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.
Search all questions
Choose a letter to see our categories
- Show all
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- Y
- 5
- C-reactive Protein
- CAM
- CBT
- CK
- CMO Working Group Report
- CMV
- CNS
- CPD
- CPET
- CRH
- CRP
- CT
- Caffeine
- Calcium
- Calories
- Calprotectin
- Cancer
- Carbohydrates
- Cardiopulmonary
- Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
- Cardiovascular
- Care Homes
- Care Quality Commission
- Care and Support Plans
- Carer
- Carers Allowance
- Caring
- Carnivore Diet
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Central Nervous System
- Cetirizine
- Chemotherapy
- Chest Infection
- Chicken Pox
- Chickenpox
- Childbirth
- Cholesterol
- Chronic Condition
- Chronic Fatigue
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Hepatitis C
- Chronic Pain
- Circulation
- Cirrhosis
- Citizens Advice Bureau
- Clinical History
- Clinical Trial
- Clinician
- Clonazepam
- CoQ10
- Codeine
- Coeliac
- Coeliac disease
- Coenzyme Q10
- Cognitive
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Cognitive Dysfunction
- Cold
- Cold-water Swimming
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Complex Regional Pain Syndromes
- Computerised Tomography
- Confidentiality
- Confusion
- Connective Tissue
- Consent
- Constipation
- Continuing Professional Development
- Contraceptive pill
- Contrast Dye
- Convalescence
- Convulsion
- Corticosteroids
- Corticotropin Releasing Hormone
- Cortisol
- Counselling
- Covid Boosters
- Covid-19
- Cramp
- Creatine Kinase
- Crohn's disease
- Curcumin
- Cyclosphosphamide
- Cymbalta
- Cystoscopy
- Cytokine
- Cytokine Storm
- Cytomegalovirus
- Cytotoxic
Questions in the Category: Cytomegalovirus
Viral Infections: Reactivated
I’ve been reading some interesting new research which indicates that reactivation of viruses that lay dormant in the body after the initial infection could be a cause of Long Covid. The reasoning seems to be that Covid infection activates the body’s immune system and this results in the reactivation of viruses that have been lying dormant and harmless in the body but now become active again and are capable of causing symptoms. Given the overlaps between Long Covid and ME could this be happening here as well? And has any research been done into this in ME?
Immune system research at the ME Biobank
I saw a report on the MEA website in June about Professor Eleanor Riley presenting some findings from a Biobank immune system study to an ME/CFS research conference in Chicago. Please could you tell us something about the immunological studies that are being carried out at the Biobank?
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.
If you have questions about ME/CFS or Long Covid, you can:
- Review the free information in the What is ME/CFS? section of the website, and the free Covid-19 and Long Covid information in the website shop.
- Review the largest range of literature covering all aspects of living with ME/CFS. Download detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, management, co-mordities, employment, education, related health conditions, The 2021 NICE Clinical Guideline, welfare benefits etc.
- Join the ME Association as a member and you'll receive the highly-rated ME Essential magazine, and you can ask questions of the charity’s expert advisers including Dr Shepherd.
- Contact us via the ME Connect Telephone Helpline (open 365 days a year) and speak to one of the national team of fully-trained volunteers who waiting to provide information and support.
- Contact us via email or social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn.
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).
