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When Oxygen Saturation Is Critically Low and Red Blood Cell Count Is Too High: A Deep Dive Into the Complex Interplay of Hematological and Metabolic Disorders

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When a patient presents with critically low oxygen saturation (SpO₂), fainting episodes, and an abnormally high number of red blood cells (erythrocytosis), physicians face a challenging diagnostic puzzle. In such cases, symptoms may not align with typical respiratory pathologies, and initial assumptions about lung dysfunction may be misleading. Instead, the root cause may lie within the blood itself or in deeper systemic conditions, including metabolic or genetic disorders such as acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) or iron storage diseases like hemochromatosis . This article explores the possible underlying causes, implications, and treatment strategies associated with these intertwined medical findings. Part I: The Immediate Clinical Picture Symptoms and Concerns Critically low oxygen saturation despite normal lung function Elevated red blood cell count (polycythemia or erythrocytosis) Episodes of fainting (syncope) Aggressiveness, irritability Liver and kidney dysf...
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My Reflections on the 2025 IACFSME Conference - by Lucinda Bateman, MD

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Nov 10, 2025 | BHC News , Long COVID , ME/CFS My comment: It’s a relief that a medical professional finally voiced what I had struggled for years to say — something nobody wanted to hear. Excerpt: Anthony Komaroff, MD: This year, he reflected on the history of ME/CFS science from his perspective of 40 years in the field. Approaching his 85th year, he didn’t hold back criticism of the medical profession for remaining largely unaware of good research showing “evidence of abnormalities involving the central and autonomic nervous system, immune system, energy metabolism, vascular system and gut microbiome.   ” He said, “My advice to those who say ‘no one can find anything wrong in these patients’ is simple: Try reading the literature! The literature now contains over 12,000 publications on ME/CFS and over 40,000 publications on Long COVID, not to mention literature on related conditions like fibromyalgia, post- treatment Lyme disease, Gulf War Illness and many post...
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Do Fillers, Gluten-Free Food Starches, and Corn Maltodextrin Cause Gut Inflammation?

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 In recent years, there has been growing concern over the health impacts of processed ingredients found in gluten-free and packaged foods. While avoiding gluten is essential for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the substitutes used in gluten-free products are not always benign. Among the most discussed are food fillers, gluten-free industrial starches, and corn-derived maltodextrin. Understanding how these ingredients affect gut health is important, particularly for individuals with digestive issues or inflammatory conditions. 1. Food Fillers: What Are They and How Do They Affect the Gut? Food fillers are ingredients added to processed foods to enhance texture, volume, shelf life, or cost-effectiveness. Common fillers include gums, starches, and synthetic additives. While these ingredients are generally recognized as safe, they can cause digestive distress in some people. Fillers may contribute to gut inflammation indirectly by disrupting the gut microbiome or ir...
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Cytokines: The Hidden Players in Inflammation, Vascular Damage, and Depression

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In the search for answers to complex, chronic, or poorly understood health conditions, the mainstream medical system often focuses on symptoms rather than root causes. As many patients have experienced, pharmaceutical intervention is typically the first (and sometimes only) solution offered, while deeper investigation into biological dysfunction is frequently overlooked. A striking example of this oversight lies in the realm of cytokines —the molecular messengers of the immune system that play a central role in inflammation, tissue damage, and even mental health disorders like depression and anxiety . The Crisis of Surface-Level Treatment As discussed in Dr. Clare Craig's book “EXPIRED” (chapters 8 and 9), much of modern primary care is shaped by pharmaceutical influence, which can skew clinical decision-making toward symptom management rather than disease resolution. This creates a cycle in which the root cause remains unresolved, leading to persistent or new symptoms. Cytokin...
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The Role of a Vegetarian Diet in Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Its Neurological Implications: A Focus on Funicular Myelopathy

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Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is an essential water-soluble nutrient vital for numerous biological processes. Its critical roles include DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, neurological function through myelin synthesis, and one-carbon metabolism, particularly in methylation reactions such as the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from hematologic abnormalities to irreversible neurological damage, including funicular myelopathy—a rare but serious spinal cord disorder. This article explores the relationship between vegetarian and vegan diets, vitamin B12 deficiency, and the risk of neurological complications, with a focus on the mechanisms, clinical presentation, prevention strategies, and the emerging insights provided by proteomics. Vitamin B12 and Dietary Sources Unlike most vitamins, B12 is synthesized exclusively by microorganisms and accumulates in animal tissues. Natural dietary s...
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