By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. It’s the simplest of medical tests. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or SED rate) test simply measures the rate at which the red blood cells in whole blood descend in a test tube over a period of one hour. This non-specific measure of inflammation works because, during an inflammatory process, […]
By Cort Johnson in Simmaron Research. The immune system in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been kind of like a mirage in the desert. Given the way the disease starts and its symptom presentation – so close to the “sickness behavior” produced during an infection – it seems that the immune system must […]
By Dominic Stanculescu in Health Rising. Summary Prolonged or chronic critical illness – a term applied to patients that survive severe injury or infection, but fail to start recovering after a few days – is characterized by low levels of peripheral hormones (including T3, IGF-1, cortisol and testosterone). This pattern is increasingly recognized as a neuroendocrine dysfunction […]
By Karen Teber in Georgetown University Medical Center News. Gulf War Illness (GWI) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) share symptoms of disabling fatigue, pain, systemic hyperalgesia (tenderness), negative emotion, sleep and cognitive dysfunction that are made worse after mild exertion (postexertional malaise). Now, neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have evidence, derived […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. I met Dr. Chheda of the Center for Complex Diseases at Ron Davis’s Working Group Meetings funded by the Open Medicine Foundation. She graciously agreed to talk more about how she approaches treating ME/CFS in her practice. I was particularly eager to talk to one of the younger […]
By David Tuller, DrPH Last November 12, I published a post called “How Bristol Investigators Avoided Ethical Review.” That post addressed the series of eleven studies conducted by Bristol investigators and exempted from ethical review on questionable grounds. The lead investigator of these studies was Professor Esther Crawley, Bristol’s methodologically challenged pediatrician, whose […]
by Sasha Nimmo in ME Australia. National Health and Medical Research Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Prof Anne Kelso, today released her response the ME and CFS advisory committee’s report. Prof Kelso has decided that the NHMRC should develop clinical guidance on ME/CFS. This is a major decision as the current guidelines were condemned […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. The ATP Profiles test developed by Dr John McLaren-Howard (and the Mitochondrial Energy Score developed from it) has been a big deal for the chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) community. The test formed the basis for studies dating back to 2009 by Dr. Myhill, Dr. McLaren and Dr. Booth which asserted […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. The similarities are striking: the symptoms, the shoddy research funding, the poor treatment from doctors, the gender imbalance and the stigma both still face. Both diseases still really exist on the fringes of medicine and medical research. Yet one disease is moving forward rapidly and the other […]
From Questioning Answers. B-cell depletion using several infusions of rituximab over 12 months was not associated with clinical improvement in patients with ME/CFS [Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome].” That was the conclusion reached in the paper by Øystein Fluge and colleagues [1]. Their findings based on the use of rituximab, “a drug that is often used to treat inflammatory diseases (for […]
By Sasha Nimmo in ME Australia. A paper published in Metabolic Brain Disease by Morris, Maes, Burk and Puri suggests Myalgic Encephalomyelitis develops because of genes responsible for immune responses. Their paper discusses how molecules may convert an acute infection into a state of escalating chronic systemic inflammation. Morris and Maes have written extensively […]
By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD in News Medical Life Sciences. Why do we feel listless when we are recovering from an illness? The answer is, apparently, that low-grade chronic inflammation interferes with the dopaminergic signaling system in the brain that motivates us to do things. This was reported in a new paper published in […]
By Dr Mark Guthridge in Thread Reader. #PEM (aka PENE, “flare” or “crash”) is seriously debilitating symptom caused by exercise #SickNotWeak #SickNotTired #pwME #chronicillness #medtwitter #MedEd 1. #PEM is just tiredness No #pwME experience <pathological> fatigue after #exercise which can be long-lasting and includes debilitating fatigue, flu-like symptoms, cognitive impairment, #sleep disturbance To read the rest of this story, click on the link below: Link […]
By Rachel Black in Bateman Horne Center. In our December 2018 education meeting, we were pleased to hear from Dr. Alan Light, a Professor of Anesthesiology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the University of Utah. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles, and has spent the last 10 years of his career focusing […]
By Katarina Zimmer in The Scientist. B.H. Abuaita et al., “Mitochondria-derived vesicles deliver antimicrobial reactive oxygen species to control phagosome-localized Staphylococcus aureus,” Cell Host Microbe, 24:625–36, 2018. According to biology textbooks, a macrophage engulfs a bacterium, internalizes it in a toxin-filled vesicle called a phagosome, then shuttles the cellular remains to a lysosome for degradation. […]
By Tim Newman in Medical News Today. Researchers recently investigated the immune system’s role in chronic fatigue syndrome in unprecedented depth. The findings might help design future treatments. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a mysterious condition. The main symptom of CFS is extreme and often unrelenting fatigue. Others include muscle and joint pain, sleep issues, and flu-like […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. The similarities are striking: the symptoms, the shoddy research funding, the poor treatment from doctors, the gender imbalance and the stigma both still face. Both diseases still really exist on the fringes of medicine and medical research. Yet one disease is moving forward rapidly and the other […]
