Germany: Article, "practical recommendations on diagnostics and therapy"

All information taken from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für ME/CFS Facebook post and Facebook translate.

Code:

https://www.facebook.com/dg.mecfs/posts/628905577517511

https://twitter.com/user/status/1172410007612051457

 

I'm glad to see this: last time I heard anything about ME/CFS in Germany was being told it didn't exist there ... (admittedly a long time ago now).

 

I like this article in big parts and it's great that it is published by the Ärzteblatt Saxony.

this part is a bit irretating: "Two studies from Norway demonstrated the efficacy of the B cell-depleting antibody rituximab in more than half of the patients [11]. The results of the recently published multicenter study are unfortunately negative, however, the dose was halved compared to the first studies. However, a positive result of the study is that in the placebo arm, the disease improved in 30 percent of those treated. This shows the great importance of a close-knit, committed medical care for this disease."

 

Yes there is some psychosomatic ideology in this document but it's not too bad.

It is not clear why the placebo arm improved and as much fun as it is to speculate, an article about treatment should refrain from it.

 

Yep, I'm still confused by the claim that the Rituximab dose was halved (and this might be the reason the study had a negative result). Prof. Scheibenbogen has said this in a talk before but I haven't heard of it anywhere else.

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I'm glad that the document contains a page on children with ME. It's the first time (that I'm aware of) that we have "official" info on pediatric ME in German.