From Lindsey Jeffers
I read Linda Geddes’s account of how depression and mental illness might be catching with great interest (15 January, p 30). It made me wonder if researchers have considered similar work into chronic fatigue syndrome.
The effects of cytokines on the human body during times of illness closely match the symptoms reported by those suffering chronic fatigue and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Perhaps investigating chronically raised inflammatory responses could shed some light on this poorly understood illness.
From Stephanie Woodcock
Geddes describes the case of Sammy Maloney, a 12-year-old who developed a set of complex, seemingly psychiatric symptoms but then recovered after prolonged antibiotic treatment. This is not particularly unusual.
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A similar thing happened to me in the 1980s: I developed a set of bizarre symptoms that doctors couldn’t explain. Luckily, I have a microbiological background and guessed I had some sort of bacterial infection. Following my hunch, I treated myself with antibiotics. Like Sammy, I needed three years of treatment, but made a full recovery, which has now lasted 25 years.
Penryn, Cornwall, UK
Goosnargh, Lancashire, UK
