So I'm wondering which doctors in the US still treat ME with antivirals

[Shanti1]

Do you think he would put in an order so I could have those done through a clinic here if/when I made an appointment with him.

Good question. If I had to guess I would say that he will want to see you before writing a script for testing, his office staff is very nice and they would be able to confirm.

Also did you say after the initial visit he lets you do virtual visits instead and which antivirals was he willing to prescribe?

A year ago, when I had my initial appointment, he offered both initial consults and follow-ups as virtual visits. The problem is that he doesn't take insurance for virtual. He only accepts insurance for in office. I would call the office to see if this is still the case.

He is an otolaryngologist by training, but developed and interest in fibro and ME since he had fibro himself. Since I was only positive for EBV, he wrote a script for valacyclovir, but he did say that he uses other antivirals if needed. In his book, written in 2008, he mentions also using famciclovir and Valcyte, although he uses valcyte less often due to the higher side effect profile. I am not sure how willing he is to venture beyond these antivirals.

 

[Judee]

his office staff is very nice and they would be able to confirm.

Thank you. Maybe just one more question (for now at least )
...I started reading his book last night and wondered if he will push the allergy testing, etc a lot.

It's just that over the last 30 years through testing and trial and error I've eliminated so many things (whole food groups, odd foods, as well as environmental exposures, etc). I just don't know if I can eliminate anymore.

Workarounds take energy too.

 

[Shanti1]

Ask all the questions you like, not a problem.

...I started reading his book last night and wondered if he will push the allergy testing, etc a lot.

I saw in his book that he had his own brand of allergy testing and I was worried that he was going to want me to take his specific test. Like you, I've done a lot of work with food sensitivities and I have also already had a lot of IgG testing. When I went to my appointment, I brought all my previous IgG tests with me and he accepted those and didn't ask me to do further testing. If I hadn't already had testing done, I do not know if he would have pushed it, but my sense is that he would be flexible on that.

 

[hapl808]

Am I correct in reading that an ICD diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue is distinct and excluded by a diagnosis of Post Viral Fatigue?

https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/R00-R99/R50-R69/R53-/R53.82

Even though their description of CFS says: "The etiology of cfs may be viral or immunologic."

Am I misreading this diagnostic?

I hate that our healthcare system has nothing to do with our health and everything to do with what boxes are definitively checked on a disorder that has no definitive biomarkers or even symptoms.

 

[Judee]

Am I correct in reading that an ICD diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue is distinct and excluded by a diagnosis of Post Viral Fatigue?

I don't know. I'm sorry. We used to have someone who was really good with ICD codes. @Inara, was that you?

Edit: Here's one old thread on it, I think. ?? https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/icd-10-cm-me-and-cfs-to-be-split.39655/

https://cfsformecfs.org/2021/09/30/...can-can-develop-me-cfs-including-after-covid/

Maybe a good question for a new thread?

 

[chilove]

Its approved for herpes simplex and herpes zoster

If you want to PM me i can cut and paste my long answer to someone else just asked.

Can you please send it to me as well? Thank you!