Solent Model Railway Show / Eurotrack 2016

And so to the Solent Model Railway Show on Sunday, 28th February and some more shots, of small sections of the vast number of layouts there, taken for inspiration.

Hay fever medicine reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Interesting thought, if IBS responds to an antihistamine, might that mean there is an autoimmune component to the disease? That also might make sense given the frequent comorbidity with fibromyalgia. "IBS patients have extremely sensitive bowels associated with increased pain perception. This phenomenon is comparable to the increased sensitivity of our skin to hot water after sunburn. The exact cause of this hypersensitivity has long been unknown. Researchers already knew that the bowels of patients with IBS contain larger quantities of the substance histamine, but the specific link with hypersensitivity had not yet been made."

Hay fever medicine reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Backing IDS Or Backing Cameron - Should The EU Referendum Matter To You?

Confronted with Iain Duncan Smith and Boris Johnson in the Leave camp and David Cameron and George Osborne on the Stay side, you may find yourself hating the thought of taking any part in the EU referendum. But, setting possibly odious personalities aside, which result do you believe is going to be in the best interests of claimants?

Backing IDS Or Backing Cameron - Should The EU Referendum Matter To You?

College psychology classes lack curriculum about disabilities

A review of hundreds of undergraduate course offerings from top-ranked universities found that many types of disability are underrepresented in psychology classes, including chronic health and physical disabilities, said Kathleen Bogart, an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University.

College psychology classes lack curriculum about disabilities

Gender Gut Wars: Australian ME/CFS Study Suggests Different Gut Treatment Protocols Needed For Men and Women

"The differing effects of the gut flora on symptoms in men and women was intriguing given studies showing very high rates of gynecological disorders in women with ME/CFS. Those studies and others suggest that estrogen, an immune regulator among other things, could play a role in producing ME/CFS. Broderick’s immune studies suggest that testosterone, on the other hand, may play a protective role for me. The authors noted that the gut flora can effect estrogen production."

Gender Gut Wars: Australian ME/CFS Study Suggests Different Gut Treatment Protocols Needed For Men and Women

Barry

Barry the pug when he was staying with us in January.

"Snug as a bug pug in a rug" is the phrase that comes to mind.

Cause of ME a "state secret" in UK?

It is an established fact that the MRC has a secret file on ME that contains records and correspondence since at least 1988, which, co-incidentally, is about the time that Simon Wessely began to deny the existence of ME. The file is held in the UK Government National Archives at Kew (formerly known as the Public Record Office) and was understood to be closed until 2023, but this closed period has been extended until 2071, at the end of which most people currently suffering from ME will be conveniently dead.

Cause of ME a "state secret" in UK?

Government told to restrict gabapentin and pregabalin availability

The prescription drugs gabapentin and pregabalin could soon be more tightly regulated in the UK, after Government advisors called for them to be classed as controlled drugs. The plan – which would see gabapentin and pregabalin categorised as ‘Class C’ drugs and placed under schedule 3 prescribing regulations – would mean the drugs cannot be repeat dispensed and prescriptions will only be valid for one month.

Government told to restrict gabapentin and pregabalin availability

CFS/ME and Exercise

People with CFS/ME do not seem to benefit from exercise, but rather the combination of exercise-induced IL-6, together with enhanced preexisting IL-6 receptors, produces extreme fatigue. Many doctors discourage CFS/ME sufferers from exercising, because the exercise-based IL-6 never reaches therapeutic levels required for muscle enhancement. These recent studies explain what people with CFS/ME have experienced -- exercise is bad for CFS/ME. Hopefully, therapy will follow the new insights.

CFS/ME and Exercise

"Should I or Shouldn’t I?" The Dilemmas of Chronic Illness

After almost 15 years of being mostly housebound by chronic illness (which includes chronic pain), here are a few of the dilemmas I’ve faced over and over. I’m confident that I’m not alone in my “should I/shouldn’t I?” world.

"Should I or Shouldn’t I?" The Dilemmas of Chronic Illness

Tuller summarizes issues with PACE in Health Affairs

David Tuller has published a new article in the Health Affairs blog that summarizes the issues with the conduct of the PACE trial and also examines the ways in which PACE and other studies have impacted the attitudes of doctors and the clinical guidelines used by doctors to treat patients.

