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CDC Conf Call-Follow-up Poll: Would YOU do 2-day CPET if in CDC Multi-Site Study?

IF you were a CDC Multi-Site Study participant, would you agree to do the *2-day* CPET?

  • No- I have concerns about the physical toll AND other concerns (overnight is ok)--see my reply.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No- I have concerns about the overnight stay AND other concerns (physical toll is ok)- see my reply.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No -I have concerns but they are NEITHER about the physical toll or overnight stay-see my reply.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    69
Messages
1
Location
Galle, Sri Lanka
I would absolutely do the two-day CPET test. Even knowing that there would be severe payback or relapse. I already can't support myself financially and have to live with my parents. I'm 38 years old and have been sick (primarily housebound) for the last 8 years and I know we really do need some game-changing results to move research along at this stage.

I think it's appalling that they're not doing the 2-day CPET test as part of this research and the reply and excuses given by Dr Unger are just not credible. Why can't they make the 2-day CPET test an optional extra? At least that way any patients who are enrolled and actually do want to do it can and this research opportunity can be maximised. Patients are already giving so much to be involved and not doing the 2-day CPET test is not just a wasted opportunity but might actually make much of this research useless or even harmful to the CFS/ME patient community at large. Unfortunately the CDC is starting to look like they're giving us patients the run-around again. Not happy about this at all. :mad:
 

waiting

Senior Member
Messages
463
I got more votes by sharing on FB. i think this is worthy of doing and then sharing with the involved parties.

That's great, Kati. Thank you for doing that. I plan to give it some more time (after it appears the voting has ended) and then send the results to CFSPCOCACall@cdc.gov and also to Dr. Unger. I think in addition to the poll results, everyone's comments are valuable. Thanks for participating, PR members!
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
That's great, Kati. Thank you for doing that. I plan to give it some more time (after it appears the voting has ended) and then send the results to CFSPCOCACall@cdc.gov and also to Dr. Unger. I think in addition to the poll results, everyone's comments are valuable. Thanks for participating, PR members!


Thank you for doing this, waiting.:)
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
I voted yes, but I am not trying to financially support myself. I don't think I could afford to take the chance of a long-term crash if I had to work.

For me it's not about the physical toll. I'd have done the test when I was bedbound. I'd have found a way to get there because I think it's critical for research, which we desperately need. But.. I have a spouse who would drive me to the test whatever state I was in and who would feed me if I couldn't get out of bed for weeks or months. If my circumstances were different, I'm not sure I could risk it.


I need to amend my comment to reflect that we are now distinguishing between doing the one day and the two day CPET. The one day test is risky enough that my comment above applies to the one day test as much as to the two day test. As I already said, some people who are managing to work can't afford to risk any maximal exercise test and the resulting crash -- even the one day test.

Given that one is already participating in a one day exercise test for research, I can't imagine not wanting to do the two day test since it provides highly significant additional data. The damage is already done with the one day test.

Again, I would certainly do the two day test rather than the one day test for research.
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
I voted yes and have shared. I would love to see the results for the 1day test. I would vote NO, I would not take it as a stand-alone test it does not provide much info on health of PWME and can cause PEM, and perhaps extended relapse. The risk/benefit is not worth it while they are for the 2 day test. Is there any way of adding another poll on the 1day test? It maybe could be a 2 response yes it would provide meaningful data that is worth the risk of PEM and/or extended relapse. OR no as I described above. Oh - and perhaps the kicker would be a 3rd - I would not take the 1 day test, only the 2 day. And then I guess to be fair, a 4th would be necessary of I would take both tests. And 5th, I would take neither test.

Obviously I haven't thought this through - but think the idea a good one. I'll leave it up to you as am rarely on the forums, and little online these days. Thanks for doing the original poll!
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
I voted Yes on the, perhaps incorrect, assumption that I would not suffer long-term damage. I share Nielk's concern that I would need one or more nights after the tests before I was able to travel.
 

Keela Too

Sally Burch
Messages
900
Location
N.Ireland
I would only do an exercise test if it were a two day one, and if it were part of a scientifically evidenced biomedically based trial.

I would not do any exercise test (one or two day) without good reason because of the risk of setting my health back for an extensive period of time or indeed perhaps permanently.

Good reasons for doing a 2 day exercise test might include:
- Scientific evidence based biomed study;
- To provide evidence for benefits/insurance BUT only once all other routes have failed (I don't think a potentially harmful test should be promoted by PWME for proofs. It's a bit like the old witch dunking chair thing - should we need to risk our health to prove our health status? Not a good idea in my view.)
- Personal curiosity - although in my case I am not curious enough to do the test unless I was part of a trial (as above).
 

