EiR Blog

Apologies to readers who might have already read about this story. The UK Mail on Sunday (February 13th 2011) carries an article by Esther Rantzen on her daughter who has ME. UK viewers will know Esther from such classic TV programmes such as That's Life. In recent years she has discussed ME as a consequence of her daughter's diagnosis. The article in the Mail regarding a possible link between ingestion of gluten and ME/CFS can be viewed here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1356316/At-I-discovered-secret-Emilys-14-lost-years-Esther-Rantzen.html Many thanks, ESPA Research ...

Since Thursday of last week when news of research linking the XMRV retrovirus  to chronic fatigue syndrome hit the headlines many patients (and I suspect their doctors) have been wondering what exactly this finding means. The amount of media attention this discovery by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease (WPI) generated in the press was unprecedented. After having the WPI press release delivered to my email inbox, the next day my mum handed me a copy of The Independent (one of the major "serious" national newspapers in the UK) with a front page article asking 'Has science found the cause of ME?' There was also an editorial piece coming down squarely on the side of us much maligned chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients and concluding that it was about time we were taken seriously. It is rare to find any ME/CFS news in the mainstream media but the story was the same across...

I was delighted to learn this week of funding for research into the link between chronic fatigue syndrome, disturbed gut flora and leaky gut syndrome.   The CFIDS association of America launched their 'Accelerate CFS Research Initiative' - the largest chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) research initiative to date. After a sustained year long fundraising campaign the association allocated over $600,000 of an estimated $1 million kitty to six research groups in the US and Canada. This is fantastic news for anyone suffering from this life altering illness and their families. ME/CFS has for too long been shunned by both medical researchers and sources of funding including governments, charitable bodies, and pharmaceutical/biotech firms. This despite the fact that ME/CFS is estimated to affect around 2% of the population in countries including the US, Canada and UK. People including myself who have been affected by this highly debilitating illness suffer greatly and are provided...

The story of a contestant on the hit show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? grabbed my attention this week. It's an amazing story that just shows how quickly things can change in life which is something those of us dealing with ME/CFS and other chronic illnesses always need to keep in mind!

Thirty-three year old Marie Chesterfield from Brighton, England suffers from myalgic encephalomyelitis