Congratulations to Jane Colby for drawing attention to the problems of ME sufferers (WDDTY, vol 12 no 12). Doctors are determined to label ME a psychiatric illness because they know that their prescribed drugs are the main cause of the huge explosion in patients with severe CFS.
Tranquillisers cause permanent alterations to cytokine levels, one of the main causes of ME – an immune system that is continually malfunctioning. When taken during pregnancy, these drugs can damage the child’s immune system.
I disagree that ME doesn’t show up on tests. Many ME patients have fibromyalgia, which can be tested for with a tender-point touch test. Cognitive disabilities frequently coexist and can be tested for by a clinical psychologist. A reduced cerebral blood flow is another common symptom, indicating poor circulation and impaired capillary bloodflow, and possible explanation for this disabling illness.- Margaret Bell, London