Greater use of hypnotherapy to ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome would help sufferers and might save money, says a gastroenterologist.
Dr Roland Valori, editor of Frontline Gastroenterology, said of the first 100 of his patients treated, symptoms improved significantly for nine in 10.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
From next month, the old Med 3 and Med 5 will be replaced by a new ‘fit note’. Dr Nerys Williams goes through the implications of the change and gives advice about how to complete the new form.
From 6 April, the Med 3 will be revised and a new version will replace both the current Med 3 and Med 5 forms. Under the new ‘fit note’ system, GPs will have to provide more information on the functional effects of the patient’s condition and suggest options for a return to work.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/
While there’s no perfect diet for everyone with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, certain nutrients can help with our symptoms. We talk a lot here about supplements, which are a great way to make sure you’re getting consistent daily amounts, but it’s also important to make sure you’re eating the right foods. I’m starting a Food of the Week series to look at the nutritional value of different foods and see how beneficial they might be.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Dr Esther Crawley’s team at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath have been awarded £164,000 to to investigate whether it is possible to recruit to a randomised controlled trial studying how the Lightning Process compares with specialised medical care in the treatment of childhood ME/CFS. The funding comes from the Linbury Trust and the Ashden Trust.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/
A person should not have to learn the most important lessons about life from experience. Most of them can be taught, if we know enough to teach them to our children.
Not knowing those lessons, not knowing how to cope with the adversities that life throws at every one of us, means we must suffer pain. Not just the pain of each tragedy, but also the pain associated with the stress of having a severe problem (or a bunch of them) and not knowing what to do about it.
A woman who has suffered from ME for 18 years has made an impassioned plea to NHS bosses not to cut funding for the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital.
Elisabeth Alexander-MacIsaac, 64, of Gloucester Road, Primrose Hill, has been treated at the hospital for the last six years.
But she is now worried about its future following a damning report on homeopathic medicine published by the government’s science and technology committee in February.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
RECENT RESEARCH HAS NOW ESTABLISHED that thinking too much can rot the brain. What they have yet to discover is that meditation is the key to the “off” button.
The Economist puts it perfectly: “Just as hard labor leaves marks on the hands, hard thinking leaves marks on the brain.”
And medical research has known for some time that the brain is a malleable organ: the brains of sportsmen look different from computer users.
http://blog.ira-401k-realestate.com/
The grass is turning green, my forsythia’s about to bloom, spring is in the air — along with ever increasing amounts of pollen. A big percentage of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have allergies, which can make this time of year especially hard. As you’ve probably learned, even mild hay fever can make your other symptoms worse.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
An all-party parliamentary group has criticised the provision of services for people with myalgic encephalopathy (ME)
The inquiry set out to evaluate the extent to which the NHS is providing care for people with ME (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) in England, particularly in primary and secondary care, and in specialist centres or teams.
Dr Des Turner, MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on ME, released the final report of the group’s inquiry earlier this week.
An active 12-year-old, Isaiah Ogasawara dreaded the severe daily headaches he endured after skateboarding. Because he was smart and functional, doctors weren’t concerned about the pain he had after cranial surgery, and medicines.
DAVID Webb could only watch as his wife’s life changed forever. He couldn’t stop the crippling illness that has turned a bubbly mum-of-one into someone who can now be bedridden.
As reported in the Midweek Herald two weeks ago, Emma Webb, 35, suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME.
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/
Danielle Gayden of Oakland had to stick her face in front of a fan for almost an hour to cool down.
Second to her intolerance for heat was the anxiety, which caused her heart to beat 200 times a minute and sent her to the emergency room a dozen times in six months
Did you know one of the hazards of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is liver damage? These conditions don’t directly attack your liver, but the medications we take can do a lot of damage.
Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and narcotics, especially those containing acetaminophen (such as Vicodin), send a constant stream of toxins through your liver. This means that the liver has to work extra hard, and that can take a toll. I’ve known this academically for a long time, but I recently came face-to-face with this very real complication of long-term medication use — in a blood test last fall, my liver enzymes were through the roof. My doctor said I was at risk for developing fatty liver, with can lead to cirrhosis.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
The ME Association is to co-fund the second stage of the ME/CFS brain and tissue bank feasibility study, together with Action for ME.
