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In the Media - 2006

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2006 News Coverage

CFS / CFIDS / ME - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
FM / FMS / Fibro - Fibromyalgia Syndrome
OI / POTS / NMH / MVPS/D - Orthostatic Intolerance Dysautonomias
IBS / IC / MCS / GWI / ... - Overlapping Syndromes, Symptoms to CFS/FM/OI
(links updated 02/2007)

Table of Contents
 

Selected Recent News (CFS, MCS, FM, ME, POTS, NMH, MVPS, OI, IBS, Lyme, sleep, etc)

Selected Press Releases

2006 FM & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome News via Immune Support

Common Painkillers Blunt Immune Response, New Research Indicates [ Dec-20-2006 ]
Using a common painkiller such as aspirin or ibuprofen (AdvilR, MotrinR, etc.) "might not be a good idea" around the time of a flu shot or other inoculation, according to a new report from vaccine researchers at the University of Rochester (New York). In particular, you probably should avoid taking one for pain at your injection site. These widely used drugs, known as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), appear to interfere with the body's immune response, and particularly with the intended production of antibodies after a vaccination.

"Overwhelming" Evidence Legitimizes Fibromyalgia Pain [ Dec-20-2006 ]
Inability to point to test-verified evidence of their pain or its cause has been a harsh reality for patients with Fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes. Aside from FM specialists, the medical profession and the public in general often do not believe that 'pain can be very severe ' and 'sometimes untreatable' “ in a person who does not seem to be injured," observes FM expert Richard Gracely, PhD. 1

Garlic - the immune support natural [ Dec-13-2006 ]
Many folks with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia suffer from chronic infections. Garlic is a remarkable food source with an incredible spectrum of activity against bacteria, fungal infections, and viruses. Now, with new and stable formulations available, garlic supplements can be used to combat infections naturally, according to chemist Peter Josling, Director of the Garlic Center in Sussex, England and author of the book, Allicin: The Heart of Garlic.

Correcting Disordered Sleep in CFS [ Dec-13-2006 ]
Inadequate sleep quantity and quality are well known to cause a variety of different biochemical and physiological changes, and are a key part of the vicious cycle of CFS. It is imperative to do everything possible to optimize sleep quantity and quality.

The Role of Infection in Initiating ME/CFS [ Dec-13-2006 ]
While the question of what causes ME/CFS is logically the first question on people's minds, it is almost an inappropriate question. It has occupied many years of research on the illness, and has caused enormous confusion, yet now fades to the background because it is becoming apparent that it is almost irrelevant. And the difficulty in finding "a cause" has been one of the prime reasons that people have doubted the reality of this illness.

Many FM & CFS patients in D-ribose study report quality of life improvements [Dec-06-2006]
The natural dietary supplement D-ribose - a form of sugar essential to fuel cellular energy generation - "significantly reduced clinical symptoms in patients suffering from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," a Texas-based research group reported recently.

Dr. David Bell on 'Intravenous Fluid as a Treatment for ME/CFS' [ Nov-29-2006 ]
The newsletter today is my first discussion of intravenous saline as a treatment agent for ME/CFS. I have now been using this treatment for nearly six years and wish to share my thoughts. While I plan to be open, honest and even blunt about this treatment, I will not compromise the confidentiality of the patients treated. I have nothing to sell, and I am not encouraging this treatment, as it has not been rigorously tested. However, I do not think I am witnessing a placebo response, and all things considered, it is the most effective treatment for severe ME/CFS that I have found in my 21 years of looking. But it has serious drawbacks and risks.

The Danger in Sleeping Pill Advertising: Reading Beyond the Lines [ Nov-29-2006 ]
Some American consumers, encouraged by increasingly heavy advertising of prescription sleep drugs, may be assuming unnecessary risk because they're ill informed about the pro's and con's of these "sedative/hypnotics" versus other means of coping with sleep problems. So says the latest in a series of drug comparisons that the independent, nonprofit Consumer Reports organization (CR) has produced as part of a public Drug Effectiveness Review Project.

Major Late-Round Ampligen® Trial Recruits in Seven States [ Nov-29-2006 ]
An open label Phase III "intervention" study of the antiviral drug AmpligenR 511 - the most recent step in Hemispherx Biopharma's decade-long quest for FDA approval - is recruiting subjects with "severely debilitating" CFS/ME at centers in seven states, nationwide, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.

National Conference to Feature "Unifying Theories" of CFS and of FM [ Nov-27-2006 ]
What does all the recent CFS and FM research mean – practically - for doctors and patients? On May 4-5, 2007, many top U.S. CFS and FM researchers will convene in Salt Lake City, Utah, to describe their Advances in Understanding and Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

The "Invisible Elephant": What Our Friends Might Like to Know [ Nov-27-2006 ]
An excerpt reproduced with permission from the journal of Karen Dickson, a CFS/ME patient in the UK, October 2006.

