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: Vitamin D

Bone pain and ME/CFS

ME Essential Autumn 2024

I have just been reading the new MEA information leaflet on pain management. This covers muscle, joint and nerve (neuropathic) pain ME/CFS. But why isn’t there any mention of bone pain? I have hip pain that was eventually diagnosed as being due to osteomalacia and vitamin D deficiency – which I understand is more common in ME. This is now being treated because my doctors felt I was at increased risk of having a fracture in the hip bone.

Symptoms: Gradual deterioration

ME Essential Winter 2024

I’m in my late forties and have had ME for over 10 years.  For the past few years it has been fairly stable with occasional exacerbations, normally when I get an infection.  But I’ve recently noticed a gradual deterioration in almost all of my ME symptoms.  I don’t have any new or unusual symptoms and there are no obvious reasons for this deterioration in health – infection, stress etc. I’m reluctant to see my GP – who knows very little about ME – but I am starting to feel concerned.

Treatment: Vitamin D & Safety

ME Essential Summer 2022

Following on from the question in the Summer issue of ME Essential about the risk of developing osteoporosis in ME and the use of vitamin D supplements, I was concerned to see a newspaper report about someone who had been recommended to take a vitamin D supplement by a nutritionist which had caused serious side-effects and resulted in hospital admission.

So should people with ME/CFS be taking vitamin D supplements? Or any vitamin supplement? And is it safe to do so?

Osteoporosis

ME Essential Summer 2022

I have several family members who have developed osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) in later life – some of whom have had nasty fractures as a result – and I understand that people with ME may be at increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
Why is this? Is there anything we can do to reduce this happening? And is there any treatment for osteoporosis?

Covid-19: Treatments

ME Essential Summer 2022

I'm looking for some guidance on possible treatments for Covid. I care for my partner who is bedbound with severe ME/CFS. He hasn’t been able to get vaccinated due to also having multiple allergies and the possible anaphylaxis risk. Vaccination would therefore have do be done in hospital and he isn't well enough to go to hospital.

We are still shielding as a household – although the rest of us are triple-jabbed – to avoid the risk of bringing in Covid and infecting him. However I'm becoming increasingly concerned that this virus isn't going to go away and that it's going to be harder to be able to protect him. So I'd like to have a possible treatment plan agreed in advance with the GP, in case he catches Covid-19. However, the NHS list for those available for antiviral drug treatment doesn't specify ME/CFS. Any thoughts or advice welcomed!

Treatment: Vitamin D

ME Essential Spring 2022

Can Vitamin D help people with ME/CFS and are we more susceptible to Vitamin D deficiency?

Treatment: High-dose Vitamin C

ME Essential Summer 2020

I have read about the use of high dose vitamin C injections being used to treat people with coronavirus infection. Could this also be used to treat ME?

Diet and Nutrition: Restrictive Diets

ME Essential Autumn 2018

All kinds of strange and restrictive diets are recommended for people with ME/CFS. I know of people who have cut out loads of different food groups, especially dairy, gluten and meat. Some of them have lost weight and made themselves worse as a result. So is there any evidence that any of these restrictive diets can be helpful? And what are the potential problems?

Prognosis: Progressive

ME Essential Summer 2018

I’m in my late forties and have had ME for over 10 years. For the past few years it has been fairly stable with occasional exacerbations, normally when I get an infection. But I’ve recently noticed a gradual deterioration in almost all of my ME symptoms. I don’t have any new or unusual symptoms and there are no obvious reasons for this deterioration in health – infection, stress etc. I’m reluctant to see my GP – who knows very little about ME – but I am starting to feel concerned.

Charles Shepherd

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