MEDICAL MATTERS
- Medical Matters features questions asked by Members of the ME Association on health-related topics.
- Dr Charles Shepherd and the ME Association's other advisers answer these questions by sharing their expert knowledge.
- Medical Matters is based on the popular ‘Ask the Doctor’ series in ME Essential magazine.
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Questions in the Category: Muscle Relaxants
Polymyalgia
You don’t often cover more elderly people with ME/CFS – so I’d like to pass on a note of warning about a serious health condition that causes ME/CFS-like symptoms. My wife, who is in her early sixties, started to have really quite severe muscle and joint pains and in places – shoulders and hips – where she didn’t normally have pain. We put it down to ME/CFS to start with and so did the GP. But when the pain got worse, and painkillers weren’t working, the GP did some blood tests – one of which showed a high level of inflammation – and she was diagnosed with an inflammatory muscle condition called Polymyalgia. Is polymyalgia more common in people with ME/CFS? And is this something that should be ruled out in elderly people before a diagnosis of ME/CFS is being made?
Symptoms: Muscle Cramps
Muscle pain has always been a significant part of my ME/CFS. But I've now developed painful episodes of muscle cramp — especially at night. My GP has prescribed quinine —which has helped a bit. Is there anything else you can recommend that might help?
Dr Charles Shepherd
Dr Shepherd has been Trustee and Hon. Medical Adviser to the ME Association for more than 40 years. He is integral to the charity's activities and provides information and support based on his professional knowledge, personal experience as a doctor with ME/CFS, and the understanding gained from helping many thousands of people with the condition. He was a member of the comittee responsible for the 2021 NICE Clinical Guideline and is a recognised expert on ME/CFS in the UK. His knowledge extends to Post-Viral Fatigue Syndromes (PVFS), Myalgic Encephalopathy/Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) or Long Covid.
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Medical Matters is based on the popular ‘Ask the Doctor‘ series featured in the highly-regarded member’s magazine, ME Essential, and in the healthcare professional magazine, ME Medical. Both are produced by the ME Association and published as hard-copy magazines every 3 months and sent to members and healthcare professionals by post to home or business addresses.
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