The Marshall Protocol for Treating CFS and FM: Hopeful Results Emerging [ Nov-22-2006 ]
A number of patients with CFS, FM, and other chronic illnesses such as lupus and Lyme disease are reporting success with the experimental Marshall Protocol, originally developed for relieving the symptoms of patients with the "Th1" inflammatory disease sarcoidosis. Here is an exclusive interview conducted in July 2004 with Trevor Marshall, PhD, who devised the still-controversial protocol and explains why he believes it may be helpful for CFS and FM patients, and others.

Major Trial Concludes Pregabalin (Lyrica®) Promising FM Pain Therapy [ Nov-22-2006 ]
Many FM Patients Report Pain "Much or Very Much Improved" In Lengthy Pregabalin Trial

An FM Patient Counselor's Primer on the Guaifenesin Protocol [ Nov-17-2006 ]
This excerpt from Claudia Craig Marek's book, The First Year: Fibromyalgia, outlines the theory and elements of the Guaifenesin Protocol - and points to other sources of information, including a state-by-state listing of interested medical professionals.

CFS as Heart Failure Secondary to Mitochondrial Malfunction: A Nutritional Support Protocol [ Nov-15-2006 ]
Do CFS symptoms stem from a sort of "heart failure" associated with inefficient energy production at the cellular level? UK-based preventive medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Myhill, MD, believes that it is. Her patient handout "based on the work of several eminent CFS researchers" explains the cellular mechanisms involved, a beneficial nutritional protocol, and baseline tests for relevant deficiencies.

Chronic Fatigue "Not Just for Women" [ Nov-15-2006 ]
Women are no more likely to get Chronic Fatigue Syndrome than men, nor are neurotic types more prone, according to new myth-debunking Australian research.* Scientists from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have discovered who is most likely to get the debilitating condition, and it has nothing to do with age, sex, personality traits, or mental health as many people thought.

Guilty Until Proven innocent: Dealing with a Flawed SSDI Application Process
[ Nov-08-2006 ] by Mary Schweitzer, PhD. The Social Security Disability Insurance system, which is supposed to protect workers from suddenly losing all sources of income with an unexpected disability, is seriously flawed and becoming more so.

Derek Enlander, MD: Update on the Treatment of CFS and Fibromyalgia [ Nov-08-2006 ]
Derek Enlander, MD, is originally from Belfast, Ireland, and is Physician-in-Waiting to the British Royal Family and to several members of the British government during their visits to New York. He is presently in private practice in New York where he sees CFS and FM patients, is on the faculty of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and serves as President of the Israel Medical Research Foundation.

CDC Launches Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "Get Informed. Get Diagnosed. Get Help" Awareness Campaign [ Nov-03-2006 ] Purpose: to call attention to the CDC estimate that, of the Americans with CFS, only 20 percent have been diagnosed. The CDC “considers CFS to be a major public health concern and has committed to research that will lead to earlier diagnosis and better treatment of the illness.”

Faces of CFS Traveling Photo Exhibit - In California [ Oct-18-2006 ]
The exhibit, which is drawing media attention and generating public understanding at every stop, will visit three cities in Calfornia over the next four weeks. The exhibit's huge banners feature people of all ages and different walks of life, to demonstrate that CFS patients are indeed America's "next door neighbors."

Interview With Fibromyalgia Pain Specialist Dr. Daniel Clauw, MD [ Sep-30-2006 ]
The 2006 Pain Awarenesss Month campaign site is featuring free access to audio recordings of a series of interviews with pain specialists, at http://www.painawarenessmonth.org/.
Dr. Clauw's interview.

ProHealth Founder Recipient of "Outstanding Advocate Award" from Nevada ME/CFS Groups [ Sep-15-2006 ] Santa Barbara, Calif----Rich Carson, founder of ProHealth, Inc., will be honored with the Outstanding Advocate Award for ME/CFS at a fundraiser on September 15 called "I Hope You Dance" to benefit the future Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease and the HHV-6 and Nevada CFS Foundations.

Group Self-Help Program Online [ Aug-25-2006 ]
The next online CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help discussion program, held four times a year, will start soon - on September 11, 2006.

An Open Letter on Hope [ Aug-15-2006 ]
I suffer with CFS and FM. I have been a member of the [ImmuneSupport.com] CFIDS/FMS and Worship message boards since October 2005. I will admit that at the beginning I did not have a clue what a tremendous impact this would have on my life. Joining the ProHealth community is the single most important step I have taken on my road to wellness.

