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.

Search all questions

Choose a letter to see our categories

  • Show all
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • Y
  • 5

Questions in the Category: Intolerance

NHS: In-patient services

ME Essential Summer 2022

We are elderly parents (both in our late sixties) who have been looking after a daughter with moderate to severe ME/CFS for the past 20 years. Like many people severely affected she is not receiving any care from a hospital-based ME/CFS services and she only receives very occasional visits from the GP – who admits that she has no idea about how to manage people with severe ME/CFS. We have, however, been fortunate in obtaining some good social care support.

We are becoming increasingly concerned about the overall state of our daughter’s health and having discussed this with the GP who agrees that she requires a thorough medical re-assessment. The problem is that the local ME/CFS service does not carry out domiciliary (home-based) visits and they don't have any in-patient beds for assessment or management of people with severe ME/CFS.

The GP is willing to make a referral outside our local area but does not know of anywhere suitable. We would also be willing to pay for a private hospital if we were sure that this would be suitable. Are you able to help?

Symptom: Alcohol Intolerance

ME Essential Autumn 2019

Like most people with ME/CFS, I quickly found that alcohol makes me feel much worse and avoided drinking any alcohol since my illness started. I’ve been lucky and made some significant improvement over the past few years. A few weeks ago, I was invited to a big family social event and was persuaded to have a small glass of wine – which I have always enjoyed. To my surprise, it didn’t have the same adverse effect as it did in the past and since then I’ve enjoyed an occasional small glass of wine. Why does alcohol have such an adverse effect on ME/CFS? Has any research been carried out into why alcohol intolerance occurs in ME/CFS? And is it safe to start having an occasional drink of alcohol if you can cope with it again?

Charles Shepherd

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). 

Shopping Basket