Looking Forward: Dr. Dan on ME/CFS Treatment,

[Guest guest]

[Newsletter] Looking Forward: Dr. Dan on ME/CFS Treatment, Research and the Future Plus New CFS Initiative Debuts

A Central Figure Speaks - Dr. Dan and Dr. Cheney were the doctors on the scene as the most famous outbreak in chronic fatigue syndrome history took place in little Incline Village on the shores of Lake Tahoe in the early 1980's. Both ended up making CFS the focus of their careers.

A key figure, Dr. has always been something of an iconoclast; his office has no website and is in the same building it was 25 years ago (but is finally moving) and he puts out no newsletters or pronouncements yet he is one of the most respected and sought after ME/CFS specialists.

During a recent lunch in Lake Tahoe he waxed prolifically about all matters of ME/CFS including what he believes is the key test for the disorder, a new and promising drug currently under study in his lab, another hopeful drug under study, some hot studies underway at his new research foundation, what he sees the future will bring (hint- it's promising) and what he believes works and doesn't work when CFS patients advocate.

That's alot of stuff and there's more. Check it out in

Looking Forward: Dr. on ME/CFS Research, Treatment Options and Hope for the Future

The 'X' Drug For ME/CFS? - One of Dr. 's most intriguing projects is a treatment trial for a new drug to treat one of the most common infections in ME/CFS - herpesviruses. The drug, CMX001, promises to be much more effective than past herpesvirus drugs, which, because they often need to be taken at high doses, and for long periods of time to be effective, are either too expensive or too toxic for many patients. If CMX001 works as advertised those long treatment regimes may be a thing of the past and patients should have a much better outcome.

Check out, in this out-take from the main article, a drug that could turn things around for many patients in

"The 'X' Drug for ME/CFS? CMX001 Promises Help"

Driving Miss Daisy - A former athlete, Corrine has had a severe case of ME/CFS for decades. It wasn't until a year and a half ago, though, that she was finally able to get to see a doctor who was up on the disorder. That doctor was Dr. and she has been blogging about her experiences ever since. Check out her latest blog here:

Driving Miss Daisy: Corinne at Dr. IV (May, 2011)

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Taking the Initiative: Just as XMRV was losing steam up popped the Chronic Fatigue Initiative - a new non-profit foundation devoted to understanding the cause of ME/CFS. This was no ordinary fledgling non-profit with a vision much bigger than its pocketbook: the CFI Initiative's 10 million dollar stake over the next three years makes it the most well funded CFS non-profit in the US. Their first project will be the most rigorous pathogen study ever attempted in ME/CFS. Check out this exciting venture here:

Taking the Initiative: the Chronic Fatigue Initiative Takes Off

Coming Up - Its been a busy month. Right on the heels of the IACFS/ME conference came the exciting news that Rituximab, a chemotherapy drug, of all things, that is also used to treat autoimmune disorders, has proved beneficial in treating a significant number of people with ME/CFS. We will have a full overview of this potential gamechanger shortly in the next newsletter and will start our review of the International IACFS/ME Conference in Ottawa.