Primer for patients

A diagnose of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, (CFS) Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS is not just a disease of many names, it is also one that can be very different with severity and symptoms from patient to patient. This Primer for patients will provide information you need to know about your personal diagnosis as well as your treatment options.

GET and CBT
Graded exercise therapy (GET) and Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are usually employed in the UK, Ireland and some parts of Europe through ME Clinics. They are highly controversial and not recommended by patients, most patient advocate and research organizations nor by many doctors and researchers. These therapies are promoted through the PACE trial and most the aforementioned are opposed to the trial as the study used outcome switching and poor design which swept in patients who were not suffering from CFS, ME or ME/CFS but most likely from Chronic Fatigue.

Exercise, especially GET, can injure an ME/CFS patient further.

By country: diagnosis, treatments, insurance, disability, etc

 * Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Russia
 * Africa: Kenya, Nigeria
 * Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom
 * North America: Canada, Mexico, United States
 * South America: Argentina, Brazil
 * Australia & New Zealand: Australia, New Zealand

Tests to ask about

 * Sleep study for Sleep apnea, Restless leg syndrome, Sleep disturbances.
 * Tilt table test for Orthostatic intolerance, POTS.
 * Natural killer cell

Learn more

 * Primer for the public
 * Open Letters