By HEATHER GOLDSTONE & ELSA PARTAN in Cape and Islands. Chronic fatigue syndrome was first described in the early 1980s, and it affects an estimated two and a half million Americans. For many years, doctors’ tests couldn’t find an explanation for patients’ symptoms, so they were dismissed as “nothing wrong.” But a growing body of research reveals […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. In February of last year, Health Rising announced an unusual event was going to take place: a small drug company named Cortene was going to trial a new drug for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Cortene’s trial was unique in a number of ways. For one, it involved ME/CFS […]
By Cort Johnson in Simmaron Research. Dr. Maureen Hanson leads one of the three NIH funded ME/CFS research centers, but her ME/CFS research doesn’t stop there. Using samples from Dr. Daniel Peterson provided by the Simmaron Research Foundation, she’s also been assessing the metabolism of one of the most important cells in […]
By Adrienne Dellwo in Very Well Health. GABA and glutamate are neurotransmitters—chemical messengers in your brain. One is calming, one is stimulating, and they’re supposed to stay in balance with each other. So what happens if this balance is thrown off? Some research suggests an imbalance of these two substances may play a role […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. It seemed ever so clear. The reduction in the number of small nerves in the skin and eyes of roughly forty percent or so of the people with fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) must bring the body – as opposed to the brain – into […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. Times are changing. The Stanford area with its bevy of researchers and doctors (Ron Davis, Robert Phair, Mark Davis, David Kaufman, Bela Chedda, Jose Montoya, Rahim Esfandyapour, Michael Zeineh, Fereshteh Jahanbani and others) seemed like “it” for ME/CFS. But look at Boston now! A new hub […]
by Louise Sargent in ME Support. Diagnosis There is no test or cure for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) but there are guidelines to help doctors diagnose and treat it. It can take a long time for the condition to be diagnosed, as other conditions that cause similar symptoms need to be ruled out first. Therefore, you […]
Principal Investigator Prof. Jarred Younger Institution University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA Start date June 2018 Background and aim Many of the characteristic symptoms of ME/CFS suggest that the immune system is activated in the brains of people with the illness, leading to the release of inflammatory chemicals. This neuroinflammation is known to […]
If you have been with us from the start then please congratulate yourself on your part in changing the landscape of research and future treatment of ME in UK and beyond! Also please accept our massive thanks for your ongoing support to help the charity Invest in ME Research achieve so much. If you are […]
By Laura Beere in Emerge Australia. Apologies for all the acronyms and brackets in the post below. We’ve tried to make this as clear as possible so that we can keep you informed about a (sadly this time – negative) development that could impact on the treatment and welfare of people with ME/CFS. […]
Welcome to the Twenty-Eighth Emerge Australia Media and Research Digest! The fortnightly summary of research and media about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) If you’d like the Digest to drop directly into your inbox every fortnight you can sign up for the Digest here. (This will ONLY sign you up for the Digest – this […]
By Rochelle Joslyn (PhD) Edited by Allison Ramiller, in Solve ME/CFS Initiative. 2019 is off to a strong start for ME/CFS research! From the search for sensitive and specific biomarkers in neuroimaging and CPET testing, to the use of next generation (RNA) sequencing in transcriptomic analyses of peripheral blood, findings from the first […]
By Jennifer Brea in Medium.com. The Stanford Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Center would love the participation of patients with diagnoses of both Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Craniocervical Instability (CCI) in an ongoing ME/CFS research study. They are looking for patients who: Have been diagnosed with ME/CFS Have been diagnosed with craniocervical […]
By Charlotte Stephens, Research Correspondent, ME Association. The Index of Published ME/CFS Research has now been updated to take account of the research that has been published during the month of May 2019. It’s a little later than normal due to ME-related absence. The Index is a useful way to locate and then read all relevant research […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. The Spinal Series This is part three of a series examining spinal issues which may mimic chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. The first two in the series involved two very ill ME/CFS patients who have recovered or are recovering following surgery to correct craniocervical instability. Could […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. Dr. Camille Birch has a PhD in biomedical engineering and hails from the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology at Huntsville, Alabama. Hudson Alpha, only 11 years old, is one of those new biotechnology efforts that’s using sophisticated bioinformatics to understand how our genes affect our health. Dr. […]
By Jennifer Brea. I just wanted to respond to a few comments and questions raised in response to recent posts in this series. If you aren’t a part of the ME community, be forewarned, much of the following will be hard to follow! The first set of questions all circle the same core question: do […]
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The first Monday of each month at 11 am - The York ME Community Coffee Club at Bar Convent, 17 Blossom Street, York.
