The Perils of Standing II: Drugs for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Patients with Orthostatic Intolerance
Dr. Peter Rowe of the Pediatric Network at Johns Hopkins provides the most
extensive overview of the different drugs used to treat orthostatic
intolerance in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). He makes several general
points:
- Few treatment trials have assessed most of these drugs effectiveness in ME/CFS
- Finding the right drug or combination of drugs to treat this problem may take some time and requires persistence and the willingness to experiment on the part of the physician and the patient.
- Because several of these drugs can cause serious side effects such as increased blood pressure and altered electrolyte levels careful monitoring is needed.
The drugs used to treat OI do one of three things; they increase the ability of the blood vessels to narrow or constrict; they increase blood volume or they affect norepinephrine/epinephrine activity.
- Fludrocortisone (Florinef)
- Midrodrine (ProAmatine)
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
- Stimulants (Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall)
- Erythropoietin
(This and all sections of the Phoenix Rising website are compiled by a layman. They are not a substitute for a physician and are for informational uses only. Please discuss any treatments in these pages with your physician.)