Whether you have only recently learned that you have ME/CFS or have been living with it for years, you’ll find information on here to keep you updated with developments in the treatment field, including medical research and health news. Our ongoing dialogue with our customers enables us to keep providing you with information and support. Look out for our quarterly newsletter (sign up on the left menu) and articles from leading experts in the field. You can find general health information in our Newsroom, in which you’ll find our news releases, articles and media cuttings archive.

Typical symptoms may include:

• Persistent fatigue over a period of at least six months
• Impaired memory and concentration
• Sore throat
• Tender neck and underarm lymph nodes
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headaches
• Non-restorative sleep
• Decreased libido
• Weight changes

One simple way to define Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is to look at the definition of the two words. Myalgic in short means muscle pain or tenderness and Encephalomyelitis means inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Also known as Chronic Fatigue syndrome (CFS), it is the prolonged and disabling Fatigue that appears to be the hallmark of the symptom. M.E. is far from a new or recent condition, the earliest recorded outbreak of M.E. in the UK appeared in 1957 in the thesis of a Scottish physician, Dr Andrew Wallis in which he discusses an epidemic in Royal Free Hospital in Cumberland in Northern England in 1955. Since then many definitions have been proposed and whilst much effort has been put into giving this debilitating condition a title to which everyone is happy, little it seems has been focused on the disease itself. In deed it is only relatively recently been recognised by both the World Health Organisation and the UK government as very real, serious neurological illnesses.

Numbers of those individuals with M.E. are increasing with a suggested population prevalence of at least 0.2–0.4%. This means that a general practice with 10,000 patients is likely to include up to 40 people with M.E. Due to the difficulties involved with diagnosis (partly because of the variety of symptoms involved) it is reasonably accepted that these figures are likely to be much higher.

Whilst there is no one cause for M.E., it is believed that around two-thirds of cases of M.E. are triggered by an obvious viral infection, including glandular fever, viral meningitis, viral hepatitis, and, less commonly, infection with bacteria or other organisms. Many of the infections triggering M.E. seem to be ordinary flu-like infections, from which some people don’t recover in the normal way. Other possible triggers appear to be vaccinations, toxins in the environment and, less commonly, physical injury or trauma.

People with M.E. have been found to have abnormalities in the nervous system, and a part of the brain called the hypothalamus that regulates sleep, temperature control and appetite, as well as with the immune system. Interestingly as with many conditions it is suggested that genetics play a role, with women appearing to be more susceptible to M.E. than men, as well as clusters within families.

There is increasing evidence that M.E. may be associated with persistent viral infection and that such infections are likely to impair the ability of the body to make omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids by inhibiting the action of a key enzyme (delta-6 desaturase) involved in fatty acid metabolism. This would, in turn, impair the proper functioning of cell membranes and have an adverse effect on the production of eicosanoids from the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids DGLA, AA and EPA. These actions might offer an explanation for some of the symptoms and signs of M.E. A potential therapeutic avenue could be offered by bypassing the inhibition of the enzyme delta 6-desaturase by direct supplementation with long-chain fatty acids such as EPA from fish oil. Whilst supplementing with fatty acids is not a cure for M.E., it can provide long-term relief of many of the symptoms that individuals often experience, including brain fog, fatigue and pain.

With its high EPA content we recommend Vegepa at 8 capsules daily for a period of 3 months, reducing the daily dosage by 2 capsules each subsequent week, to a final dosage of 2 capsules daily.

For children we recommend Vegepa Chewables. Children of ten and over can take 6 capsules daily for a period of 3 months. This can then be reduced down by 2 capsules weekly to a final maintenance dose of 2 capsules daily.

For vegetarians, our Echiomega supplement provides a more effective solution than flaxseed oil, with higher conversion to the important long-chain fatty acid EPA.