
@@sacredrain7757.. truisn
Such great information.
I wonder if this is why so many get helped with rewiring the brain? Also, I feel better some from taking Bromelain and quercetin? Have Me for 34 yrs now. Thanks for all this information, gives me hope!
It has been 40 years for me. Something has changed this past year and a half. The fatigue is unremitting and the brain fog aka neuroinflammation has gotten worse, particularly in the first few hours of waking up.
@@DanielleRadicanin the treatment that helped me so very much is LDN, probably because it helps the microglia and inflammation! look into it, hope you feel better real soon!
@@DanielleRadicanin Covid. I got CFS from Covid and have same symptoms.
@@jenniferw1595 I haven't had covid. Tested ongoing since 2020. Unless I was asymptomatic. 🤔
I've had significant fibromyalgia symptoms that I have to medicate everyday for more than 10 years. I had COVID a couple years ago that really set me back and even with significant medication treatments have still left me struggling.
Have you tested your stool for Candidia fungus? This is a well known cause of fibromyalgia and can be killed off with diet changes. Good luck
I've had several stool biopsys during previous GI diagnostics. This was at least 15 years ago before we finally found a medication combination that allows me to live without continuous diarrhea, nausea, constipation. My psychiatrist, out of concern my depression changed my antidepressant to mirtazapaine which dramatically relieved my GI problem. This verified my diagnosis was fibromyalgia. I finally had an answer for all of my symptoms over the years.
So maybe I should ask my doctor about this screening. What diat are you referring to?
You nailed it! Thanks
Very interesting and helpful to know.
I had a head injury in October 2019, I briefly lost consciousness. The following May, I developed long covid/ME. Could the head injury have primed the microglia so they went into full attack mode when I caught covid? Iam still sick with ME/LC. Interestingly I have no bodily inflammation as my CRP is less than 1.
Yes it could. A TBI in proximity to an infectious insult is one of the classic two-hit paradigms of microglia priming. However, if the head injury was mild, the time-difference was 6+ months, and you felt fine in that interim period, there is less likelihood that the head injury was a significant factor in the Long-Covid. With a more severe injury with lasting symptoms, that connection would be considerably higher. - Jarred Younger
Thank you!! Great information!
TEll us about that Red Book you have there!
Oh yes, not many people are willing to turn their thoughts to their own depths like Jung did. I keep some objects like the Red Book around to counterbalance the scientific drive to define and distill everything into their fundamental parts. That process is important, but I don't want to miss something important by being a reductionist. - Jarred Younger
Jung is the best. Good balance.
Autoimmunity with the addition of high cortisol from anxiety can cause serious illness such as Chronic fatigue.
The reaction to stresses environmental such as mould or chemicals with the addition of Sjogrens already causing problems 😳
Can possibly push the immune response into confusion overload 🤔 .
Consequently allergies IBS tiredness depression and more anxiety.
EBV is terrifying.
Can anyone explain to me why my body has an all around ache but occasionally one part feels like it’s about to break and later it switches to another area it’s absolutely excruciating at times.These typically don’t last motor than a couple of days but happen at least once a month.$They have me diagnosed with CFS.
Hope you'll touch upon methylene blue in 016
It won't be 016 (talking about a different upcoming treatment approach), but I will talk about it. Methylene blue has been on my high priority list for about a year now. Thanks! - Jarred Younger
@@youngerlab Lord please help me to reach them. Help me to set aside my cynicism and please allow me to express my sincerity so that they can hear the love contained in my message. Amen.
I'm gonna apologize in advance cause I know how I can be. Please just hear me out and I'll happily clarify anything you'd likex please let's correspond and try to turn this nightmare around.
You should talk about silver oxide and its effects cause it sure the hell seems like the entire "medical" industry is willfully ignoring it and citing argyria as the reason why. Argyria is a risk of silver nitrate not dilute silver oxide. This is because nitrates are very strong acids thats precisely why they use silver nitrate for wart removal. The acid chemically burns it off and the trace silver inhibits secondary infections. It's the chemical burning coupled with the silver that causes deep subdermal deposition of silver particles. Instead of beating the argyria dead horse that's constantly fear mongered about incessantly by the medical establishment. The other aspect of aging that the entirety of the medical industry is utterly neglecting is deep tissue massage and its connection to the lymphatic system function. The body is a pump and somehow it seems yall doctors have forgotten about that. The only time I ever hear a doctor mention the lymphatic system is when they wanna throw chemotoxins at someone who severely metabolically ill and has malignant neoplasms invading their lymphoid organs cause nothing like getting paid when your solution almost guarantees the patients death. Works great for doctors cause dead people don't sue you. Smdh. Welcome to 2024 where even the medical industry gas lights you about gas lighting you. Sorry for my cynicism I'm just tired of seeing the obvious be ignored and after reading many thousands of clinical research papers proving this to me I cant do nothing while the vast majority continue to ignore it. If this goes on any longer we will have mass casualty event and I know you can see it coming in the statistics. I'm at my wits end with doctors pretending to care while not being willing to look into the use of drugs anything that isn't being recommended by a big pharma representative. I have to ask that, please if you have any ounce of humanity in you left just hear me out. I have an almost unfathomable amount of evidence to back up what I'm saying. I pray you read this and consider what I'm saying here. If we don't find solutions, were screwed guaranteed. Lord knows we're gonna be so fucked if we can't start turning this tsunami of illness around just look at the excess deaths in the west. The numbers are horrifying. God Speed, and God Bless my brother. Amen.
I suppose exercising or exertion falls under the category of Stress which you mentioned? Also, do SSRI's? Either usage or withdrawal prime microglia in anyway?
No lol, exercising does not fall under the category of stress. Exercising is good for you, unless you are forced to run a marathon everyday then it is streas
@@Jay-kk3dv I'm not sure if you're familiar with MECFS and PEM but exercise is detrimental to this condition. Probably one of the few, if not only, disease where exercise is contraindicated
@@Jay-kk3dv things that are beneficial can still be stressors.
I'm curious about microglia and spinal cord injury, the acute phase of inflammation and secondary injury, as well as their role in repair. Have you done, or are you aware of any work on SCI?
ihad an overhwelig threat with the feeling of overwhelming dread and torture, would that count, then contracted lyme, and parasites. and chronic degeneration of my soul, body and life
Thanks so much for this fascinating talk. Lots of information to take on board.