The study will collect information and look at the practicalities of setting up a UK brain and tissue bank, where post-mortem specimens from people with ME/CFS can be collected, stored and used for research.
This facility could also be used as an archive for blood and samples from tissues such as muscle that could be collected from living volunteers during surgical procedures.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
LET’S say your garbage bag starts to become filled with waste; would you continue to load trash upon trash into the bag without emptying it? Most likely, not. Just as garbage begins to develop an odour, grow bacteria, mold, develop viruses, and probably infect the entire home with its stench, so does the colon.
Like our garbage, we must empty our colon before we decide to fill it up again. And nutritious foods ensure regular bowel movements. But the fact of the matter is that most persons aren’t filling up on the right foods, and having a consistent bowel movement.
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patients might appreciate this new research article that highlight supplements that might be beneficial. Magnesium, l-carnitine, and S-adenosylmethionine are nonpharmacological supplements with the most potential for further research. This is a constantly changing situation and might encourage the VA to also consult with alternative medicine and environmental medicine experts in the civilian world and open a dialogue with this group of physicians to explore together the treatments for gulf war illness. Possibly the physicians at the VA could be encourage to use CME from the Environmental Medicine Association for the next couple of years.
Recently, ears have been on my mind. A cluster of symptoms for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has congregated in that area of my head and they can really get in the way.
In 1992 my CFS debut was ushered in by weeks of earaches and swollen glands. Just a vicious cold, I thought. But these nuisances soon paled as cognitive and neurological dysfunction bloomed.
A study published in the journal ‘Retrovirology’ has failed to find evidence of a link between chronic fatigue syndrome and a recently discovered virus.
Chronic fatigue syndrome – also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) – is estimated to affect around 250 000 people in the UK. It can be a debilitating condition, with symptoms including chronic, often severe, mental and physical exhaustion, muscle and joint pain and cognitive difficulties. The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are unclear and the theories have often provoked controversy.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon), causing cramping, abdominal pain, bloating gas, diarrhea and constipation. The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although at times symptoms may be worse and at other times they may improve or even disappear completely. As many as 1 in 5 adults experience IBS.
This is a brief personal summary of the last meeting of the current APPG on ME before the General Election takes place, almost certainly on May 6.
The meeting was a friendly and harmonious occasion – which terminated in a vote of thanks to Dr Des Turner (who is retiring from parliament) and all the parliamentarians who have been involved with the current APPG.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Ah, housework — that constant nagging bundle of stuff we all need to take care of, at one point or another! Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome make sure that we don’t have the energy to keep up on it, and that when we finally get around to it, it’s going to hurt and wear us out — fast!
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
A happy month of March to everyone! How are you holding up so far this year? Sometimes life can be a little stressful and I know I tend to find myself in that position more than I would like. So when it gets to that point I realize it is time for some selfevaluation. So today’s focus is on stress. Let’s get through it together.
People suffering from ME across Norfolk and Suffolk face a further wait for new services, after health bosses missed their own deadline to bring in a specialist consultant.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Failures by the NHS in many parts of the country to deliver adequate services to children and adults with ME/CFS, lack of training for doctors and poor performance by the Department of Work and Pensions and its contractor for medical assessments have been slammed by a Parliamentary group this week.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
From an elemental view, grains, nuts, seeds and tubers contain a wide range of nutrients and fiber. The issue with the consumption of grains, nuts, seeds and tubers lye in the biological and electrical compatibility with the human body.
This one can come from anywhere, but it seems most prevalent in the medical community — “That’s just what they tell you when they don’t know what’s wrong.” The belief is that fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome aren’t “real” diagnoses: doctors just give them to people they can’t diagnose properly (or who don’t have a real problem), so the diagnosis is meaningless.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Post exertional fatigue is both a real and an incapacitating condition for women with chronic fatigue syndrome, according to Vanness and colleagues in a new Journal of Women´s Health study.
The exercise response of women with chronic fatigue syndrome is distinctively different from that of sedentary controls. The fatiguing effects of exercise last for many days. Recovery is elusive for chronic fatigue syndrome patients and sleep is not refreshing.
http://www.americanchronicle.com
The Health Secretary has been asked to give reasons why people with ME may not donate blood. The request came in a written question from David Drew, Labour MP for Stroud, who has asked a stream of other questions about ME in the past few weeks (type ‘Drew’ into the search box to see some of the others).
