FIBROMYALGIA AND RELATED DISORDERS: 

MOVING FORWARD TO A MORE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

 Bill Rixon MP founding Patron for the National M.E/FMS Country Network Australia welcomed guests and gave the introduction

Keynote speaker

Dr Daniel Clauw MD Associate Professor of medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatologist, Immunology and Allergy at Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA.Principal Investigator of two Departments of Defence Grants on Gulf War illness. He also has funding from the National Institutes of Health on related matters. His topic "Chronic Pain and Fatigue Syndromes: Translating New Research Findings into More Effective Treatment"

(A small extract) He said that what he had to say about M.E/FM was right and others were wrong. he said the advise he gave to the US government as a health care provider, and what he uses to help the people he treats. He said the population based prevalence studies of FM/CFS/GWS and their symptoms. People with FM have widespread pain and tenderness, therefore it is difficult to diagnose people with FM by using tender points as they are tender all over. When they put a balloon down the oesophagus it showed the internal organs were tender as well as the peripheral parts. We have found the problem is with the central nervous system, and how it processes pain. the volume is turned up too high, explaining why people with FM are so sensitive to many different stimuli such as lights, noise ect.

He told people not to focus on what caused their Fibromyalgia, to look forward and not backward. Dr Claw said in has opinion CBT includes; education, pain management and exercise. This means two or three minutes on low impact aerobic exercise starting two or three minutes with the health care provider as manager or coach. He asked people to write to him if they found the way he suggested did not work for them. 

Dr Ian Buttfield M.B,B.S,M.D,F.R.A.C.P,F.R.A.C.M.A, Specialist Clinician, from Adelaide spoke about the International ME/CFS Sydney Conference/update of Clinical management  He spoke about the white cell nucleus function, keeping some chemicals out and some in, this function has gone wrong in people wit M.E. Newcastle research has looked at 35 amino acids in urine, and serine which is an essential amino acid for cell wall function, is always low. Dr Richard Burnett, Adelaide, researcher, has shown that potassium is low; this is also essential in cell wall function. Dr Buttfield suggested B12, Efamol Marine, serine plus morphine for pain as part of his treatment protocol.

Professor Norm Barling, Ph.D (MAPS) (MASH): "FMS Some psychological components:Towards better coping? FMS is a real illness with psychological   problems, and how the group he was working with at the university were helping people with better coping skills.

Mr Michael Smith, Pharmacist, spoke about adverse reactions, synthetic, natural and drug free. Throughout your life you will always be experiencing the effects of food, drugs and environment on your health

Andrew Thurgood: Said that clinical evidence supports the application  of antimicrobial, probiotics and antioxidant therapies in successfully treating a large subset of CFS patients.

Dr Robert Weatherby, Lecturer Southern Cross University; gave a brief overview of the studies carried out at Southern Cross UNI, Lismore. First with Evening Primrose Oil and people taken off EPO experienced very high fatigue, the study showed abnormal levels of lactate, glucose and potassium. The next study was Caffeine and Exercise. A preliminary report on the prevalence study conducted by the National ME/FM Country Network in conjunction with the Southern Cross University Lismore in patients with ME/CFS/FM. There were 276 forms returned.204 female, 72 male, diagnosed with M.E 71, CFS 197, FM 72, MCS 39. By a GP 128, Specialist 119, naturopath 38. Recovered 8. Other family member with same illness 27.4%. Did you have ? Flu 71, Glandular Fever 80, Ross River Fever 44, Brucellosis 9.

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