#40 Symptom connections in ME/CFS, Long Covid, EDS & Fibromyalgia - Orthostatic Intolerance, pain, PEM & MCAS

REVIEW: with Nancy Klimas, Peter Rowe, Lucinda Bateman, Todd Davenport & Theoharis Theoharides

For decades, people living with ME/CFS, Long Covid, fibromyalgia, EDS and other complex chronic illnesses have faced too few answers. But research is giving us a clearer picture.

As researchers uncover more about these conditions, we're beginning to see how the same underlying biological processes — from disrupted homeostasis to mast cell activation — can appear across very different diagnoses.

For Episode 40 of Make Visible, we've revisited some of our most illuminating conversations from across the series, drawing on decades of scientific research and clinical experience to explore the recurring themes connecting these conditions.

Our guests include:

• Nancy Klimas M.D. on disrupted homeostasis and why ME/CFS, Long Covid and related conditions often need to be approached across multiple body systems
• Peter Rowe M.D. on orthostatic intolerance, blood flow and the links between hypermobility, EDS and ME/CFS.
• Lucinda Bateman M.D. on chronic pain, overlapping conditions and the importance of identifying and treating comorbidities in in ME/CFS, Long Covid and fibromyalgia.
• Todd Davenport DPT on post-exertional malaise (PEM) and what exercise physiology research has revealed about the body’s response to exertion.
• Dr. Theoharis Theoharides on mast cell activation (MCAS) and the range of symptoms it may help explain.

Emily Kate Stephens and Gez Medinger reflect on what this science means for people living with complex chronic illness.

Together, these conversations paint a hopeful picture: as our understanding of ME/CFS, Long Covid, EDS, MCAS and related conditions grows, so too does our ability to manage symptoms and improve care.

Nancy Klimas M.D. is Director of the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine at NSU, and a leading voice in translational research focused on chronic illness, Gulf War Syndrome, and Long Covid. With decades of experience in immunology and clinical science, Dr. Klimas is a champion for an integrative, personalized approach to patient care.

Listen to the full interview in Episode 15.

Peter Rowe M.D. is director of the chronic fatigue clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center where he diagnoses and helps young people with ME/CFS, EDS, Long Covid and related disorders. Dr Rowe was the first to identify the cross-over of EDS, OI and ME/CFS in 1998 and is a leading voice for adolescents and young people with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Fatigue-related conditions.

Listen to the full interview in Episode 24.

Lucinda Bateman, M.D. is founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Bateman Horne Center, Salt Lake City, whose mission is “improving access to informed health care for individuals with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and fibromyalgia by translating clinical expertise into medical education and research initiatives”. Dr. Bateman was one of the researchers responsible for the National Academy of Medicine’s 2015 report on ME/CFS.

Listen to the full interview in Episode 5.

Todd Davenport is Professor and Chair of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program at University of the Pacific. His clinical and academic interests as a physical therapist and exercise scientist revolve around complex chronic conditions (commonly preceded by an infection) such as ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis), chronic fatigue syndromes and Long Covid, working to understand the systems-level pathophysiology of post-exertional malaise.

Listen to the full interview in Episode 26.

Dr. Theoharis Theoharides is Executive Director, Center of Excellence for Neuroinflammation Research (CENIR) & Professor, Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. Theoharides, ‘The Mast Cell Master’ is Adjunct Professor of Immunology, at Tufts School of Medicine where he was Professor and Director of Molecular Immunopharmacology & Drug Discovery and has been at the forefront of mast cell research for over 30 years.

Listen to the full interview in Episode 13.

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