Countrygirl
Senior Member
- Messages
- 5,476
- Location
- UK
This is a letter that the Lady Mar sent to The Times a few days ago (and which they declined to publish) as it may be useful to show a doctor who is keen to push you into accepting GET.
A misunderstood condition
MAR, Countess
letters@thetimes.co.uk
Sir
NICE is in the process of replacing their guideline for ME/CFS, but this will take time. Patients with ME/CFS in this country continue to receive damaging treatment.
Despite incontrovertible evidence of disabling metabolic abnormalities in their muscles, they are advised to “exercise back to fitness”.
They are not simply “deconditioned” as claimed by many psychiatrists. Forced exercise above very low levels characteristically incapacitates most patients.
The “exercise will make you better doctrine” applied to ME/CFS is thus profoundly incorrect and has no scientific evidence base. The human cost is enormous, with many sufferers from ME/CFS rendered much worse by seriously inappropriate medical management. Even worse, such management is inflicted compulsorily on some patients, both adults and children, with their informed consent being bypassed via egregiously erroneous use of mental health and child protection legislation.
Yours faithfully Mar Countess of Mar, Forward-ME
Dr William Weir, Infectious Disease Consultant
Dr Nigel Speight, Paediatrician
Dr Charles Shepherd, ME Association
Dr Vance Spence, ME Research UK
Dr Gareth Tuckwell, ME Trust
Dr Paul Worthley, ME Trust
Jane Colby, TYMES Trust
Helen Brownlie, 25% ME Group
Tanya and Christine Harrison, BRAME
William and Janice Kent, ReMEmber
Hannah Clifton, ME Trust
Clare Ogden, Action for ME
Sent by the Countess of Mar, House of Lords, Westminster, London SW1A 0PW. Telephone 020 7219
A misunderstood condition
MAR, Countess
letters@thetimes.co.uk
Sir
NICE is in the process of replacing their guideline for ME/CFS, but this will take time. Patients with ME/CFS in this country continue to receive damaging treatment.
Despite incontrovertible evidence of disabling metabolic abnormalities in their muscles, they are advised to “exercise back to fitness”.
They are not simply “deconditioned” as claimed by many psychiatrists. Forced exercise above very low levels characteristically incapacitates most patients.
The “exercise will make you better doctrine” applied to ME/CFS is thus profoundly incorrect and has no scientific evidence base. The human cost is enormous, with many sufferers from ME/CFS rendered much worse by seriously inappropriate medical management. Even worse, such management is inflicted compulsorily on some patients, both adults and children, with their informed consent being bypassed via egregiously erroneous use of mental health and child protection legislation.
Yours faithfully Mar Countess of Mar, Forward-ME
Dr William Weir, Infectious Disease Consultant
Dr Nigel Speight, Paediatrician
Dr Charles Shepherd, ME Association
Dr Vance Spence, ME Research UK
Dr Gareth Tuckwell, ME Trust
Dr Paul Worthley, ME Trust
Jane Colby, TYMES Trust
Helen Brownlie, 25% ME Group
Tanya and Christine Harrison, BRAME
William and Janice Kent, ReMEmber
Hannah Clifton, ME Trust
Clare Ogden, Action for ME
Sent by the Countess of Mar, House of Lords, Westminster, London SW1A 0PW. Telephone 020 7219