Cold sores are caused by Herpes Simplex 1 (sometimes Herpes Simplex 2), a virus which resides deep within nerve tissue and recurs when the immune system is weakened—in times of stress, an extra illness, or with age.
Fibromyalgia is primarily characterized by nerve pain, muscle spasms, fatigue, and gastrointestinal problems. There is no known cause of fibromyalgia, but one line of study is finding success with Herpes Simplex antivirals.
The Herpes virus goes through different stages, from dormant to active cold sores; using 3 different antivirals focusing on different stages to attack the Herpes virus reduced symptoms of other diseases, including fibromyalgia, GI tract problems, fatigue and depression in the vast majority of patients. The success is leading to more trials.
The connection makes sense—both are triggered by stress, and it’s not the first time an underlying virus has been suspected as the cause of fibromyalgia. What is interesting is how effective specifically treating for Herpes Simplex is! Most current treatments focus on treating symptoms.
Of course, keeping the immune system strong may be a good way to reduce triggers for both fibromyalgia as well as Herpes Simplex, whether or not further testing proves the correlation. Sleep, healthy eating, and even supplementing with MesoSilver may help support the immune system.
What do you think? Could there be a correlation between fibromyalgia and Herpes Simplex?
