AHMF: ME/CFS in the Media: Dr McKay in the Medical Observer

Letters: Ignoring the evidence on chronic fatigue
by Dr A Breck McKay

Editor: I have received and read the MJA claptrap on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

If ever there was an argument to throw out the rigidity of the current misapplied 'evidence-based medicine' (read: 'only the evidence that has already conformed to our specific, accepted concepts, will be considered'), this is obviously it! It ignores most of the evidence from many world conferences on CFS and the available multiple sources of evidence supporting the concepts of autonomic nervous system dysfunction (dysautonomias), chronic gram negative (Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Rickettsia, Q fever, etc) infections, metabolic (trace element/enzymatic) disorders and musculo-skeletal damage.

Perhaps, one day, the persons responsible for the document will re-discover that every person is actually a whole person and not merely a series of systems or cellular/molecular dysfunctions, to be considered only as bits!

Every GP who manages CFS patients must be horrified at their supposed medical specialist colleagues!

Dr A Breck McKay
Carina Heights, Qld

Medical Observer 24.05.02