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The third Wednesday of each month - at 2 pm - The York ME Community Coffee Club at The Novotel, York.
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Weekly - Every Wed, 8 pm - 9 pm on Twitter, ME Awareness Hour using the #MEAwarenesshour hashtag.
The 15th Invest in ME Research International ME Conference 2020 - IIMEC15 - will take place on 30th May 2020 in London.
15 years of researchers, clinicians and patients interacting.
More details of the conference day will be announced in the coming months. It will be preceded by the 10th Invest in ME Research International Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium - BRMEC10 - a two day closed researchers' meeting with researchers from around the word, and the third year of a full day Thinking the Future - Young/ECR Conference for young and early career investigators.
The aim is to share ideas in promoting various disability services, whilst continuing to raise Awareness of ME through both organisations. Through their #Think Access group and our own group, The York Access and Mobility Club, we will be looking at accessibility issues in the York & Harrogate areas, with the aim of advising on suggestions for change.
Disability Action Yorkshire aim to find solutions for disabled people whatever their aspirations. Whether you are a disabled person or support someone who is, they are here to support you. They provide a range of services, from training to accommodation and help with independence, among others. To find out more about Disability Action Yorkshire, click on the link below:
As we all know, especially those who need Wheelchairs or Mobility Scooters to get around, vehicles parking on pavements and blocking our way can have a major effect on our lives. It can mean that we are likely to put ourselves in danger by going onto busy roads because of inconsiderate parking. 
If you live in Fulford York, the details of your local PCSO are below, and he should be contacted in the first instance. If he is not on duty, you may be dealt with by whoever is on duty. If you live in other areas of York, ring 101 and ask for the PCSO covering your area. In all cases, you will be required to give as much information about the vehicle and location as possible. You will NOT need to stay by the vehicle till the police arrive.
Simon Hall
PCSO 5648
North NPT
NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE
Dial 101, press option 2 and ask for him by his full name or collar number
If using his collar number please state each number individually
Access Your Life is a site run by Felix and Lauren, with a little input from Fliss, the dog!
The site is full of great information that I feel will benefit many within The York ME Community and beyond.
To go to Access Your Life, click on the link below:
Would you like to help your local community ?
By current research, there are around 800 people in the York area suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). This might include the work colleagues you haven't seen in some time, or your friends and family, maybe one of the lads who hasn't turned up for five-a-side for a while.
There's information at the top of this site to explain how it affects people and ruins lives. These are your neighbours; would you like to help ? To read the rest of this request, click on the link below:
The social element of this site is via a Facebook Group called The York ME Community.
This is available to people in the York area looking for help, advice and support, whether those diagnosed, family or friends. We are a close knit group who discuss more than just ME, as we like to think that we are not defined by this illness. We discuss every day things, have a laugh, and try to meet via our Coffee Club if the beast that is ME allows us ! If you apply to join, please check your Facebook messages, as there are a couple of automated questions to be answered before being welcomed to the group.
Please don't apply to join if you are promoting your preferred remedy. I'm happy to mention your company within the group, but it's for individuals to choose what they wish to try in their battle to seek an improvement in their health.
Some companies and organisations offer discounts for disabled people and their carers – click on the link below to find out what you could save.
