Testing General blood  for ME             

Can be done in general hospitals

Normal Blood

·         Full blood account

·         Hemoglobin, Hematocrit

·         Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) ( most of the time very low)

·         Prothrombin Time (PT), Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT), Fibrinogen

·         Eosinophils (elevated by allergy or parasite infection)

·         CRP

·         Rheumatic factor and/or rheumatic panel

·         ANA antinuclear antibody (slightly increased)

·         Liver panel (ALT, ALP, AST, Bilirubin, Albumin, Total protein, Blood Urea nitrogen, Chloride, Glucose,  

·         Renal Panel (Urine acid, Creatinin, Natrium, Potassium, Ureum, Magnesium)

·         Cortisol ( decreased)

·         Blood sugar level or Insulin Levels and Glucose Tolerance test (decreased)

·         Ferritin,

·         CK ( muscle enzyme)

·         Vitamin D

·         Cholesterol ( LDL- C, HDL-C, Triglycerides)

Hormones

·         TSH, T3, T4 (thyroid hormones)

·         Hormones: DHEA, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels, IGFBP-3 / IGF-1  ratio (ratio greater than 3.5 indicates an IGF-1 deficiency)

Infections:

·         HIV test

·         Nose swap Staphylococci

·         Antistreptolysin O titre

·         Helicobacter antibodies

·         Viral blood test on IgG, IgA, IgM: HSV-1 and 2 (Herpes simplex), HHV-6, 7 and 8, EBV (Paul Bunell), EBV, Varicella

·         IgA, IGM, IgG testing on: Coxsackie virus, Stealth virus, Parvovirus B-19, Entero viruses mainly Cocksackie B virus, 

 ECHO virus

·         IgA, IgM, IgG for Mycoplasma`s infections: M. fermentans, M. pneumoniae, M. hominis, M. penetrans, M. pirum,  M. incognito

·         IgA, IgM, IgG for Chlamydia Pneumonia, Chlamydia Psittaci, Borrelia burgdorferi,Q fever, Bartonella, Parvo virus

Other tests

·         24hours Urine test on cortisol and creatinin

·        Urine analyse: Glucose, protein en ketone, amylase

·         Feces test on Bacteria, fungi and parasites

·         Lung function test

·         Helicobacter H₂ breath test (most local hospital)

·         Fructose H₂ breath test (most local hospital)

·         Lactose H₂ breath test (most local hospital)

·         Cycling test for testing: VO₂ MAX, MAX heart rate, O₂ pulse, anaerobic threshold, respiration

·         Sleep studies may indicate that there is insufficient time spent in the deeper stages of sleep, and alpha wave intrusion into delta waves within non-REM sleep

·         Ocular test: slowed and marked jerkiness of saccades; difficulty with and slowed changing of visual fixation, constricted peripheral fields; low and/or incomplete blinking; small pupils; light hypersensitivity, tear film abnormalities such as low tear break-up time, inadequate production of the oil or mucous layer in tears, rose Bengal corneal staining; visual midline shift.

·         24 Hours Holter heart monitoring  (T-wave inversions and/or T-wave flats) , ECG for cardiac conduction, Blood pressure (systolic low in ME), Tilt table test- Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance (neurally mediated hypotension, POTS)

·         Heart echo Doppler

·         EEG for brain abnormality, Romberg test, Cognitive Test,

·         MRI to see if there are white lesions in the brain

·         SPECT scan for measuring the blood flow in brain

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