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Theda Myint had the world at her feet.
Bright, beautiful and vivacious, the budding investigative journalist was weeks away from starting her dream career.
Now, 10 years later, she is fighting for her life.
Can you tell me about adrenal-gland fatigue?
Your have two adrenal glands, one above each of your kidneys. They produce hormones that help balance fluids and cortisol which helps you respond to stress and maintain energy.
When the adrenal glands are not functioning at their best, you can have a condition known as adrenal fatigue. This can develop after long or intense periods of physical or emotional stress. The adrenal glands stop producing enough of the hormones you need to feel good.
The minutes of the last meeting of the US Federal Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee – held on 29-30 October 2009 – are now available.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
There was an item about ME on the BBC Look East programme this evening (Tuesday, 9 March 2010).
The regional news programme looked at the failure of Mid Essex Primary Care Trust to pay for Penny Dashwood-Calvert of Maldon in Essex, who has severe ME, to attend Professor Leslie Findley’s ME/CFS service at the Queen’s Hospital, Romford, Essex, as an in-patient.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Washington, DC: The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that it will review disability claims and update regulations affecting veterans, including those suffering from Gulf War Syndrome.
Reports suggest that as many as 700,000 veterans who served in the 1990-91 Gulf War suffer from chronic fatigue, heightened chemical sensitivity, skeletal pain, skin rashes and other medical conditions that physicians have been unable to attribute to a single cause. And because no one cause has so far been determined, the VA has denied veterans’ medical claims.
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/
Local group OMEGA (Oxfordshire ME Group for Action) today launches a competition open only to artists living or working the county which aims to raise the profile of ME/CFS.
The group wants to hear from children, young people and adults who can create original artworks on the theme of ‘What is ME?’ There are two sections for young people – under 11 years, and aged 11-18.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
People suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, back pain or some other chronic pain condition are invited to take part in the Samaritan Good Move program, designed to help you learn to move beyond the pain.
While recent studies have linked chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to a virus responsible for prostate cancer, a new study voices doubt about the association.
It’s amazing how hard some things hit you. I saw the title of a BMC Medicine article titled “Access to pain treatment as a human right,” and I started to cry. Actually reading the abstract brought up a complex mixture of emotions that included anger, sorrow and frustration.
The article is from the organization Human Rights Watch, which, according to its own mission statement “is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. . . . We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.”
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/
This week’s edition of the British Medical Journal is concentrating on ME/CFS and XMRV.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/
Grocery shopping wasn’t fun when I was still pretty healthy. After fibromyalgia hit, it didn’t just get harder — it turned into a much-feared ordeal that was likely to leave me not just hurting and exhausted, but panicky and shaking.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/
EMMA Webb’s life changed forever without warning. What happened to her could happen to you.
The 35-year-old mum from Dunkeswell has spoken to the Midweek Herald in the hope of encouraging other people in her situation to come together, to form a social and support group.
Emma’s world was turned upside down in 2008, when she started to display symptoms of ME (chronic fatigue syndrome).
When an illness is named for its chief symptom, it sounds like that symptom is the only thing that’s wrong. Thus, the name “chronic fatigue syndrome” perpetuates the myth that people who have it are “just tired” and not really “sick” at all.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Do you forget to return that phone call? Forget appointments? Has it become worse since you were diagnosed with ME? The Chronic Illness Research Team (CIRT) at the University of East London, led by Professor Christine Dancey, has already published work which showed a small group of people with ME had some specific memory problems. They now wish to investigate further.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Abstract: The present study evaluated a buddy program designed to provide support for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
The intervention involved weekly visits by a student paraprofessional, who helped out with tasks that needed to be done in an effort to reduce some of the taxing demands and responsibilities that participants regularly encountered.
This model of rehabilitation focused on avoiding overexertion in persons with CFS, aiming to avoid setbacks and relapses while increasing their tolerance for activity. Participants with CFS were randomly assigned to either a 4-month buddy intervention or a control condition.
It’s hard to find a lot of happy endings when it comes to chronic fatigue syndrome. You can find a lot of people who have been sick for years with little or no relief from treatments, but not so many who say they’ve gotten better. (And usually, those “I was cured!” claims are on websites offering dubious treatments for a lot of money.)
I recently read a book called Recovery From CFS: 50 Personal Stories, edited by Alexandra Barton.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com