The former TV presenter said that he suffers with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and that using a bus stop would be “out of the question” on a bad day, and that walking to the train station can be “quite exhausting” for him. He said that on “bad days” he will have to “lay down for a day or two” and will be unable to walk for weeks. Lamarr also told the court that he is “effectively retired” and is now “dealing records”, and that he uses his car to “find stock”.

Sorry to hear that Former Never Mind The Buzzcocks host Mark Lamarr has chronic fatigue syndrome

"Mark Lamarr banned from driving despite claiming exceptional hardship"

www.corklive.ie/news/arts---...

#MEcfs #CFS #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

When you're feeling stressed or tired, it's the purrfect time to bliss out. Look up, smile, and take some deep breaths, like the cat! #likethecat #chronicillness #mindfulness #selfcare #awareness #mindfulliving #healing #chronicfatigue #chronicfatiguesyndrome #fibromyalgia #authors #books

UK NHS England releases e-learning module “Supporting people with severe ME/CFS” NHS England have released a modified version of their materials aimed at helping healthcare professionals understand how to support people living with Severe or Very Severe ME/CFS. Unlike the previous version which was restricted to those with a qualifying work email address this module is available to view by anyone who registers for a general user account.

UK NHS England releases e-learning module “Supporting people with severe ME/CFS”

learninghub.nhs.uk/Resource/793...

Screenshot from latest Science for ME weekly update

#SevereME #MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3 panel cartoon 1st panel: A sign in the background says happy birthday George there is music blasting, lots of party food, a balloon and people being merry. George is sitting in his wheelchair with his hands over his ears looking distressed 2nd panel: A sign in the background says happy birthday George. Somebody hands George a piece of cake but he pushes it away. A woman is spraying on perfume and George has his hand on his nose. The music continues. Everyone looks happy except George. 3rd panel: woman to George: isn't this fun!! Georges in his wheelchair looking disorientated. In the background, there is music, balloons and people enjoying themselves at the party.

14/
More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3 panel cartoon 1st panel: Woman to George who is in a wheelchair: "thank you for participating in the PACE trial to test CBT and GET therapy for ME/CFS" (in the background is a sign saying Centre for Psychiatry) 2nd panel: Woman to George who is in a wheelchair: "Comparing your SF-36 functional scores before and after therapy… I've seen you've deteriorated and no longer able to walk…" (in the background is a sign saying Centre for Psychiatry) 3rd panel: Woman to George who is in a wheelchair: "… But your score's still within our threshold set for full recovery… A superb outcome!!" George puts out his hands in disbelief

13/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

[Comment: this exact scenario probably didn't happen but the revised recovery criteria were indeed less than the entry criteria!]

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: George is sitting down reading the newspaper. He has this thought bubble: "hmmm… Covid-19 lockdown guidelines… How will this affect patients with ME/CFS?" 2nd panel: "… You can't leave the house… you can't go to work… You can't have visitors or visit anyone… If you have symptoms stay home… Don't visit your doctor except for emergencies…" 3rd panel: George thinks to himself: "… Life as usual then"

12/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Graph showing 10,000,000 views in the last 90 days.

Pleased that the extra time/energy I have been putting into my FB page, "Tom Kindlon's ME CFS & related page: News, Research and more", is yielding results

Social media is far from dead.

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #LongCovid

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: George talking to a woman: look here… This popular ME/CFS side explains a new experimental therapy that helping patients 2nd panel: George: I book an appointment next month to discuss it with my doctor woman: why don't you get an earlier appointment? 3rd panel: George: I need time to study so I can help my doctor understand it

11/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Poster download in the link. White background, black letters & a QR code. It says: “WHAT IF YOU LOST HALF THE HOURS IN YOUR DAY? YOUR WEEK? YOUR YEAR? ME/CFS causes a 50% reduction in pre-illness activity (at least). Every COVID infection increases your risk. It can happen to anyone. Practice self care & protect your community: Wear A Mask”

I saw this posted elsewhere:
--
This is pretty great. There are zines too.

POSTERS/FLYERS (DOWNLOAD): ME/CFS and Masking Awareness - saltydyke's Ko-fi Shop ko-fi.com/s/f0919c480c

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #LongCovid

When Fatigue Has No Status Exactly the same structure governs the legitimacy of fatigue. Fatigue secondary to multiple sclerosis is readily recognised as real. Fatigue of equivalent severity in ME/ CFS is contested and quietly downgraded. The lived experience may be indistinguishable. The social meaning is not. One story preserves the model ‘good person plus bad object equals illness’. The other destabilises it, and so suffering is reinterpreted as identity. As a rehabilitation physician working closely with patients with long-standing ME/CFS and functional disorders, I have repeatedly been struck by a paradox that is difficult to forget. Several patients whom I had followed for years, disabled by profound fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and loss of function, were later found to have incidental MRI findings that supported a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Each time, I expected devastation. Instead, more than one patient told me that the day they were given the diagnosis of MS was ‘the best day of my life’. Not because their suffering had changed, but because, for the first time, it had become legitimate. They were no longer exhausted without cause, disabled without explanation, or ill without status. They had crossed an invisible threshold from a condition that required justification into one that commanded recognition.

