Acronyms

[SNT Gatchaman]

ACM - Arnold-Chiari malformation (usually just CM Chiari malformation, types 1-5)
ACTH - Adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADE - Antibody-dependent enhancement
ADH - Antidiuretic hormone, also known as vasopressin
ADP - Adenosine diphosphate
AfME - Action for ME
Ag - Antigen
ALA - Alpha-lipoic acid (not to be confused with alpha-linoleic acid, also ALA)
ALCAR - Acetyl-L-carnitine
ALD - Adrenoleukodystrophy (X linked)
ALS - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as motor neuron disease (MND)
ANN - Artificial neural network
ANS - Autonomic nervous system
ANZMES - The Associated New Zealand ME Society
APS - Antiphospholipid syndrome (also APLS)
ART - Aggressive rest therapy
ASD - Autism spectrum disorder
ATP - Adenosine triphosphate

BBB - Blood-brain barrier
BCAA - Branched chain amino acid
BMJ - British Medical Journal
BPS - Biopsychosocial model
BPS - British Psychological Society

Ca - Calcium
Ca - Cancer (medical abbreviation)
CAA - CFIDS Association of America, now known as 'Solve M.E.'
CAC - Citric acid cycle (see also TCA)
CBT - Cognitive behavioral therapy
CCC - Canadian consensus criteria
CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
CFIDS - Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome
CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CM - Chiari malformation (types 1-5)
CMV - Cytomegalovirus
CNS - Central nervous system
COI - Conflict of interest
CoQ10 - Co-enzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone or ubiquinol
CPET - Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
CSF - Cerebrospinal Fluid
CT- Computed tomography (obsolete: CAT scan 'computerised axial tomography')

DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid (a fish oil)
DHEA - Dehydroepiandrosterone (steroid precursor)
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid

EBV - Epstein-Barr virus
EDS - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (see also hEDS)
EEG - Electroencephalogram
EFA - Essential fatty acid
EHS - Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
EI - Environmental illness
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency (US)
EPA - Eicosapentaenoic acid (a fish oil)
ERMI - Environmental relative moldiness index
ERV - Endogenous retrovirus
ETA - Edited to add
EUROMENE - European ME/CFS Network
EV - Enterovirus
EV - Extracellular vesicle

FDA - Food and Drug Administration (US)
FM - Fibromyalgia, sometimes abbreviated FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome)
FMT - Fecal microbiota transplant
FOIA - Freedom of Information Act (US and similar in other jurisdictions)

GABA - Gamma Aminobutyric acid
GAD - Generalised anxiety disorder
GcMAF - Gc macrophage activating factor
GET - Graded exercise therapy
GERD - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (US English)
GNB - Gram-negative bacillus
GORD - Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (UK English)
GP - General practitioner
GPC - Glycerophosphocholine
GWAS - Genome-wide association studies
GWI - Gulf War illness

H2S - Hydrogen sulfide
HAART - Highly active antiretroviral therapy
HCT - Hematocrit
hEDS - Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (type 3, c.f. classical EDS type1)
HERV - Human endogenous retrovirus
HERX - (Jarisch)-Herxheimer reaction
HHV-6 - Human herpesvirus 6
HPA - Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis
HRV - Heart rate variability
HSP - Heat shock protein
HSV - Herpes simplex virus

IACFS/ME - International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
IBS - Irritable bowel syndrome
ICC - International consensus criteria
ICD - International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11 from Jan 2022)
IFN - Interferon
IgG - Immunoglobulin G
IgM - Immunoglobulin M
IiME - Invest in ME Research
IoM - Institute of Medicine (renamed), now National Academy of Medicine (US)
IRIS - Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
IVIG - Intravenous immunoglobulin

JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

LC - Long Covid
LCFA - Long chain fatty acid
LDN - Low-dose naltrexone
LP - Lightning Process (beware: here be dragons)
LP - Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
LPR - Laryngopharyngeal reflux
LPS - Lipopolysaccharide
LTR - Long terminal repeat (identical repeated sequences of DNA)

MCAD - Mast cell activation disorder (an outdated term for any mast cell disorder)
MCADD - Medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency
MCAS - Mast cell activation syndrome
MCS - Multiple chemical sensitivity
ME - Myalgic encephalomyelitis
MEA - ME Association (UK charity)
Mg - Magnesium
miRNA - microRNA
MND - Motor neuron disease (also ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
MRC - Medical Research Council (UK)
MRI - Magnetic resonance imaging
MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
MS - Multiple sclerosis
MSM - Methylsulfonylmethane
MUS - Medically unexplained symptoms (see MUPS)
MUPS - Medically unexplained physical symptoms