Tuller summarizes issues with PACE in Health Affairs

Case Study: “Brain Fog” in CFS can be seen in qEEG/Loreta

Marcie Zinn, Mark Zinn, and Leonard Jason of DePaul University published a case study this week that details how qEEGs can clearly show the dysregulation that occurs in the brains of CFS patients. The case study is of a 43-year old man with CFS (diagnosed by his doctor using the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire and meeting the Canadian Clinical Case definition).

Case Study: “Brain Fog” in CFS can be seen in qEEG/Loreta

James Coyne at Belfast Castle: PACE a “wasteful train wreck of a study”

Professor James Coyne told a packed audience at Belfast Castle in Northern Ireland on Sunday that the PACE trial was “bad science” that was “being badly misrepresented by the investigators”, resulting in “clear harm to patients”.

James Coyne at Belfast Castle: PACE a “wasteful train wreck of a study”

Maximus ‘has falsified results of fitness for work tests’, says MP

The discredited US outsourcing giant contracted to carry out “fitness for work” tests on behalf of the government has been accused by an MP of “falsifying” the results of assessments. Labour MP Louise Haigh attacked the track record, ethics and even criminal behaviour of Maximus in delivering public contracts in the US, during a debate on the work capability assessment (WCA). But she also highlighted what she described as a “disconcerting pattern of behaviour” by Maximus in the UK since taking over the WCA contract from Atos last year.

Maximus ‘has falsified results of fitness for work tests’, says MP

Benefits Assessor: How Long Are You Likely To Have Parkinson’s?

This is why we don’t visit the government rather than a doctor when we become ill, especially when the state thinks it knows best about our medical conditions and how we should address those – and clearly doesn’t. Sick and disabled people need support, understanding and medical care, not ignorance, Conservative dogma, vicious stigmatisation and a (neo)liberal re-translation of “Arbeit macht frei”.

Benefits Assessor: How Long Are You Likely To Have Parkinson’s?

The sickening hypocrisy of the PACE trial and it's Researchers

How might this misrepresentation impact on participant’s medical treatment or entitlement to state benefits? What impact could it have on their trust of medical professionals and researchers? How might it impact on their moral and social and religious values – that they have been used, exploited in a way that could harm the health and interests of their fellow patients and their families? PACE Researchers and their institutions affect concern for participants as a ploy to refuse sharing the PACE Trial data; even though for 5 years they have misrepresented those same participant’s data. It is a particularly sickening hypocrisy.

The sickening hypocrisy of the PACE trial and it's Researchers

The NIH Clinical Center Study for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): the Good, the Bad and the Just Plain Weird

A rough sketch of the NIH’s Clinical Center study for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been posted. The good news about the study is what when Francis Collins said they were serious about ME/CFS he apparently wasn’t kidding. This looks to be the most comprehensive study ever done on chronic fatigue syndrome. There’s also a bit of weirdness in the study which will make it more difficult for some to fully embrace. That’s unfortunate, because aside from that, all the indications to this point indicate that this is just the type of effort that we’ve been waiting for.

The NIH Clinical Center Study for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): the Good, the Bad and the Just Plain Weird

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia The Small Nerve Fiber Way

We’re going to take a deeper look at the oh so interesting field of small fiber neuropathy fibromyalgia (FM). A debate is raging over how big of a role SFN plays in FM. The central sensitization guys are saying probably “not much” while the immune oriented doctors/researchers believe the findings are telling us something new – and key – about fibromyalgia.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia The Small Nerve Fiber Way

Almost Half DLA To PIP Motability Cars Lost Plus Your Experience Of Capita’s PIP Assessment Centres

In this edition we reveal that Motability cars are being taken away
from a shocking 45% of users who transfer from disability living
allowance (DLA) to personal independence payment (PIP).



In addition, following the hundreds of comments we’ve received about
Atos PIP assessment centres, we’ve now obtained a list of Capita PIP
assessment centres and we’re asking for your help in making sure
claimants know what problems they may encounter when sent to them.



In other news, there has been outrage at the leaked disclosure that
the DWP is to appoint a senior outgoing boss from tax avoiding
multinational Amazon to the post of non-executive director at the DWP.



Plus there’s the news that the DWP have lost a House of Lords vote on
ESA and a court of appeal hearing on the bedroom tax. But how much
difference will any of it make?



10 February 2016 Newsletter

Bournemouth Model Railway Exhibition 2016

Three quick snapshots of inspiration from the Bournemouth Model Railway Exhibition.