Title

Intravenous saline administration improves physical functioning in a patient with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

ORCID

J. Mark Van Ness: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5902-8735

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

Department

Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences Department

ISSN

0195-9131

Volume

38

Issue

5

Publication Date

1-1-2006

Abstract

Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have diminished physical capacity that has been linked to low blood volume (hypovolemia) and abnormal sympathoadrenal activation. Intravenous saline administration could ameliorate these problems, thereby improving the work capacity in CFS. Purpose. This study investigates the effect of 1L/day of 0.9% saline administration in a 37 yr old female with CFS. Methods. Primary outcome measures were based on cardiopulmonary responses during maximal exercise testing. A preliminary exercise test was performed prior to beginning saline administration. Follow-up exercise tests were conducted at 15, 55, 92, 125, 180, 248, 317, 420 and 675 days post first treatment and 30 days post last treatment. Results. Measures of peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak), minute ventilation (VE), VO2 at anaerobic threshold (AT), peak workload (WL), heart rate (HR), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased during the the saline administration. Conclusions. These findings indicate that the diminished work capacity in CFS may result from low blood volume at least in a subset of the disease. Chronic infusion of fluids improves the disease associated hypovolemia, thereby improving CFS symptomology.

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