Ruthie24

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
New Mexico, USA
Have already done the two day CPET so know full well the toll it took on me and the level of PEM I experienced for weeks afterwards. Would gladly do it again for research purposes to show the dramatic change that was demonstrated between day 1 and day 2. Personally I needed to see it on paper or I never would have believed it myself....even though my body had been telling me for years that it was happening.

With a one day test it would have only shown that I looked "slightly deconditioned". THAT is not what we need researchers to be seeing!!!! The unique result of dramatic changes in VO2 at AT, VO2 max and work produced (as measured in watts) were startling. THAT'S what the researchers need to be seeing! Then they need to figure out WHY it's happening.

Like others have said, I've lost my ability to work and have a spouse who is supportive and can help me get to the test etc, so I have the "luxury" of being able/willing to participate and have weeks/months to recover. :rolleyes:
 

waiting

Senior Member
Messages
463
Here's the text of the email I just sent to HHS and CDC: (Note: the poll results did not copy properly here so I just put an indicator for PR readers. In the actual email, I inserted the poll results.)

Subject: Please consider poll results from Phoenix Rising that indicate 93.3% of our members (international ME/CFS patients) would agree to the *2-day CPET* if they were in your CDC Multi-Site study
--------------------------------------
To: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius,
HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh,
CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden,
CDC Acting Chief (CVDB) Dr. Elizabeth Unger,
CFSAC.

Many ME patients and advocates have expressed deep concern over the CDC's decision to conduct only a 1-day CPET as part of the CDC Multi-Site Study. I think I need not reiterate our concerns here. However, on Phoenix Rising, a patient forum, we held a poll to see if members of our community have the same concerns Dr. Elizabeth Unger cited in the recent CDC PCOCA conference call as the reason for not conducting the "gold standard" 2-day CPET (8-12 minute tests):

(1) the additional physical toll on patients of a 2nd day of CPET testing and;
(2) having to stay overnight for those patients who must travel a long distance to clinic.

The poll results, after 11 days, currently show that 93.3% of our members (56 of 60 votes) would agree to do the 2-day CPET. You can see the full results below. I believe the poll results are representative of our patient population (of those who would be prepared to participate in the 1-day CPET at a minimum, which they would be doing if they were enrolled in the study).

Our members also included comments that would be worthwhile reading for you at this link: http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...-2-day-cpet-if-in-cdc-multi-site-study.25286/

I implore the CDC to reconsider their decision and not lose this important opportunity to conduct a 2-day CPET in the Multi-Site study.

Many of our members have already done the 2-day CPET at Staci Stevens' lab in California or at Dr. Betsy Keller's lab in New York. There is no other way to obtain this valuable data for our patient population.

Regards,
"Waiting"
----------------------------------
Poll question: IF you were a CDC Multi-Site Study participant, would you agree to do the *2-day* CPET?

[poll results captured yesterday, Sep 25 2013 were inserted here]
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I voted yes, but I would not be willing to do a one-day trial at all.
There is no point in making myself ill for a study which does not measure how ill it makes me; which will not contribute to knowledge about the disease;
and which will only serve to "prove" I am not ill at all.

I would be happy to undergo a couple of months of PEM to take part in the 2 day test, which would show the true result of exercise, for the sake of all of us who suffer.

I would cope with it for something as important as this.
 

waiting

Senior Member
Messages
463
Thanks, everyone. We all participated in this one. It's so great that PR has this poll tool. I will definitely post any replies I receive.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
There was a point in time when i would have done a two-day test (when I had better function). I would never do a one-day test, ever, because that's not necessarily sufficient to show what is wrong in my disease. (I think I'd fail the first test, but it wouldn't be specific to my disease).

At this point I wouldn't do any CPET testing, even the proper kind, because I am just not healthy enough to risk a long-term collapse. Any deterioration and I'd be bedridden or worse.

(so I didn't vote the poll because I wouldn't be enrolled in the study--not the exercise part because I'd refuse, and not any part because I can't get to any of those clinics. I can barely get to clinic in my own town, or sometimes cannot get to clinic in my own town)

Still I would prefer the 2-day testing were offered for those patients who are healthy enough to do it, and research continue to look for ways to distinguish patients like me (who cannot do exercise testing) from patients with other diseases, and document post-exertional relapse in a scientific way in patients like me.