Invest in ME have announced that their next international conference – their sixth annual event – will be held on Friday, May 20, in the usual venue at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, home of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Some of the world’s leading researchers in neuroscience and immunology have gathered on the Gold Coast for an international science symposium on the debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
It’s estimated about a quarter of a million Australians are affected by the illness, which causes dysfunction of the brain and the gastro-intestinal, immune, endocrine and cardiac systems.
A lot of us with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome have flares (when symptoms are bad) and remissions (when symptoms are lighter.) While a lot of different things can trigger flares, stress and overexertion are among the most common.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Oxidative stress is more common in people with fibromyalgia and tension headaches than in health people, according to data presented recently at the 4th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
I painted my office this weekend and was fully prepared to suffer the consequences of breathing in toxic VOCs from the paint (even though I was using low VOC paint). And on top of the fact that I get my allergy shots on Thursday and they usually kick me around for a few days. But even worse than the affect of the shots and breathing in paint fumes is the fact that I have to breathe in my neighbors dryer sheet fumes nearly every day of the year.
The CDC estimates that between 1 and 4 million Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Here is my story about how the oft-mocked ‘Yuppy Flu’ changed me from a busy young freelance journalist into a bedridden shadow of my former self.
Work, welfare, benefits and M.E. – is anyone listening? Conference video now available.
Footage of Action for M.E.’s conference Work, welfare benefits and M.E. – is anyone listening? is now available online.
Coalition Government recognises M.E. as a neurological condition.
On Monday 11 October Baroness Gardner of Parkes initiated a short debate in the House of Lords. She asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the role of allied health professionals in maintaining the health and social well-being of people with long-term neurological conditions.
http://www.afme.org.uk/news.asp?newsid=953
Chocolate is rich in flavonoids that have been shown to be of benefit in disparate conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The effect of polyphenol rich chocolate in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has not been studied previously.
This editorial in Occupational Medicine from Professors Julia Newton and David Jones at the University of Newcastle focuses on the causes and management of fatigue.
NB: The MEA Ramsay Research Fund is funding Professor Newton to carry out research into muscle function at a cellular level in ME/CFS.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
STRESS is the second most common work-related illness, but with the UK Government announcing that drastic cuts will be made in the public sector, anxiety levels look set to rise.
For sufferers, there is often more than stress to contend with; physical symptoms such as chronic headaches, insomnia and fatigue are also common.
But, according to an innovative type of therapy known as Reverse Therapy, this is no coincidence
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk
Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) can cause profound and prolonged illness and disability, and poses significant problems of uncertainty for healthcare professionals in its diagnosis and management. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the nature of professional ‘best practice’in working with people with CFS/ME.
Berlin – Fatigue is usually caused by too little sleep or overexertion and goes away with sufficient rest. If it persists, however, it could be a symptom of what is known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
CFS is a complicated disorder characterized principally by extreme fatigue, according to Fatigatio, a national self-help organization of CFS sufferers in Germany. Symptoms aside from the ‘paralyzing fatigue’ include headaches, muscle pain, a sore throat or neck, painful joints and loss of memory or concentration, it said.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
I see it all the time — someone with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome finds a treatment that works for them, and they start preaching about how everyone else should try it. A blog comments or forum post will saying, “I’m telling everyone,” or “Finally, I’ve found the cure! You have to try it!”
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
Depression doesn’t cause fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, but it does make them harder to deal with. It can heighten symptoms and thwart your efforts to take better care of yourself.
It’s normal to be depressed when you have a chronic illness, especially when it’s a life-changing one that can rob you of your relationships, future plans and financial stability. However, just because it’s normal doesn’t mean you should just live with it.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
An Irish doctor has come up with a successful treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) with an eye to eventually finding a cure for the condition that some doctors believe can be treated with anti-depressants.
Dr. Derek Enlander, born in Belfast and a resident of the U.S. since 1966, told the Irish Voice on Monday he is extremely concerned about the attitude many doctors have towards CFS, otherwise known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and sometimes referred to as the invisible disease.
I’ve lived with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for eighteen years, and I’m not thankful for that. But as Thanksgiving looms on the horizon, it turns my thoughts to some of the things I’m truly thankful for.
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I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve been recovering over the last three years, mostly due to the involvement of my naturopath Dr. Kelly Upcott. She has taken me from being a CFS vegetable, riddled with vertigo and pain.
There is a syndrome that perplexes both patients and doctors alike — one where weakness is the primary complaint but there is absolutely no identifiable reason why this should exist at all. The key word here is “identifiable” — for there is most likely some kind of reason, but it is not overt. A full physical and neurological examination has been done to no avail. And the symptoms cannot simply be due to fatigue or pain even if these are present. What is this syndrome and how can we begin to think about this?
A leading specialist in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and multiple chemical sensitivities spoke to local physicians and residents Friday.
Dr. Alison Bested spoke with physicians in the morning then spoke at an event hosted by the ME/FM Association of Peterborough and District at the Edmison Heights Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to shortly after 2 p.m.