NAC - N-acetylcysteine
NADH - Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (+ hydrogen)
NCNED - National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (Australia)
NEID - Neuroendocrineimmune disorder (outdated term)
NEJM - New England Journal of Medicine
NHS - National Health Service (UK)
NICE - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
NIH - National Institute of Health (US)
NIHR - National Institute for Health Research (UK)
NK - Natural killer (cell)
NLP - Neurolinguistic programming
NMH - Neurally mediated hypotension
NO - Nitric oxide
NP - Nurse practitioner
NTS - Nucleus tractus solitarii, brainstem nucleus of the vagus nerve

OI - Orthostatic intolerance
OH - Orthostatic hypotension
OMF - Open Medicine Foundation

PACE - Pacing, graded Activity and Cognitive behavioural therapy: a randomised Evaluation
PASC - Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (see long Covid)
PC - Phosphatidylcholine
PCP - Primary care physician
PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
PEM - Post-exertional malaise
PENE - Post exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (see PEM)
PESE - Post-exertional symptom exacerbation (see PEM)
PET - Positron emission tomography
PN - Peripheral neuropathy
PNS - Peripheral nervous system
POTS - Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
PR - Phoenix Rising (you are here)
PS - Phosphatidylserine
PVFS - Postviral fatigue syndrome (perhaps a time-limited, resolving form of ME/CFS)
PwME - Person with ME (also PwCFS)

RLS - Restless legs syndrome
RNA - Ribonucleic acid

SAD - Seasonal affective disorder
SCIG - Subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy (see IVIG)
SEL - Sustainable exertion limit
SEID - Systemic exertion intolerance disease (proposed alternative name for ME/CFS)
SFN - Small fibre neuropathy
SIBO - Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
SM - Syringomyelia (or syrinx)
SNP - Single-nucleotide polymorphism
SOD - Superoxide dismutase
SPECT - Single-photon emission computed tomography
SSRI - Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

TCA - Tricarboxylic acid cycle, also known as citric acid cycle (CAC) or Krebs cycle
TCA - Tricyclic antidepressant
TMI - Too much information
TMJ - Temporomandibular joint
TNF - Tumour necrosis factor

VLCFA - Very long chain fatty acid
VN - Vagus nerve, tenth cranial nerve (CN X)
VZV - Varicella zoster virus

WHO - World Health Organization

XMRV - Xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Acronyms challenge us all. There was a previous acronym listing, but this had become defunct. See this posting. I've grabbed definitions from a few locations and we can edit this post to keep it up to date.

Please submit additions, as well as corrections for definitions and links as messages below. I will add them to the list as time permits (or a moderator in my absence).

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@SNT Gatchaman
What a thoughty, considerate post ... you'll never know how many current and future members you've helped with this ....

I think it should be pinned to the top of ..... hmmmmm ..... not sure which forum, but will think it thru and with your permission, will ask one of our patient, long-suffering mods how to go about that ...

Thank you so much for this very real piece of support and help to our community .....

 

[SWAlexander]

Thank you SNT Gatchaman

 

[SWAlexander]

Is it permitted to add other Acronyms? If not please let me know. I add already ALD.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Is it permitted to add other Acronyms? If not please let me know. I add already ALD.

Yes, but first you have to tell us what ALD stands for.

 

[SWAlexander]

Yes, but first you have to tell us what ALD stands for.

Adrenoleukodystrophy: I also placed a link in red
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a genetic disease that affects the nervous system and the adrenal glands (small glands located on top of each kidney). People with this disease often have progressive loss of the fatty covering (myelin) that surrounds the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. They may also have a shortage of certain hormones that is caused by damage to the outer layer of the adrenal glands (adrenal cortex). This is called adrenocortical insufficiency, or Addison disease.[1] There are three forms of X-ALD: a childhood cerebral form, an adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) type, and an adrenal-insufficiency-only-type. The disease primarily affects males.[1]

The reason I placed ALD is, so many ME people show similar symptoms. However, research has not yet looked into X-ALD in combination with ME/CFS. I could not find a VLCFA test mention so far.

 

[SWAlexander]

Would it be posible to create a permanent link at the bar?

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Would it be posible to create a permanent link at the bar?

Great idea (for life as well as the forums ).

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Just a few suggestions to consider

Done - phew. Thank you @Pyrrhus !

 

[SWAlexander]

Done - phew. Thank you @Pyrrhus !

Wow, this was fast, thank you. Now my foggy brain don't have to go all the time on overdrive.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Would it be posible to create a permanent link at the bar?

You can bookmark this thread so that you have a quick link at the top of your page.

To do this, click the "bookmark" icon at the top of this thread:

Then, when you later want to look up an abbreviation, simply click on the "bookmark" icon at the very top of the page: