Is M.E contagious ?

[Sparrowhawk]

Thanks !

 

[Esther12]

I've looked around the site but am not finding discussion on this, if it has been raised elsewhere please
point me in the right direction.

Any evidence from our group and their families that this condition can be transmitted to children or spouse? I wasn't aware of the possibility until I read on this site in the past week about epidemics of CFS.

Now I'm scared to even hug my kids much less get close to my partner...thanks for any thoughts on this.

Not worth worrying about imo.

Lots of things in life are uncertain, but there isn't good evidence for CFS being contagious in the way that something like HIV is. It is complicated though, as there does seem to be a genetic component which can effect families, and it's also likely that lots of different conditions get lumped together under the 'CFS' label - so some of them could be contagious.

I'd worry more about catching stuff from them, as illnesses can affect people with CFS worse than is normal.

Personally, I avoid exchanging saliva with too many people, and wouldn't give blood or anything like that, but I don't worry about it beyond basic hygiene things. Lots of people who are healthy could be harbouring some life changing pathogen - who knows? One can either descend to life destroying paranoia, or enjoy a hug every now and again.

 

[SickOfSickness]

E.g. if there were some unexpected rates of diagnosis of ME CFS (or a CFS like illness) appearing in family members years after the person with ME CFS was first diagnosed. Does that happen? I imagine we only have anecdotal reports at best.

Yes you hear of spouses contracting the illness, but many of those could be from identical exposures, in my opinion. For example, because they both live in a house with mold, both ate something and got a parasite, both had high stress for three years, or both traveled somewhere and got a virus.

For related people, then what you said is a big factor too, one of them having a milder ME/CFS that later is worse and gets diagnosed. Or they have the genetic predisposition and only get sick after some event, like catching a bad virus years after the first relative was diagnosed.

 

[SickOfSickness]

I've looked around the site but am not finding discussion on this, if it has been raised elsewhere please
point me in the right direction.

Here are more threads about contagion:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/transmission-possible-threat-to-loved-ones.11714/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...afe-to-have-unprotected-sex-with-cfids.13244/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/is-me-cfs-a-type-of-aids.12415/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...lograft-theory-of-disease-transmission.21289/

In this long thread, some discussion on page 15. I did not look beyond page 15. http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/is-it-a-new-disease-or-its-cfs.19062/page-15

 

[Sushi]

Here are more threads about contagion:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/transmission-possible-threat-to-loved-ones.11714/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...afe-to-have-unprotected-sex-with-cfids.13244/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/is-me-cfs-a-type-of-aids.12415/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...lograft-theory-of-disease-transmission.21289/

In this long thread, some discussion on page 15. I did not look beyond page 15. http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/is-it-a-new-disease-or-its-cfs.19062/page-15

Two more of the above threads are now merged with this one.

 

[Allyson]

just because close family members have it do not mean it is contagious - could be genetic too- similary sposees ma choose each other for similar lifestyle qualities


A genetic illness may not manifest for many years so may appear to "COME on " when in fact symptoms are just beginning to manifest

however many are now being tested for and diagnosed with LYme disease so you may want to check that out too as that has not been tested for much until now and is difficult to test for too. this may account for the cluster outbreaks and have similar symptoms to ME/cfs


Ally

 

[herpesbaby]

Does anyone know if any public figures who have been diagnosed that have gone public with the illness have been contacted ?
It would need to be someone that carried the kind of name and fame that the media would HAVE to put this illness in the news,
and help the pressure group's to really push the MPs to call for more govenment funding.
This should happen in all countries, and i suppose that would take a lot of work, but im sure it could be achieved.

Andrew

This disease mostly affects lower middle class. It's a disease that is triggered by stress over money/ambitions. That means no, no celebrity is infected...

 

[Undisclosed]

This disease mostly affects lower middle class. It's a disease that is triggered by stress over money/ambitions. That means no, no celebrity is infected...

ME is not a disease triggered by stress over money/ambitions.

 

[herpesbaby]

ME is not a disease triggered by stress over money/ambitions.

Could it be triggered by stress?

 

[Undisclosed]

What do you mean by 'stress'?

 

[herpesbaby]

Emotional trauma

 

[Undisclosed]

Emotional trauma

Trauma is different from stress. If you are equating the two, are you asking if psychological stress can cause ME.

 

[Sushi]

This disease mostly affects lower middle class. It's a disease that is triggered by stress over money/ambitions. That means no, no celebrity is infected...

None of the above has any evidence. It is not a "lower middle class" illness and celebrities do have it. We even have a thread on that topic.

 

[jimells]

That means no, no celebrity is infected...

(from Wikipedia)

Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.

His best-known films include Breakfast at Tiffany's, Days of Wine and Roses, 10, Victor/Victoria, and the hugely successful Pink Panther film series with British actor Peter Sellers. Often thought of as primarily a director of comedies, he also directed several drama, musical, and detective films. Late in his career, he transitioned to writing, producing, and directing for theater.

---

Edwards described his struggle with the illness chronic fatigue syndrome for 15 years in the documentary I Remember Me (2000).

The movie is on Youtube.

 

[Snowdrop]

This disease mostly affects lower middle class. It's a disease that is triggered by stress over money/ambitions. That means no, no celebrity is infected...

@herpesbaby

I appreciate that you are relatively new here and new to this disease but where do you get the support for this pronouncement? There are people literally from all walks of life and all levels of society. Even here on PR there are people who lost their former lives as Dr's, Engineers, School teachers, Entrepreneurs, Professional Athletes and Artists, Business people, even rocket scientists (NASA), Librarians, Research Scientists, Actors (see Alberta Watson who was on Nikita) a thread here: http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/in-memory-of-alberta-watson.36777/

You seem to have an understanding of this illness as described by popular media. This is a misconception that the (particularly UK) psychiatric community wish to present as the 'real' explanation so they can 'own' the disease and therefore it's treatment (CBT/GET)

For a better understanding of this read anything here on the PACE trial.

Consider this. You are a young professional. You have a nice life and earn a good income. You get ME. You are severely sick and no longer able to work. You spend your savings on various treatments that you think might help you -- you are desperate to get well. So what will your financial situation look like? Many here have fallen into lower middle class by virtue of being sick. NOT because they were lower income earners. That's not to say that lower earners can't also become ill same as anyone else. Some people get struck down while still completing their education too.

That's not to say the the majority of people with ME are in the lower income brackets (I have no idea -- and I don't think there is any clear well done robust research on it) And without that research it is impossible to truly know.

 

[Sushi]

That's not to say the the majority of people with ME are in the lower income brackets

If they are in the lower income brackets, it is because they have ME/CFS and can't work! Probably the majority of members here used to function in a professional capacity in their careers of choice.

 

[Snowdrop]

If they are in the lower income brackets, it is because they have ME/CFS and can't work! Probably the majority of members here used to function in a professional capacity in their careers of choice.

Exactly.

 

[Mithriel]

ME/CFS as they call it now may turn out to be a "many causes, same outcome" disease but in the old days before CFS was invented, ME was the disease that came in epidemics, often in conjunction with polio epidemics and was often referred to as abortive poliomyelitis. Like polio it was an individual, extreme reaction to a common infection (like measles encephalitis).

It was commoner in nurses, doctors, teachers, those who mixed with infected people all the time. Polio was one of those illnesses that is not so severe if you catch it young so its devastating effects were often found in older children with better housing thus better hygiene.

Stress affects the immune system so it can be a factor in getting a disease ( most people I know with MS - I go to a centre - became ill during a stressful period) but that DOESN'T make it psychogenic.

I don't think I am infectious, I hug my grandchildren, but I keep my blood away from people and I won't donate organs.

Mithriel