Sleep Articles

You have a background in General Practice, how did you come to specialise in ME/CFS? 

During the 1980s TATT (tired all the time) was one of the most common symtoms I was seeing whilst in General Practice. But, there was little on offer in terms of treatment so I specialised in the area to support as many people as possible.  

When you were working in General Practice, did you often find the ME/CFS were misunderstood? Why do you think this is? 

If there is not a simple drug solution to a problem then the patient often gets blamed. 

You highlight diet and lifestyle as a key route to better management. Why are these factors so important?

Fatigue is a symptom of poor energy delivery – diet is quiet literally a human's the fuel in the tank………and it does so much more!

Do you think ME/CFS has negative connotations/perceptions? Why? 

Doctors do not understand the underlying mechanisms. They diagnose “somatisation” – meaning they attribute the symptoms to psychological causes. It often thought that the patient is weak willed, idle or both. This is not the case. 

We saw a huge shift in the way people view the condition post-Covid - what and why do you think this happened? 

Due to Long-Covid and other post-viral consequences, suddenly everyone knew someone with fatigue. Soon they realised that these were real people with real pathology.

What are your top three tips for someone living with CFS/ME? 

1. Must make sure you pace activity so as not to function outside their energy envelope.

2. Eat a paleo-ketogenic diet - this will help you obtain energy from fats. 

3. Be disciplined about sleep.