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: Very Severe ME/CFS

Meeting my MP – what should I ask?

ME Essential Summer 2024

As we are heading for a general election later this year, I thought it would be useful to see if I could arrange a face to face meeting with my MP. To my surprise I have been given 15 minutes at his local ‘surgery’ in a few weeks time. What are the most important issues that I need to make my MP aware of?

Driving

ME Essential Winter 2024

Do you think ME/CFS should be a notifiable medical condition with the DVLA?
Should people with ME/CFS notify the DVLA that they are still driving?

Classification : ME/CFS

ME Essential Autumn 2023

I know that ME and CFS are both classified by the World Health Organisation as a neurological disease. But I’ve also seen statements on the internet to say that ME is now being classified as an autoimmune disease. Is this correct?

Treatment: Modafinil

ME Essential Summer 2023

I have had PoTS and ME/CFS for over 10 years and now have Long Covid as well – if that’s even possible as perhaps they are the same thing anyway? My question is about a drug called Modafinil as I have been offered a trial of this treatment from my PoTS consultant to help with my fatigue. I have looked online and can’t find a lot regarding its use in patients with ME/CFS. Please could you point me in the right direction for any research on this or anyone with ME/CFS that has any experience of taking it. One of my main concerns is that it will create a false energy high, so that I will want to do more, then I will end up with worse PEM and crashing. Another potential problem is that I already have mental-health issues as some of the side-effects are mental-health related.

Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Encephalopathy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Long Covid

ME Essential Winter 2022

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!

Residential Care Home

ME Essential Spring 2019

Are there any specialist nursing homes or units offering care for people with severe ME? I seem to recall that there was once an initiative to raise funds for an ME care home but this never went through due to lack of funds. I wonder if such a venture could be initiated again?

Charles Shepherd

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