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: Muscle Spasm
Muscle twitching/fasciculations
Unlike some people with ME, I don’t have a big problem with muscle pain. But I do get muscle twitching, especially when I’m tired or going through a ‘bad patch’. The twitching not only affects the big muscles in my arms and legs – it sometimes affects muscles on the face and makes my eyelids twitch as well! Is this a recognized problem in ME? And is there anything I can do to relieve it?
Eyelid twitching – Blepharospasm
During the course of my illness I’ve experienced muscle twitching in my legs and sometimes in my arms. The twitching tends to occur when I’m not feeling well or tired. And while this can be annoying it doesn’t normally interfere with what I want to do. I’ve recently started having a similar problem with my eyelids. Is this common in ME/CFS? And is there any form of treatment?
Hyperparathyroidism
Many symptoms of Hyperparathyroidism are similar to ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. Would a GP be able to recognise hyperparathyroidism and what are the treatment options?
Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Encephalopathy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Long Covid
Please can you define what PVFS, ME/CFS, and Long Covid mean. I am having difficulty determining if they are the same disease or different. Thank you!
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.
If you have questions about ME/CFS or Long Covid, you can:
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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).