Carol Monaghan SNP spoke in Westminster Hall about the need for support and funds for ME Research. Many other MP's spoke passionately on the subject as it affects their constituents UK wide. Click on the link below to watch the full debate.
Anil's interview gives a great insight to the man and his ME mission !
Link to Anil van der Zee's Interview
Having read the above interview, I'd recommend a visit to David's Blog below:
After a pretty tough time, the guys riding as part of The Nomadic Knights group, made it to Everest Base Camp. I hope we can use this story to gain interest from media sources to help raise awareness for us all. It's the least the guys deserve for all their efforts.
19 May 2017.
“Very pleased to report that we reached Mt Qomolangma (Everest) Base Camp with the ME Awareness Flag at 1528hrs on Thursday 18th May. Three and a half hours after we had planned but time in Tibet can sometimes be very fluid. The base camp is located at 5200m, walking to the final destination was challenging in itself due to low oxygen levels.
Conditions at base camp were extremely windy (good for flag flying) with intermittent clouds with no particular destination in mind and the sun was not ideal for photos."
Debbie North, our TOG wheelchair walk designer uses an off-road mobility scooter, also called an all terrain hopper to access the countryside and wants to inspire other wheelchair users to do the same through her wheel friendly walks.
Wheelchair friendly walks are a selection of walks that the TOG team have carefully selected for families using pushchairs, wheelchairs or bicycles.
The Jen Brea ME film 'Unrest', about her story and struggle with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) was shown to a sellout audience at City Screen York on 1st November, prompting a second showing on 16 November. This film has won awards at The Sundance Film Festival and is a must see for all wishing and needing to know more about an illness affecting over 800 people in the York area alone.
Although still showing around the UK and worldwide, it's now also available on Amazon and iTunes and through the Unrest UK Store on DVD and Blu-Ray by clicking on this link: Unrest site to save having to undertake a journey to the cinema.,
Please spread the word through your GP, MP, Company HR Teams and any other people of influence you may know. Thank you.
One of the major questions raised is the blending of ME with CFS. This chart on the Hummingbirds site illustrates the many differences between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
For confidential and independent advice for everyone on welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer rights and much more.
Welcome to Broken Puppet Theatre Company.
We are a small team of creative professionals who live with chronic illness and invisible disabilities. We work with theatre, film and puppetry to support children, families, schools and communities who are learning to share their world with chronic illness and invisible disabilities too. Our aim is to provide creative expression and escapism wherever they are needed.
FEATURED ARTICLE
By
Sally Duffin
Hello to all the members of York ME Community. I’m Sally, a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist at ‘Nutrition in York’ and Bill has asked me to share some nutritional therapy approaches for managing ME.
Many nutritional therapists – myself included – are trained in the Functional Medicine approach to healthcare which means we are less concerned with the name of a condition (ME, CFS etc.) and more interested in the underlying cause and contributing factors of the condition. (more…)
Are you a member of a York based Sports or Fitness Club ? Looking for a local cause to run or do an activity for ? The York ME Community are looking to be 'adopted' by anyone willing to maybe run for us and help raise our profile. There are around 800 people of all ages in the York area who would be so very grateful for your help.
The York Access and Mobility Club is a Facebook group which is aimed at improving Accessibility in York for those trying to get around with a Disability. Feedback on bad, and good Accessibility of shops, streets, cafes, restaurants and any other facilities are welcomed.
It's also the place to discuss mobility aids from walking sticks to scooters. If this sounds like a group for you, you're most welcome !
This is open to any business, club, pub, or organisation looking to have a bit of fun whilst supporting your local community. Our 4th season is well under way and going great guns ! Although the aim is spreading ME Awareness, as a bonus we have also raised over £920.00 for Invest in ME Research, so why not join us ?
To join in for next season, click on the tab at the top of the site for more information, or just to register your interest through the email address supplied.
To read the ME Research Summary 2019 by ME Action covering the last ten years, click on the link below:
Written Question to the Department of Health and Social Care on 22 May 2018 by Carol Monaghan SNP, answered by Caroline Dinenage Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
| Financial Year | £ |
| 2014-15 | 280,442 |
| 2015-16 | 295,626 |
| 2016-17 | 130,958 |
There is a great need for the training of those with a Duty of Care to those with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). For those in Healthcare, Education or Business with this Duty of Care, this E-Learning Course is the one for you.
