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: Thrombosis
Medication: What is the best method of contraception if you have ME?
What is the best method of contraception if you have ME?
My partner and I have a dilemma regarding our choice of contraception. I have mild to moderate ME/CFS. My husband is fit and well. We want to use a safe and reliable method but we aren't having much luck!
I had to give up using ‘the pill' because of side-effects, including migraine-type headaches. So we are reluctantly using barrier protection. But this isn't ideal when you are not wanting to have another baby for both health and practical reasons.
I've thought about using a coil but am worried about whether having a ‘foreign body' inside could cause more problems with my immune system. I'm also worried about the risk of infection, having had a pelvic infection in the past.
There doesn't seem to be a simple solution and my GP isn’t very helpful when it comes to discussing the remaining options.
Treatment: Apheresis
Are you aware of a new treatment called apheresis that is being given to people with Long Covid? It is supposed to remove small blood clots that are involved in causing Long Covid. Some of the overseas clinics that are treating people with Long Covid are also offering apheresis to people with ME/CFS and I know of several people who have travelled abroad to have apheresis – with mixed results. So why isn’t apheresis also being made available to people with ME/CFS here in the UK?
Blood: Clots (Thrombosis)
Are people with ME more likely to develop blood clots? I ask because I am due to go into hospital for some quite major surgery and will be fairly immobile for some time afterwards. The hospital consultant has queried whether people with ME are at increased risk from developing blood clots. I also understand that blood-thinning drugs are sometimes given after an operation to people who have risk factors for developing blood clots.
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).
