1. Sign our petition calling on Cochrane to withdraw their review of Exercise Therapy for 'CFS'.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Guest, the 'News in Brief' for the week beginning 24th March 2025 is here.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Welcome! Read the Core Purpose and Values of our forum.
    Dismiss Notice

Science for ME

  1. Welcome to Science For ME

    About the forum. Members can access our rules, guidance on using the forum and a section where members can introduce themselves.

    1. Welcome: About the Forum, Our Values

      Discussions:
      1
      Messages:
      2
      Latest: Welcome Science For ME, Apr 20, 2024
      RSS

  2. ME/CFS and Long Covid news

    A place to discuss news about ME/CFS and Long Covid.

    1. ME/CFS and Long Covid news

      A place to discuss news about ME/CFS and Long Covid.

      Discussions:
      3,344
      Messages:
      106,871

      1. General ME/CFS news

      2. ME/CFS research news

      3. Long Covid news

      4. Psychosomatic news - ME/CFS and Long Covid

      5. Regional news

      6. News from organisations

      7. Weekly ME news in brief

      Latest: News from Scandinavia Utsikt, Apr 3, 2025 at 9:40 AM
      RSS

  3. ME/CFS and Long Covid research

    A place to discuss specific research papers for ME/CFS and associated illnesses such as Long Covid. Each thread should be about a single research paper.

    1. ME/CFS and Long Covid research

      A place to discuss specific research papers for ME/CFS and associated illnesses such as Long Covid. Each thread should be about a single research paper.
      Discussions:
      5,609
      Messages:
      65,041

      1. ME/CFS research

      2. Long Covid research

      3. Psychosomatic research - ME/CFS and Long Covid

      4. Recruitment into current ME/CFS research studies

      Latest: A Thought Experiment on Muscles Turtle, Apr 3, 2025 at 9:54 AM
      RSS

  4. Other news and research

    A place to post and discuss other news and research relevant to people with ME/CFS

    1. Other news and research

      A place for other health-related news and research. 'Conditions related to ME/CFS' includes IBS, POTS, fibromyalgia, post-treatment lyme disease, Gulf War Illness. 'Other Psychosomatic Medicine' covers approaches to diseases other than ME/CFS and Long Covid based on a psychosomatic paradigm - these often refer to illness labels such as Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and functional disorders (e.g. Functional Neurological Disease).
      Discussions:
      7,214
      Messages:
      55,423

      1. 'Conditions related to ME/CFS' news and research

      2. Other psychosomatic news and research

      3. Research methodology news and research

      4. Other health news and research

      5. Epidemics (including Covid-19, not Long Covid)

      Latest: Causal evidence that herpes zoster vaccination prevents a proportion of dementia cases, 2023, Markus Eyting forestglip, Apr 3, 2025 at 1:33 AM
      RSS

  5. Resources

    1. Resources

      Discussions:
      179
      Messages:
      1,979

      1. Resources

      2. Historical Documents

      3. Science library (Read only)

      4. Training courses

      Latest: Learning about the immune system hotblack, Mar 30, 2025 at 8:08 AM
      RSS

  6. Advocacy and Fundraising

    A place to discuss advocacy and fundraising related to the ME/CFS community

    1. Advocacy

      Discussions:
      1,072
      Messages:
      22,272

      1. Advocacy Action Alerts

      2. General Advocacy Discussions

      3. General disability topics and advocacy

      4. Advocacy Projects and Campaigns

      5. Petitions

      6. Fundraising

      7. Open Letters and Replies

      8. MEpedia

      Latest: Charity “Donation Matching” Yann04, Mar 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
      RSS

  7. Guidelines, reviews and disease coding

    This section is for guidelines, reviews and coding with public consultation processes for ME/CFS and similar and related illnesses. Scientific papers about guidelines and reviews should be posted in the Research section.

    1. ME/CFS related guidelines, reviews, disease coding

      'Guidelines, reviews and coding for ME/CFS and similar illnesses - development and discussion This section is for guidelines, reviews and coding with public processes for comment. Scientific papers about guidelines and reviews should be posted in the Research subforums.'
      Discussions:
      121
      Messages:
      13,162

      1. Disease coding

      2. 2021 Cochrane Exercise Therapy Review

      3. 2021 USA CDC ME/CFS Diagnosis and Treatment Review

      4. 2020 UK NICE ME/CFS Guideline

      5. 2020 UK NICE Long Covid Guideline

      6. Other guidelines

      7. Other reviews with a public consultation process

      Latest: 2025: The 2019/24 Cochrane Larun review Exercise Therapy for CFS - including IAG, campaign, petition, comments and articles hotblack, Mar 31, 2025 at 4:16 PM
      RSS

