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.
  • It is a free resource that supplements the detailed information contained in the full range of literature that can be found in the website shop.

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Questions in the Category: Brain

Treatment: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

ME Essential Summer 2023

Has there ever been a clinical trial to assess the use to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in ME?  I know that HBO is being used by people with multiple sclerosis as well as ME – so it seems that there are positive effects in the case of neurological diseases. I’ve also read that a clinical trial involving people with Long Covid has found some beneficial effects.

Research: Post-Mortem

ME Essential Summer 2023

What is happening to post-mortem tissue research into ME/CFS at the moment? Is the ME Association still funding and carrying out any postmortem research? And have any significant abnormalities been found in the post-mortems that have been carried out so far?

Symptom: Temperature Regulation (2)

ME Essential Spring 2023

I’ve always enjoyed a long soak in a hot bath, especially at the end of the day – and still do. But since developing ME/CFS I’ve found that I feel completely wiped out afterwards – as well as feeling more lightheaded and faint than usual. Is this something that could be related to ME/CFS, because it doesn’t appear to be listed as a symptom?

Test: Synacthen

ME Essential Spring 2023

A blood test has shown that I have a low level of the hormone cortisol. As a result I am now being referred to hospital to have a synacthen test to assess my adrenal gland function. As this test involves the use of a drug that stimulates steroid production is it likely to cause any problems for someone with ME/CFS? Or could the use of a steroid be a way of treating ME/CFS?

Symptom: Palpitations

ME Essential Winter 2021

Like many people with ME I have occasional palpitations. Does this mean that I might have some form of underlying heart disease? Or is this just another part of having ME? And are there any drug treatments that might be helpful?

Dysautonomia: Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS)

ME Essential Summer 2021

I keep reading about orthostatic intolerance, PoTS and postural hypotension and how they can all be symptoms of ME/CFS. But what do all these medical terms mean? What is going wrong? And are all these symptoms and syndromes related to each other?

Investigations: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

ME Essential Summer 2021

I have been referred to a neurologist who has arranged for me to have an MRI scan. This will involve the use of a dye/contrast agent called gadolinium. Is this a safe procedure to have for people with ME/CFS? Can it be used to confirm a diagnosis of ME? And can MRI brain scans cause any adverse reactions?

Diagnosis: Blood Test

ME Essential Winter 2020

We keep hearing about different abnormalities that researchers are finding in the blood of people with ME and with brain scans. So why aren’t any of these tests, especially the new one from Professor Ron Davis’s group in America, being used by doctors to help confirm that someone has ME – or does not have ME?

Nomenclature: ME/CFS

ME Essential Autumn 2018

Is there a simple reason why the ME Association also uses the term myalgic encephalopathy instead of myalgic encephalomyelitis?

Blood Flow: Oxygenation

ME Essential Summer 2018

I know there has been some interesting research involving neuroimaging studies and that this has demonstrated defects in blood flow to certain key parts of the brain. But does this research mean that people with ME/CFS have low levels of oxygen entering the brain? If so, does it also explain some of the key brain symptoms – cognitive dysfunction in particular? And could it lead to new forms of drug treatment?

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.

Charles Shepherd

If you have questions about ME/CFS or Long Covid, you can: 

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. 

If you are an HCP you can sign-up here to receive ME Medical magazine (people with ME/CFS can also nominate their HCP by completing the sign-up form). 

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