To learn more, click on the link below:
AccessAble in York provides information on Shopmobility, Talking Signs, Dial & Ride, York Wheels and accessible Hotels, Restaurants, Public Toilets and a whole lot more in our city. To find out more before setting off for York, click on the link below:
The York Inset Scooter Club is based in York (UK) and has a membership of around 250.
They are a thriving, active club and look to support local charities when they can. They have an annual Mods and Rockers charity ride out, and for 2019 supported The York ME Community.
They headed off from The York Eye (Clifford’s Tower) on Sun 28 Apr on a run out to the coast, set off by the Mayor of York and the York Normandy Veterans.
All money raised will be used to raise the profile of ME in York through posters being produced and put up in local business premises, clubs, schools, GP Surgeries and venues.
Euan’s Guide is the disabled access review website used by disabled people to review, share and discover accessible places to visit. The charity was founded in 2013 by Euan MacDonald, who is a powerchair user, and his sister Kiki. As Euan’s access requirements changed, both went in search of recommendations for accessible places to go, but a platform for this kind of information didn’t exist. Built as a friendly and honest alternative to hours of web searching and phone calls before visiting somewhere new, Euan’s Guide now has thousands of disabled access reviews and listings for places all over the UK and beyond.
To go to Euan's Website, click on the link below:
Help us raise money for The York ME Community to pass onto Invest in ME Research every time you shop online, and it doesn't cost you a penny !
By using the link below, when you shop online with a huge number of shops, they will pass a percentage of your purchase cost to our fund. THIS MONEY IS DONATED BY THE RETAILERS, NOT YOU !
A TRUE STORY BY JESSICA TAYLOR-BEARMAN
Book Description: From a darkened world, bound by four walls, a young woman called Jessica tells the tale of her battle against the M.E Monster. The severest form of a neuro immune disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis went to war with her at just 15 years old. From beneath her dark glasses, Jessica glimpses a world far different from the one she remembers as a teenage school girl. This true story follows her path as she ends up living in hospital for years with tubes keeping her alive.
This harrowing story follows the highs and lows of the disease and being hospitalised, captured through her voice activated technology diary called `Bug' that enables her to fulfil her dream of one day becoming an author.
It provides a raw, real-time honesty to the story that would be impossible to capture in hindsight.
To order the book through Jessica's site, click on the link below:
This book is also now available at York Library
I had a very productive meeting with Cllr Aspden and Cllr Runciman of City of York Council where they have stated they will back efforts to raise awareness of ME, understanding that much more is needed to increase understanding of this debilitating disorder, in York and across the UK.
The motion put before Council with regard to support in raising ME Awareness in York was passed unanimously !
The City of York Council followed through on their promise by lighting up the city walls and Clifford's Tower in blue over ME Awareness Week.
We had a brilliant day at York Explore Library raising ME Awareness. Lots of interest in what we're doing from local health groups, charities, the council and most heart warmingly, from those dealing with ME themselves who now know we're here for them.
If you'd like to hear more about ME, get in touch.
Time For Unrest: Why Patients With ME Are Demanding Justice.
If you want the full story on ME and will read just one article about it this year, please make it this one,
Are you on Twitter? Learn more about ME every Wednesday, 8 pm - 9 pm (UK) using #MEAwarenesshour
Mike Harley is a very special guy who's running a marathon in each EU country to raise awareness and funds for Invest in ME Research. Please visit his site to learn more.
To go to the Government's Disability Benefits Advice Guide, click on the link below:
Upon request, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service can carry out a home fire safety visit to your home, completely free of charge. This visit involves fire service staff coming to your home to give you advice on fire safety in the home, actions you can take to reduce the risk of fire, and discuss escape routes should fire occur.
If you don't aim to take up this offer, please at least check the batteries on your smoke alarms on a regular basis. If you want to read more, click on the link below:
If you're given the time and space to talk things through, you can find a way through your problems.
Samaritans help you to explore your options so you can make decisions that are right for you.
Helpfulpeeps is a platform that allows people in any given area to ask for and offer help to one another. Although this is a nationwide facility, by adding your street name, the system automatically drops a pin on that location and you only see posts from a 20 mile radius. You have the option to narrow or widen this radius. I hope this is a useful facility for members of our Community.