Four Top National Magazines Boosting CFS Awareness This Month [ Aug-08-2006 ]
Look for full-page CFS Public Awareness Campaign ads in the August Ladies' Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, going out to 20 million readers. This is the second month these publications have run ads for the campaign.

CDC's New Numbers on CFS Prevalence Should Hit the Street Soon [ Aug-08-2006 ]
As we reported in June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has informed the CFS community that it has new numbers on the incidence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but prefers to keep them confidential until publication of its recent study explaining those numbers. At that time, the ballyhoo of a major national press event should provide a booster rocket for official kickoff of the CDC's CFS Awareness Campaign - initially scheduled for June 7 and now expected soon.

CFS Advisory Committee to Update Federal Health Agencies July 17; Public Invited
[ Jul-18-2006 ] For almost 3 years, an 11-member committee of experts has been updating and advising the Department of Health and Human Services on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome issues.

First Large Population Analysis Puts Incidence of Fibromyalgia in New Light [ Jul-03-2006 ]
The first-ever large population-based analysis of U.S. Fibromyalgia incidence, just released, indicated an occurrence rate of about 4.2 percent.

Cable Network Running Fibromyalgia Public Service Announcement [ Jun-27-2006 ]
Thirty-second public service announcements to raise awareness of FM started to run Monday, June 26 on the Adelphia cable TV network, the nation's 5th largest with a presence in 31 states

CFS Expert Nelson Gantz, MD, Dies [ Jun-27-2006 ] Nelson Gantz, MD, passed away on June 20, 2006 of cancer. Dr. Gantz, a noted epidemiologist and expert on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, was Chief of Infectious Diseases at Boulder (Colorado) Community Hospital. He was one of the doctors who developed the clinical definition of CFS, wrote many journal articles on the subject, and was a co-author of the classic book Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Comprehensive Guide to Symptoms, Treatments, and Solving the Practical Problems of CFS.

Fighting To Raise AWARENESS [ May-26-2006 ]
If there's one message Rich Carson would like to get across to fellow sufferers of the hard-to-diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, it's that the disease is real and treatable.

Press Briefing on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Interview [ May-23-2006 ]
Interview with Dr. Julie Gerberding, Dr. William Reeves and Dr. Suzanne Vernon.

Fibromyalgia Coalition International's 6th Annual Conference [ May-19-2006 ]
FCI is hosting their 6th Annual Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Awareness Conference (KS).

CDC - New Research about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) [ May-17-2006 ]
CDC scientists will be discussing results from the largest clinical study of CFS patients to date published in the April issue of Pharmacogenomics.

Dream Catchers: Researchers Bring Hope to Fibromyalgia Syndrome [ Apr-14-2006 ]
Dr. Russell, along with researchers from the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, reported that sodium oxybate, currently approved for the treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy, significantly improved FM patients' self-reported perceptions of their own pain and enhanced the quality of their sleep.

Excerpt from Dr. Pellegrino's Fibromyalgia Up Close & Personal [ Apr-10-2006 ]
Mark Pellegrino, M.D., writes, "Our autonomics have gone astray in fibromyalgia. In addition to causing pain and fatigue, the dysfunctional and hypersensitive autonomic nerves can cause a number of distinct conditions which are part of fibromyalgia but may require separate treatment approaches to try and calm them down."

Research: Omega-3 Oils Influence Mood [ Apr-03-2006 ]
People who have high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are more agreeable and less impulsive, says a new study from Pittsburgh.

Research: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Brain Injury Link [ Mar-20-2006 ]
Some cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome could be due to brain "injuries" caused during the early stages of glandular fever, scientists suggest.

Dr. Richard Podell: Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Disability Evaluation
[ Mar-06-2006 ]
This essay adapts from Dr. Podell's address to the 9th National Conference on Litigating Disability Insurance sponsored by the American Conference Institute, February 23, Miami, Florida. Dr. Podell served as the medical expert on FM, CFS and related disorders.

Research: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels and Immune Function in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [ Jan-09-2006 ]
The results of this study show that a decreased availability of omega3 PUFAs plays a role in the pathophysiology of CFS and is related to the immune pathophysiology of CFS.

Healthy Lifestyle Changes for Fibromyalgia: Diet (Excerpt from "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fibromyalgia" by Lynne Matallana) [ Jan-03-2006 ]
Lynne Matallana writes, "Many people with fibromyalgia have overlapping conditions that require special diets. If you have been diagnosed with any of the following, take note of the dietary restrictions and suggestions."



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Updated June 19, 2008
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