Education About Chemical Sensitivity

Medical Conditions Similar to MCS

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is defined by the World Health Organisation as a neurological illness (code WHO-ICD-10-G93.3). There are at least 250,000 sufferers of ME in the UK alone, many of them children.

At present there is no medical diagnostic test for M.E and no known cure for the illness. After a process of elimination that rules out any other conditions, including a substantial number of blood tests and other medical tests, a diagnosis is finally made.

Until the exact cause/s of M.E is found, a cure is unlikely to be found. However, symptomatic relief may be possible to some extent. Treatments aimed at various symptoms can help some people, but not others, and it is often a question of trial and error to find the optimum regimen for each individual.

Unnatural and inexplicable fatigue and severe malaise (not relieved by rest) are common ailments of an ME sufferer, however there is an accompanying list that is unique to every individual sufferer. Again, an ME sufferer’s symptoms might change or fluctuate during the course of illness and not all people with ME suffer from all the symptoms. Like with MCS, FCFS and Fibroyalgia, this causes many doctors and the public at large to think it is all in the patient's head.

Read the symptom list below, but first view this video clip about what can happen when the conventional medical establishment refuses to acknowledge a physiological basis for these terribly debilitating conditions; death of the patient. Sophia suffered from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also referred to as chronic fatique syndrome (CFS), but doctors commited her to a psychiatric ward instead of testing for a physiological basis for her symtoms. The medical coroner puts ME as cause of death on her death certificate.

The varying symptoms experienced by many severe ME sufferers may include:

• Muscle, nerve and joint pain and/or stiffness
• Disturbed sleep, insomnia, nightmares
• Glandular swellings
• Migraines
• Poor temperature control
• Poor circulation
• Low-grade fever
• Increased sensitivity to bright light, noise and odours
• Increased sensitivity to medication
• Intolerance to certain foods
• Indigestion and nausea
• Diarrhoea/constipation
• Brain fog
• Loss of short-term memory and concentration
• Blurred vision and dizziness
• Light-headedness and difficulties with balance
• Moodiness or depression (brought on by the condition’s difficult recovery)

There are also different stages of ME ranging from slight to VERY severe. Some ME sufferers are mildly affected and manage to juggle work and rest. People with severe ME are bedridden and need 24hour care. Since ME is an erratic and fluctuating condition of highs and lows, improvements and relapses; sufferers often get a taste of the various levels. Indeed, an ME sufferer's condition can vary from one day to another or even hour by hour.

ME is not a contagious illness and some studies have suggested that it could also be a matter of genetics.

Many do improve but not equivalent to full pre-illness levels. It has presently been estimated that between 6 and 12% M.E sufferers in the UK regain full health within two years, but around 60% never regain their previous level of health and up to 20% become permanently disabled. Those sufferers who are diagnosed early and given appropriate advice on managing the illness have the best prognosis.

ME is a multi-system illness and requires investment in biomedical research to provide treatment and a cure. The recent case of Sophia Mirza, who died from ME, shows the urgency of funding research into treatments and in finding a cure. ME is five times more prevalent in the UK than HIV/AIDS.

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