Extract from "The Hidden Hierarchy of Illness" by UK consultant Tarek Gaber

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

The amazing thing is, one day, the phrase "Eat Shit and live" might be an actual tablet solution!!!
#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
( #ME/ #CFS)

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: George is reclined on a couch in what looks like a therapist's office therapist: I understand you fear exercise exacerbates your ME/CFS symptoms 2nd panel: therapist: but we can help you overcome this George: overcome my post-exertional paralysis? Rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, vertigo, insomnia… Pain? 3rd panel: therapist: yes… With positive thinking!

10/
More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating multisystem illness characterized by profound fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive impairment, and autonomic dysfunction, yet it currently lacks FDAapproved treatments. Molecular hydrogen (H2), administered primarily as hydrogen-rich water (HRW), has emerged as a potential therapeutic candidate due to its selective antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory activity, and support of mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. These mechanisms align with several biological abnormalities implicated in ME/CFS, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and impaired energy metabolism. This narrative minireview summarizes mechanistic evidence relevant to ME/CFS and evaluates three developmental clinical studies of HRW in this population. Although early trials are small and methodologically limited, moderate-dose HRW consumed over extended durations has demonstrated feasibility and preliminary benefits in reducing fatigue and improving physical function, with generally mild side effects. Overlapping findings in Long COVID further suggest potential applicability across related post-viral fatigue conditions. Key limitations include small sample sizes, reliance on self-report outcomes, and the absence of objective biomarkers. Future research should prioritize larger, rigorously controlled trials incorporating remote biometric and biochemical assessments to clarify mechanisms of action and identify responsive subgroups. Overall, molecular hydrogen represents a promising, low-burden adjunctive therapy warranting further investigation in ME/CFS.

New:
Molecular hydrogen as a treatment for ME/CFS: a mini-review of clinical evidence and mechanistic rationale

Free fulltext:
www.frontiersin.org/journals/med...

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Symptom Spotlight Post-exertional malaise: not just tired https://mecfssa.org.au/resources/post-exertional-malaise-pem • Key Symptom of ME/CFS: Post-Exertional Malaise • Post-exertional malaise (PEM) or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE) is a pathological loss of energy and worsening of symptoms following minimal physical, mental or emotional effort, or other triggers. The onset of PEM may be immediate or delayed by several hours or days. Recovery is prolonged and may take days, weeks or months. • When people with ME/CFS push themselves to use more than their available energy reserves, the loss in functional capacity is inevitable and cannot be reversed by a long rest or a good night's sleep. People often struggle to describe this loss of energy, weakness and exacerbation of symptoms. They may use words like crash, payback, debilitating exhaustion. Drawing of someone looking exhausted and distressed holding tightly to their blanket

This image from ME/CFS South Australia refers to this useful webpage on Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) on the ME/CFS Australia site:
mecfs.org.au/resources/po...
(the URL redirects here)

#MEcfs #PEM #PostExertionalMalaise #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: male doctor: your diagnosis is 'ME' George: 'ME'? Doctor: More commonly called 'CFS' or 'ME/CFS'… 2nd panel: Doctor:… or CFIDS or PVFS or SEID. Similar to Covid-related PASC with worse PEM. Also you've probably got IBS, MCAS, POTS… Possibly EDS or CCI 3rd panel: George outside the doctors office: was he telling me I've got acronymitis?

9/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Norway Disability Case Exposes Flaws in Draft Guideline for "Long-Term Fatigue-including ME/CFS"

virology.ws/2026/03/13/t...

Screenshot from latest Science for ME weekly update

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: an image of an ambulance with its siren on 2nd panel: woman to the health professionals who are pushing him on a stretcher: "he's had a severe ME/CFS relapse!" Health professional pushing him into the emergency department: "relax ma'am, he's in the best of care" 3rd panel: same health professional to one of his colleagues: "psst… What's in me/CFS?" Thought bubble from another health professional:? George gets up a little looking alarmed.

8/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

ABSTRACT Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disorder with suspected neuroinflammatory pathophysiology. However, previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have reported inconsistent white matter abnormali ties in ME/CFS, and specific white matter inflammatory changes remain poorly characterised. This study employed an advanced diffusion- based neuroinflammation imaging (NII) model to investigate white matter neuroinflammation in ME/CFS. Diffusion MRI data from 67 ME/CFS patients (median age, 38; and 54 women) and 67 rigorously matched healthy controls (HCs) (median age 38; and 52 women) were analysed. Seven NII- derived metrics were computed: hindered water ratio (NII- HR), restricted frac tion (NII- RF), fibre fraction (NII- FF), axial diffusivity (NII- AD), radial diffusivity (NII- RD), mean diffusivity (NII- MD) and frac tional anisotropy (NII- FA). Conventional DTI metrics were also calculated. Tract- based spatial statistics were used to perform voxel- wise group comparisons, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between NII/DTI metrics and clinical measures of mental health, physical health, sleep quality, disability, disease severity and disease duration. Compared to HCs, ME/CFS patients exhibited widespread white matter abnormalities, including significantly lower NII- HR and NII- RF, and significantly higher NII- FF, NII- AD, NII- MD and NII- FA across association, commissural and projection fibres. Additionally, some regions showed decreased NII- AD and NII- MD in ME/CFS. Lower NII- RF, NII- AD and NII- MD in ME/CFS were significantly associated with worse mental health, while lower NII- RF was also associated with a higher level of disability. Among ME/CFS patients, higher NII- FF was associated with lower disease severity. Conventional DTI showed minimal group differences and no significant clinical associations. This study provides in vivo evidence of white …

