M.E. is not the same as CFS

By Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All.org:

Michael Crawford is the latest in a list of celebrities, said to have acquired M.E.(Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), been very seriously ill with it and then recovered sufficiently to resume

his former life ('Singing in a fat suit left me so ill I could hardly walk ... now I'm back in the West End': Michael Crawford on his return to the stage, Mail on Sunday, 16 January 2011).

If these people really did have M.E., it is important to know - since there is no universally accepted diagnostic test - what were the cardinal symptoms taken to confirm the diagnosis and then, in order that patients similarly affected may also benefit, what treatments helped them to recover.

If, however, they did not have M.E. but some other misdiagnosed condition, or one brought on by lifestyle, burnout, or perhaps some viral infection, from which they took a long time to recover
but without any particular treatment, we do need to separate them from M.E. sufferers, who are crucially different and would not benefit from, may even be harmed by, the same treatment.

M.E. is not the same as other conditions within the collective diagnosis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Accepting them as though they are is the main reason why millions of people, all
over the world, are remaining ill.

Yours sincerely
Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All.org