MAGICAL MEDICINE: HOW TO MAKE AN ILLNESS ... - Invest in ME

339
• “In all individuals, muscle pain and stiffness are a natural consequenc of beginning a new exercise
programme or when unaccustomed exercise is taken” (but in people with ME/CFS, it is the result of
disease, not disuse, a proven and published finding which Burgess and Chalder ignore).
Burgess and Chalder assert that visual and hearing changes experienced by ME/CFS patients occur because
“prolonged bed‐rest results in a ‘headward’ shift of bodily fluids”. This is a bizarre assertion; their speculation
seems to imply that these symptoms are the patient’s own fault for lying in bed too long, but as noted above,
the same symptoms occur in ambulant ME/CFS patients, which means that, logically, their explanation
cannot be correct.
The authors claim (on page 10) that postural hypotension is caused by “cardiovascular deconditioning” (but no
tilt‐table testing has been performed on participants as part of the PACE Trial) and that breathlessness
results from inactivity (page 10) and from “the physical effects of anxiety” (page 14).
Participants are informed that “sensitivity to light or noise” and “blurring of vision” are caused by
hyperventilation (page 15).
Burgess and Chalder state with assurance that “(post exertional) pain and discomfort” result from “uneven
stresses” in “unfit muscles” (there is no mention of mitochondrial dysfunction).
The authors inform participants that: “the low cortisol levels found in people with CFS/ME are probably caused by
disrupted sleep and irregular activity” (a seriously misleading sentence that reveals the authors’ lack of
biomedical knowledge; moreover, measurement of cortisol levels has not been performed on participants as
part of the PACE Trial so Burgess and Chalder have no idea whether or not participants have low cortisol
levels).
Participants are told that feeling “hot” is caused by inactivity, and that feeling “cold” is caused by inactivity.
They are also told that “excessive and inappropriate sweating” is caused by inactivity, as is “difficulty in finding
the right word”; a “sore throat” is caused by hyperventilation, as are “swallowing difficulties” and “muscle
aches”. They are also told that “pain” is caused by anxiety.
Participants are told that when the sleep patterns of healthy volunteers were deliberately disrupted “to be
similar to those with CFS/ME”, the healthy volunteers developed symptoms “similar to those of CFS/ME” (a
study of healthy volunteers tells us nothing about people with ME/CFS). Burgess and Chalder then say:
“However, when they were allowed to sleep undisturbed, their symptoms subsided”, upon the basis of which
Burgess and Chalder assert: “This study indicates that a disturbed sleep pattern can cause some symptoms of
CFS/ME but that these symptoms are reversible” (the study does not indicate this: having said that healthy
volunteers experienced symptoms that were “similar to those with CFS/ME”, it is unsustainable for Burgess
and Chalder then to claim that the study showed that a disturbed sleep pattern can cause symptoms of
CFS/ME – it is just as likely that disturbed sleep is the result of having the disease, nor does it indicate that
these symptoms are reversible; the study only tells us that this is true for healthy volunteers).
The section on ʺAutonomic Arousal in CFS/MEʺ begins with the following explanation:
ʺAutonomic arousal is an automatic physical response of the body to a threatening or stressful situation. ... When we
are in a situation that makes us feel anxious, there is increased activity of the central nervous system and an increased
amount of the hormone adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. These natural changes have a protective function in
preparing us for action when we feel threatened or encounter a stressful situation. However, the physical feelings that
we experience when anxious can be very unpleasantʺ.
The next paragraph begins: ʺHaving CFS/ME can at times be very stressful. Not only may you be dealing with your
illness, but you may also have concerns related to your illness such as concerns about your finances, if you are unable