  8. Discussion topics

    1. Research quality and methodology discussions

      Discussions:
      195
      Messages:
      3,753

      1. Laboratory and genetic testing, medical imaging

      2. Physical testing (e.g. CPET, actimetry)

      3. Subjective outcome measures (questionnaires)

      4. Trial design including bias, placebo effect

      5. Other research methodology topics

      Latest: Placebo effect discussion thread Jonathan Edwards, Apr 3, 2025 at 9:32 AM
      RSS

    2. Causes, Epidemiology, Criteria, Naming discussions

      Discussions:
      97
      Messages:
      3,522

      1. Possible causes and predisposing factor discussion

      2. Diagnostic Criteria and Naming Discussions

      3. Epidemiology (incidence, prevalence, prognosis)

      Latest: Identifying and renaming inaccurate, inappropriate or minimising words, phrases, etc. in ME/CFS bobbler, Apr 3, 2025 at 10:14 AM
      RSS

    3. Symptoms and signs discussions

      Discussions:
      596
      Messages:
      12,990

      1. General and other signs and symptoms

      2. Post-Exertional malaise and fatigue

      3. Pain and Inflammation

      4. Sleep Disturbance

      5. Cardiovascular and exercise physiology (CPET)

      6. Orthostatic intolerance

      7. Neurological/cognitive/vision

      8. Blood (e.g. coagulation, cell stiffness)

      9. Immunological

      10. Hypersensitivity and Intolerance Reactions

      11. Gastrointestinal and Urinary

      12. Cellular (mitochondria, metabolites, cytokines)

      Latest: Clock changes disturbing sleep in ME/CFS hotblack, Apr 2, 2025 at 5:07 PM
      RSS

    4. Treatment discussions

      A place to discuss treatments for ME/CFS and related conditions, excluding psychosomatic treatments
      Discussions:
      322
      Messages:
      7,182

      1. Drug and supplement treatments

      2. Orthostatic intolerance treatments

      3. Nutrition, food sensitivity, microbiome treatments

      4. Other treatments

      Latest: Malic acid supplement, sumac jnmaciuch, Apr 3, 2025 at 1:51 AM
      RSS

    5. Psychosomatic theories and treatments discussions

      A place to discuss theories and treatments based on the assumption that ME/CFS and other illnesses are psychosomatic, caused by false illness beliefs and deconditioning. Topics include PACE trial, CBT, GET, MUS, functional diseases, Lightning Process.
      Discussions:
      60
      Messages:
      2,763
      Latest: Lightning Process - discussion thread Utsikt, Mar 27, 2025
      RSS

    6. Other specific illnesses discussions

      A place to discuss alternative diagnoses and possible co-morbidities
      Discussions:
      287
      Messages:
      3,579

      1. Fibromyalgia and Connective Tissue Disorders

      2. Infections: Lyme, Candida, EBV ...

      3. Endocrine: Thyroid, Adrenal, Diabetes

      4. Immune: Autoimmune and Mast Cell Disorders

      5. Neurological diseases

      6. Vitamin B12, D and other deficiencies

      7. Gulf War Illness

      8. Other specific illnesses

      Latest: An observational study of headaches in children and adolescents with functional abdominal pain.., 2018, Craig et al alktipping, Apr 1, 2025 at 1:08 AM
      RSS

    7. Doctors, clinics and organisations discussions

      Discussions:
      253
      Messages:
      7,888

      1. General clinical care

      2. USA clinics and doctors

      3. UK clinics and doctors

      4. Other clinics and doctors

      5. Organisations relevant to ME/CFS and Long Covid

      Latest: United Kingdom: ME Association governance issues MrMagoo, Mar 31, 2025 at 2:12 PM
      RSS

    8. Living with ME/CFS discussions

      Discussions:
      353
      Messages:
      7,501

      1. Home adaptations, mobility and personal care

      2. Relationships and coping

      3. Monitoring and pacing

      4. Work, Finances and Disability Insurance

      5. Caregiver support

      Latest: UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025 Kitty, Apr 3, 2025 at 3:20 AM
      RSS

    9. General ME/CFS discussions

      For discussion topics that don't fit any of the named discussion forums.
      Discussions:
      91
      Messages:
      2,658

      1. General ME/CFS discussion

      Latest: We need a diagnostic test for fatigue induced by sustained activity richie, Apr 2, 2025 at 12:32 PM
      RSS