Contents Clinical Assessment of CFS / Thanks! Rituximab Hunter-Hopkins Chat On Facebook Ampligen Update Confirm Your Appointment! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and best wishes for 2013 Research Continues on the Clinical Assessment of CFS For over one year Hunter-Hopkins has been participating in a Centers for Disease Control contract study, the Clinical Assessment of CFS. […]
Ampligen, CFS, CFS Treatment, Dr. Black, Dr. Lapp, ME Letter, RituximabThis Month’s Contents Lexington SC Lecture on October 8 Order Your Physician a Primer from the IACFSME Don’t Forget to Vote! Order Your Absentee Ballot NOW Patient Commerce Site on Facebook Ask The Doctor $50 Bonus for Referring to HHC! Sorry We’re Late … Lexington SC Seminar Planned for October 8 Dr. Lapp will be […]
IACFSME, ME LetterMary V. was inquiring about HBOT, or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. “What do you think about this? Is there any danger in trying it?” A: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to be helpful for PWCs provided it is administered in a “solid chamber.” There are canvas chambers currently selling in the market that don’t actually […]
This Month’s Contents Kentucky Seminars on August 17 and 18 New Physician Primer from the IACFSME New Free-Access Fibromyalgia Management Guide for Primary Care Doctors Risky Business – A Possible Relation of CFS to Cancer Open Medicine Institute NYC Meeting Ask The Doctor $50 Bonus for Referring to HHC! Trouble Getting or Affording Health Insurance? […]
Q: Adam W asked about cognitive problems: “Does the ‘brain fog’ or ‘spaced out’ symptom of CFS ever resolve?” A: As with most CFS symptoms, cognitive dysfunction waxes and wanes. One report suggests that IQ falls during a flare of cognitive dysfunction, and our personal experience is that memory, attention, processing speed, and other parameters […]
Q: Michele K asked, “Why do some CFS/ME specialists refer to ME as ‘myalgic encephalopathy’ and other refer to ‘myalgic encephalomyelitis’? Doesn’t this add to patient and public confusion?” A: The term “myalgic encephalomyelitis” was coined by the British physician, Dr. Melvin Ramsay, in the 1950’s when he described an outbreak that occurred in London. […]
Deborah B asked, “Do the concentration and memory deficits in CFS/ME lead to Alzheimer’s?” A: The short answer is “no.” The cognitive deficits in CFS/ME include slow processing, poor recall, reduced attention and distractibility. These deficits wax and wane over time, and do not appear to be permanent. As PWCs improve their cognitive issues […]
Bobby B wrote: “I often get conflicting answers to this question. Is CFS/ME/FM an autoimmune disease?” A: Bobby, I don’t mean to conflict you further but the answer is “yes, and no.” Autoimmunity is certainly part of the CFS/ME/FM conundrum, but the disorder also affects the central nervous system, endocrine system, the muscles, and […]
Christopher M. queried, “Is it common for PWCs to have muscle spasms and tremors?” Spasms, fasciculation (worm-like or “crawling” muscles), cramping, myoclonus (brief jerking movements, especially at night), tremors and other neurological symptoms are actually fairly common in CFS/ME/FM. Muscular phenomena (spasms, fasciculation, and cramping) are usually due to reflexive muscle problems. That is, CFS/ME […]
Geraldine O’S asks, “Why is it that so many women with CFS/ME/FM have been diagnosed with endometriosis?” A: PWCs are several times more likely to have concomitant medical problems or comorbidities than unaffected individuals. The most common is Irritable Bowel Syndrome, experienced by up to 60% of PWCs. The next most common is irritable bladder […]