New from Australia:

Evidence of White Matter Neuroinflammation in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Diffusion-Based Neuroinflammation Imaging Study

Free fulltext:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Identifying post-exertional malaise subtypes: Differentiating physical and mental PEM manifestations — Katherine Tuzzolino et al. "our results indicated that an increase in age is associated with reduced (i.e. less burdened) symptom scores. One explanation for this finding could be that as our sample aged, they had a better understanding of their functional capacity and could better manage the illness and its symptoms." "Notably, we found that the ME/CFS groups were not as burdened by emotional issues compared to the Control group"

Identifying post-exertional malaise subtypes: Differentiating physical and mental PEM manifestations

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update

#MEcfs #PEM #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

The association between hair cortisol levels, Epstein-Barr virus infections and chronic fatigue in adolescents — Berit Elise Bergem Kongsnes et al. "elevated hair cortisol levels prior to EBV infection were not associated with an increased risk of developing chronic fatigue" "Chronic fatigue at six months following acute EBV infection is associated with reduced levels of hair cortisol" "our findings suggest that symptomatic fatigue precedes these physiological changes rather than resulting directly from them."

The association between hair cortisol levels, Epstein-Barr virus infections and chronic fatigue in adolescents

www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

A biopsychosocial theory turns out not to be true

Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: George on his phone in a taxi: "today I'm starting graded exercise therapy at the ME/CFS clinic… Scientific studies prove it helps recovery". Woman talking to him on the phone: "okay… I hope it helps." 2nd panel: you see George walking away from a taxi into the ME/CFS Accredited GET clinic with graded exercise therapy on the window 3rd panel: weeks later George is being pushed in a wheelchair by the woman in the 1st panel walking away from the graded exercise therapy unit. He is angry with a thought bubble of swear words blocked out.

7/

More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

[TW. discussion of #ChronicFatigueSyndrome, #fibromyalgia, #CPTSD, struggling with increased #disability]

{🧵, 1/5}

I saw this wee comic, and it reminded me to follow up on that referral to try & get assessed for #ME

it just sounds too darn familiar

George and his ME/CFS 3-panel cartoon 1st panel: George: it's my ME/CFS… I'm having a really bad day 2nd panel: woman to George: any idea what caused this setback? 3rd panel: George: I've narrowed it down to something I haven't taken (in the background are lots of boxes of different prescriptions)

6/
More from a series of comic strips about life as a person with ME/CFS.

"George and His ME/CFS"

🎨Rick Menard

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

From the Irish ME/CFS Association: We were delighted to get another grant for core funding of €3000 last week from the Hospital Saturday Fund following an application Tom Kindlon made earlier in the year. The Hospital Saturday Fund gets its funds from Hospital Saturday Fund health plans. Medical charities can only get funds once a year so we will of course need to be careful how we plan to use it. In photo: Vera & Tom Kindlon, committee members of the Irish ME/CFS Association, an all-volunteer organisation. Photo was actually from 2020: they transferred the money this year so we don't have one of those envelopes with their name on it. The Hospital Saturday Fund #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #MEcfs #CFS #PwME Tom Kindlon-pwme

2/2

Longer message regarding the €3000 core funding grant that we were delighted to receive this week from the Hospital Saturday Fund

#MEcfs #CFS #MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #PwME #MyE

9/
“(Contd) Rapid changes can occur when the patient becomes curious about new ways of thinking about the disease.”

You would think doctors shouldn’t be spouting unevidenced rubbish in a court room like this!

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

7/
Nav’s consulting physician “talked a lot about “motivation,” and that a lack of faith in treatment would cause it to not work. I took it as meaning that the family and Kolbjørn lacked motivation, which was why he was still sick.”
#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

6/
Nav’s consulting physician, Ingvild Damskog: “believed that there are “many” who recover. When Anne Kielland asked why these recoveries were not visible in the statistics, she could not answer.”

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

10/

“That can be uncomfortable. Sometimes it brushes up against grief. Sometimes it requires renegotiating old beliefs about strength and resilience and what “trying hard enough” is supposed to look like.”

#LongCovid #MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

5/

Nav’s consulting physician: “believed that activity matching does not work, they do not see the effect of it (and have thus missed the point that it is a coping strategy, not a treatment).”

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

4/

NAV’s lawyer:
“(Contd) People who believe in the biomedical model are just waiting for a pill, he claimed, & they are not open to other approaches, or motivated to try. “If they continue as they are now, he will never recover!”

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome