Reducing Orthostatic Intolerance With Oral Rehydration in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients

Reducing Orthostatic Intolerance With Oral Rehydration in Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We and others have shown that many younger patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) have orthostatic intolerance (OI), i.e., they can't tolerate prolonged standing. OI in ME/CFS is often accompanied by either postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in which standing results in an excessive heart rate, and neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) in which standing causes a fall in blood pressure and fainting. Intravenous fluids can alleviate these symptoms, but is difficult to administer; oral fluids fail to provide the same benefit. We would therefore like to test the effectiveness of an oral rehydration solution (ORS, W.H.O. formula) making use of co-transport of glucose and sodium, to reverse these symptoms in ME/CFS subjects with POTS or NMS, and will compare these results with healthy control subjects.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS); Myalgic Encephalomyelitis; Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID); Neurally Mediated Syncope (NMS)
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Normal Saline; Dietary supplement: Oral Rehydration Solution

Detailed Description

We and others have shown that a majority of younger patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) have orthostatic intolerance (OI), the inability to tolerate orthostatic stress such as prolonged standing. OI in ME/CFS comprises postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in which symptoms occur along with excessive upright heart rate, and neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) in which symptoms occur along with an upright fall in blood pressure. The causes of OI are diverse but are clearly initiated by postural contraction of central blood volume (BV) by gravitational translocation of 500-800 mL of blood from the upper to the lower body. Intravenous central BV expansion with isotonic saline is commonly and effectively used to reduce OI regardless of etiology, but has complications if used long term. Usual forms of oral hydration fail to provide similar benefit. Interestingly, a specific isotonic oral rehydration solution (ORS W.H.O. formula), making use of co-transport of glucose and sodium, has been shown to efficiently rehydrate cholera patients suggesting an ability to increase central BV rivaling intravenous fluids. Since the circulatory effects of saline or ORS BV expansion are incompletely understood, we propose to study the neurovascular physiology of fluid loading during orthostatic stress in ME/CFS patients with POTS or NMH, comparing results with healthy control subjects. We hypothesize that equal volumes of ORS is not inferior and may be superior to intravenous saline infusion in increasing intravascular and interstitial fluid volume and improving orthostatic tolerance. Using noninvasive measurements of heart rate and blood pressure by Finapres and oscillometry, cardiac output and peripheral arterial resistance by inert gas rebreathing, cerebral blood flow velocity by transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and regional fluid shifts by impedance and venous occlusion plethysmography, we have acquired preliminary data in ME/CFS patients with OI demonstrating superior restoration of orthostatic tolerance with ORS. We will recruit patients aged 15-29 years who have confirmed ME/CFS with OI, including 15 with NMH and 15 with POTS, and compare them to 15 healthy volunteer subjects. In Specific Aim 1 we will measure BV by Daxor iodinated albumin technique before orthostatic stress imposed by step-wise lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to measure the threshold for OI. Relative changes in BV using serial hematocrits in OI patients will be compared to data from control subjects similarly tested. In Specific Aim 2, all subjects will be randomized to receive saline or ORS in a cross over study. On one day, total BV and neurovascular properties will be measured in patients and control subjects before and 1 hour after completing one liter administration of intravenous normal saline infusion or ORS. On another day (separated by 1 week), we will repeat measurements using the other hydration route. We will perform LBNP on each day following saline or ORS to determine whether orthostatic intolerance and circulatory physiology are improved similarly with equivolumic IV saline or ORS hydration.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 45
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Hawthorne, New York, United States, 10532
      • NewYork Medical College

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 15 years to 29 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Both female and male participants are being studies
• Ages 15-29
• All subjects must fulfill criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and include 15 with Neurally Mediated Syncope (NMS) and 15 with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
• ME/CFS patients with NMS will be cases with episodic symptoms of Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) associated with 3 or more episodes of abrupt loss of consciousness and postural tone within the last year (simple faint)
• ME/CFS patients with POTS will have chronic day to day symptoms of OI for at least 3 months. POTS will be confirmed by duplication of these symptoms per tilt table test
• Healthy volunteers will be included and free from any disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• all subjects will have normal physical exam and be free of all systemic disease
• no subjects will be taking neurally active or vasoactive medications. Any prior medications will be discontinued for at least 2 weeks.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Normal Saline; Subjects will receive 1 liter of intravenous normal saline over 1 hour and on an alternate day Subjects will drink ORS solution 1 liter total by mouth over 20 minutes.	Drug: Normal Saline; 1 liter of intravenous saline will be delivered over 1 hour; Other Names: NSS
Experimental: Oral rehydration solution; Subjects will receive 1 liter of intravenous normal saline over 1 hour and on an alternate day Subjects will drink ORS solution 1 liter total by mouth over 20 minutes.	Dietary supplement: Oral Rehydration Solution; 1 liter of ORS solution given by mouth; Other Names: ORS

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To test whether 1 Liter volumes of intravenous or oral rehydration solution increase total blood volume and cardiac output, comparably improving the threshold for orthostatic intolerance	We will measure total blood volume, cardiorespiratory properties, plasma osmolarity and electrolytes before and after 1 hour after completing an intravenous infusion of normal saline. Hematocrit will be measure every 10 minutes for changes in blood volume. On a second day, we will measure total blood volume, cardiorespiratory properties, plasma osmolarity and electrolytes before and after 1 hour after ingesting 1 liter of oral rehydration solution. Hematocrit will be measure every 10 minutes for changes in blood volume.	1 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: New York Medical College
• Collaborators: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marvin S. Medow, Ph.D., New York Medical Collete

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The Center for Hypotensioin

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: February 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 29, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): August 3, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 10, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 9, 2021
• Last Verified: June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME); Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP); Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS); Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS); Neurally Mediated Syncope (NMS); Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID); Orthostatic Intolerance (OI); Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Virus Diseases; Infections; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Disease; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Pain; Central Nervous System Infections; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiac Conduction System Disease; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Unconsciousness; Consciousness Disorders; Primary Dysautonomias; Syndrome; Fatigue; Myalgia; Tachycardia; Syncope; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome; Orthostatic Intolerance; Syncope, Vasovagal; Encephalomyelitis
• Other Study ID Numbers: L-11-531-101; 1R21NS094644-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)