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: Ibruprofen
Hypermobility & Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
My daughter, who is now in her early twenties, has had ME/CFS since being a teenager. We have always felt that her joints are more flexible than normal. She often has strains and sprains and has dislocated her knee in the past. Her doctor is now querying whether she may now have a hypermobile joint condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Are there any links between hypermobile joints and ME/CFS? Or is this just a coincidence?
Symptoms: Pins and Needles
I’m in my early forties and have had moderate ME/CFS for about 5 years. I have all the usual symptoms but I now have a new and rather distressing sensation in my arms and sometimes in my legs. It is very similar to the ‘pins and needles’ sensation you can get when your legs have been crossed for too long. These abnormal sensations come and go and don’t seem to be triggered by anything in particular. Is this yet another symptom of ME/CFS? Or do I need to go and see my doctor?
Dental: Pain
I’m very prone to pain in my teeth. When I mentioned this to my OT she said that she hadn’t heard of that before as an ME/CFS symptom but could be connected to the central nervous system. My dentist tends to say that if there was a problem it would be obvious in a particular tooth or it could be tooth grinding especially at night. I don’t feel it is this as I tend to sleep with my mouth open and I don’t wake up with pain usually but it will come on during the day. Symptoms are varied ranging from a general tension and pressure, generalised aching pain in either the top or bottom teeth, or throbbing pain in certain teeth. The deep throbbing does tend to be in “ vulnerable “ teeth i.e. ones with deep fillings.
Sometimes I will get a very bad pain e.g. back molar on right lower side then the exact same tooth throbs on the other side. Of course I realise I need to discuss this again with my dentist at the next check up. However, I wondered if people with ME/CFS are more susceptible to tooth pain generally? Have even wondered if it’s stress? It’s been particularly bad these last few months and I can’t say I’ve been any more stressed than usual!
Symptom: Tinnitus
For the past few months, I’ve been hearing strange hissing and clicking noises in my ears. Not surprisingly, this makes concentration and sleeping even more difficult than usual. My GP has diagnosed a condition called tinnitus. He says it’s quite common and there’s not much he can do to help because drug treatments aren’t normally very useful. I have heard that tinnitus is more common if you have ME. Is there anything you can suggest that may help?
Symptoms: Jaw pain in ME/CFS
I’ve been having pain in and around my jaw for several months. My GP can’t find anything wrong but I’ve read that there is a condition called temperomandibular joint disorder which causes jaw pain and is said to be more common in ME. Is this true? And what can I do when I have a GP who doesn’t seem to know anything about how to diagnose or treat this condition?
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.
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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.
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).
