1. Sign our petition calling on Cochrane to withdraw their review of Exercise Therapy for CFS here.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Guest, the 'News in Brief' for the week beginning 8th April 2024 is here.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Welcome! To read the Core Purpose and Values of our forum, click here.
    Dismiss Notice

The role of the Thymus gland in ME?

Discussion in 'Endocrine: Thyroid, Adrenal, Diabetes' started by Inara, Aug 16, 2018.

  1. Inara

    Inara Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    2,734
    Sarah94, Invisible Woman and Barry like this.
  2. dannybex

    dannybex Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    119
    Just to answer your first question: Since it's essential for proper immune function, my guess would be 'of course'. :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2018
    Invisible Woman, MEMarge and Inara like this.
  3. Inara

    Inara Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    2,734
    I was wondering if there are any other people here whose thymus function seems to be reduced, and if this is due to ME or if this is before ME? Or is the thymus overactive? And is this relevant? Why does a thymus get over- or underactive?
     
    Invisible Woman likes this.
  4. Jonathan Edwards

    Jonathan Edwards Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    13,466
    Location:
    London, UK
    Not really. The chief function of the thymus is to select useful T cells for protective immunity during childhood. By the age of 20 the organ atrophies and in adults it may be of no great importance. Removal of the thymus in adults does not produce major problems as far as I know.

    The letter you quote must have been written by someone at least 85 years old I think - now 99. We understand why the thymus is relevant in myasthenia but this has no likely relevance to ME.
     
    Invisible Woman, TrixieStix and Inara like this.
  5. Jonathan Edwards

    Jonathan Edwards Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    13,466
    Location:
    London, UK
  6. exoptima

    exoptima New Member

    Messages:
    1
    Hi, I have overactive thymus. I’m 39 and while investigating the root cause of my cfs symptoms I did a full body PET scan and it showed an overactive thymus with SUV 3. Also my thymus was enlarged. Also did the test for the myasthenia gravis but that turned out negative. So I think whatever is causing my cfs is causing the overactive thymus. Interesting article you have posted!
    I’d be happy to share my medical records. I think someone should look into the relationship between thymus and cfs
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2019
    Annamaria, ringding, erin and 3 others like this.
  7. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    52,225
    Location:
    UK
    Hi @exoptima, welcome to the forum. I hope you find us friendly and the discussions interesting.

    On the subject of sharing medical records, please be aware that this thread is in the public area of the forum, and can be read by anybody and found on internet searches. Even the members only area is visible to about 2000 people, and, while members should not share anything posted there, we cannot guarantee who will see it.
     
  8. lansbergen

    lansbergen Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    616
    You could be right and maybe the overactivation could not be enough to stop the disease process.

    The immune modulator I use mimics a thymus hormone.
     
    Annamaria, MEMarge and Amw66 like this.

Share This Page