Event, Newry, N. Ireland: Dr. Jonathan Kerr: ME/CFS Subtypes & Targeted Effective Treatments

I am basing what I say on the assumption that we do not know that viruses are reactivated in ME. All the research I have seen in the last five years suggests that viral reactivation is not a significant factor. I am not impressed that there is any older evidence that is convincing either. There have also been trials with anti-vitals in ME and my memory is that initially there was an apparent response that on formal testing turned out to be a placebo response.

Certainly anti-vitals should be used where reactivation is established with viruses such as varicella-zoster or Herpes simplex.

 

The reference to autoimmune disease was I think a complete red herring. There is no good reason to think EBV is involved in conditions like RA. I am afraid this sounded like a tired repeat of stuff we used to hear all the time in the 1980s and turned out to be groundless.

 

I get the feeling this is a "consensus" theory, they took every theory they could find and combined them to come up with a grand theory
I am very much reminded of this Simpsons clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNpmJVa10PU

 

I have not been able to watch the talk, but on the basis of the comments here it does not sound as if this talk advanced things.

I must admit that I am desperately discouraged these days that the research has not yet yielded what’s required to give folks an acceptable life. I had hoped the metabolic trap would yield something and things are now quiet on that front. However, who knows what is going on behind the scene. And Dr Kerr who is balm to the soul has not, it seems, been able to come close to cracking this either.

Any good news out there?

 

I just found this study with MS and EBV in the brain which I thought was interesting. It deals with an accumulation of EBV in the brain. Now with ME we have PEM which enhances all the symptoms suggesting that what ever causes them is elevated? Could this more of the problem than reactivation? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-20/multiple-sclerosis-ms-clinical-trial-qld/10512650?pfmredir=sm