About 140 people attended her presentation.
Members of the local support group for people who have chronic fatigue syndrome spoke about the frustration of getting physicians to recognize the syndrome and getting treatment.
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com
A small but growing body of evidence suggests that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.
A recent Chinese study showed that 2 treatments from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were effective — acupuncture and Shenmai injection (which is composed of 2 common TCM herbs.) However, researchers say acupuncture was the far more effective treatment.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
We’ve heard a lot over the past couple of years about the health benefits of green and black tea, and as a regular tea drinker I was glad to hear it! I’d been doing something good for myself without even knowing it. (It also helps me rationalize my caffeine addiction.) But it wasn’t until I developed a new symptom that I started looking at tea as part of my treatment regimen.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
A lot of us with fibromyalgia (FMS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) take supplements to manage our symptoms – some in addition to medication and some in place of them. It all depends on what works for you, and what works is different for all of us.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
TEENAGER Eilidh Berwick faces a gruelling battle to cope with everyday tasks.
The housebound 15-year-old is totally dependent on her parents to feed, dress and wash her.
But despite a diagnosis of ME – or chronic fatigue syndrome – the teenager found many doctors dismissed her crippling symptoms as being all in her head.
“People who get bit this year will be us in 25 years,” said Jeanne Bain, who said she has lived with Lyme disease for that long though she received the diagnosis just two years ago. Named for a town in Connecticut where a number of cases were identified in 1975, Lyme Disease is carried by ticks.
A lot of the drugs prescribed for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are called “reuptake inhibitors,” including two FDA-approved fibromyalgia drugs — Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Savella (milnacipran). But do you understand what reuptake really means?
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
A study just published in The Journal of Pain is the first to use an objective measure of activity when comparing activity levels to pain intensity in juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome (JPFS).
Researchers used actigraphs — battery-powered devices that measure the level and intensity of your activity — on 104 11- to-18-year-olds with JPFS. They say this kind of measurement is important because people often perceive their own activity level as higher or lower than it is.
http://chronicfatigue.about.com
At the Update Pharmacy, a woman asks to see the pharmacist. David Spencer asks how he can help.
“I’ve come to you as a last resort,” the woman says. “I’ve been right through the medical system and had all the tests, but they can’t seem to help me.”
“So what is the problem?” asks David.
The woman replies: “I’m 24 and never had any health problems until a couple of years ago. Since then – and it’s getting worse by the day – I wake up feeling so tired and washed out that I struggle to get out of bed.
http://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk
From the NHS Online website (“Serving NHS employees 24/7 since 1998″), 30 November 2010
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/?p=3160
DO YOU feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy?
Do you find yourself getting easily irritated?
Do you feel under-appreciated or misunderstood by the people you work with?
Do you feel overwhelmed by your job?
Are you getting frustrated with aspects of your job?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to more than three of these questions, you may be at risk of burnout.
The first ‘Early Day Motion’ on ME in the new UK Parliament was tabled on 11 October 2010 by Ian Swales, the new Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar, near Middlesborough. So far, it has gained the support of 79 MPs.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk
Figures for the Medical Research Council’s research spend on ME over the last 10 years were released in a written answer by Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts recently.
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/?p=3200
Professor Malcolm Harrington’s independent review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was published by the Government today.
The report acknowledges that there is much criticism and anger towards the current system and says that Professor Harrington believes that much can be done to make it fairer.
Remember yeast allergy? Chronic fatigue syndrome? Blood letting? Like hair styles and hottie bands, medicine has trendy conditions that doctors get asked about constantly at parties. Some, like chronic fatigue syndrome, turn out to be the real thing. Others fade away or exist mainly on the internet, along with Elvis gossip and extra-terrestrial sightings.
It is 1:30 in the afternoon and you’re exhausted.
You grab another cup of coffee, hoping that the caffeine will help you to stay awake and be productive until 5 p.m. Looking ahead to dinner, you feel you’ll never have the energy to cook so you pick up fast food and then into bed early.
Unfortunately, like every morning, tomorrow you will wake up unrested and tired again. So what’s going on with your body?
http://www.gloucestertimes.com
Discussions to decide if NICE review required.
NICE has issued a web alert highlighting the possible review of Clinical Guideline 53 on Chronic fatigue syndrome / Myalgic encephalomyelitis.
http://www.afme.org.uk/news.asp?newsid=959
Studies suggest that chronic fatigue may not only have the power to change a person’s personality but that certain personality traits may also put a person at higher risk of developing chronic fatigue. One recent study, in particular, examined the personalities of both people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and victims of medically unexplainable chronic fatigue not meeting criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome.
A severe case of pesticide poisoning prompted Canadian Udo Erasmus to study nutrition in an attempt to heal himself. When he developed chronic fatigue syndrome — after working for three years as a pesticide sprayer — he turned to food to look for a solution.