That's very interesting. There is a Rituximab thread where you talk about your experience and it seems to work for you?! I find this Rituximab discussion really really confusing. If I got Mr. Edwards right then he thinks that the Phase III study will probably show that it doesn't work better than the placebo because he isn't convinced that Rituximab can be of any help in ME. Unfortunately it is our biggest hope. And as Norway is in the European Economic Community an approval in Norway would lead to an approval in Germany too...
It is all very interesting to me, too, and so far Rituximab has helped me and I will be continuing with the maintenance infusions for the full 12 months (or whatever is recommended by my doctor). I am not sure why (or if?) Dr. Edwards said that he does not think the Phase III study will probably show that Ritux doesn't work any better than placebo and I don't think anyone knows the results yet, unless I am mistaken. I also don't know anything about how it works in the EU vs. the US but I was able to get insurance approval for autoimmunity and we did not use an ME/CFS diagnosis in my case.
I have been tested for Hashimoto and I am still waiting for the results... But the treatment of Hashimoto didn't help you?
When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto's in Oct 2013, I was started on a low dose of Armour Thyroid. It initially improved all of my symptoms and brought my TSH, T3, T4, etc, into normal range (although the two Hashi's autoantibodies remained high and probably always will).
But after a few months, my symptoms not only returned but got worse and it was very clear that something was seriously wrong with me in addition to having Hashimoto's (but I was not yet officially diagnosed with POTS or anything else that was to come later
). By Feb 2014, I went on the final medical leave from my 16 year career and never returned.
I still take Armour Thyroid every morning, and it keeps my TSH and other numbers in the normal range, but I consider it only a small piece of the puzzle. Multiple doctors told me that having Hashi's is like the "gateway" to other autoantibodies/ autoimmune diseases and in my case, they were completely right.