The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E. (HFME)

This website is so large that its features can no longer all be taken in at a glance. In order for site visitors to find the information they need more quickly, the new Information Guides page features sections relevant to each of the different types of visitors to the site. Guides available so far include the following: (click on the most appropriate description)

Guides available so far include the following: (click on the most appropriate description)

1. Severe M.E. patients
2. M.E. patients
3. Patients given a ‘CFS’ diagnosis (but that do not have M.E.)
4. Doctors
5. Carers looking after M.E. patients
6. Friends and family of M.E. patients
7. Parents of children with M.E.
8. Members of the public who would like to know a little more about the disease
9. Media and politicians
10. Human rights groups

Reading, thinking and being online is so difficult with very severe M.E. so I'll try to be as brief as possible.

To learn some of the basic facts of M.E. see: What is M.E.? Summary (2 pages) or What is M.E.? Super Summary (1 page)

Treating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - The Basics  is THE most important paper for M.E. patients! This paper is also available in a shorter 4 page version, see: Treating M.E.- The Basics (Summary). If you download one paper make it this one. For convenience you can use the links below to download them.

• This full-length 30+ page text may be downloaded in a printer friendly Word format, PDF format or as a large-print PDF
• The summary of the text may also be downloaded in a printer friendly Word format, PDF format or as a large-print PDF

If you are able to read more than that, you might like to also read: The 2 page M.E. The Medical Facts - Summary and The M.E. Symptom Summary

There is also information available on treating M.E. and coping with M.E.:

• The importance of avoiding overexertion in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• Treating M.E.: Food as medicine
• Anaesthesia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• The 3 Part Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Ability and Severity Scale
• Practical tips for living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, 
• Hints for Coping with M.E. Emotionally 
• The effects of CBT and GET on patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Information on confirming a M.E. diagnosis through testing:

• Testing for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis 

Information to help friends and family members understand M.E. better:

• M.E. vs MS: Similarities and differences 
• A Million Stories Untold and So you know someone with M.E.? 
• What is M.E.? or the 2 page summary of this paper: What is M.E.? Summary
• Hospital or carer notes for M.E. 
• Why patients with severe M.E. are housebound and bedbound

The most important papers for carers are:

• Hospital or carer notes for M.E. 
• Why patients with severe M.E. are housebound and bedbound
• The importance of avoiding overexertion in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• Treating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - The Basics 
• A Million Stories Untold 
• M.E. vs MS: Similarities and differences 

For information specific to severe M.E., see also: The severity of M.E. page.

If you do better listening to audio than reading, check out: Information in audio or video format

If you do better reading information on paper than on the screen, you can go to the new Document Downloads page and download/save as many documents as you need, to print later, in a few minutes. Large text versions are available of all major papers.

If you're extremely ill and disabled and are having real problems downloading files, send an email to this email address and assistance will be provided, if possible. (If you specify which files you need, and in what format, files may be able to be emailed to you directly).

If you are able to read more information than this, see the 'information guide for M.E. patients' below.

These are some of the main categories of information you might need if you have M.E.:

To learn some of the basic facts of M.E. see:

• What is M.E.? or the 2 page summary of this paper: What is M.E.? Summary
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: The Medical Facts
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is not fatigue, or 'CFS' 
• The Ultra-comprehensive Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Symptom List. 
• Putting research and articles into context 

Information on treating M.E. and coping with M.E.:

• Treating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - The Basics  (This is THE most important paper for M.E. patients!)
• Treating M.E.: Food as medicine
• The importance of avoiding overexertion in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• Anaesthesia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• The 3 Part Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Ability and Severity Scale
• Practical tips for living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, 
• Hints for Coping with M.E. Emotionally 
• The effects of CBT and GET on patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• Comments on the 'Lightning Process' (etc.) scam

Information on confirming a M.E. diagnosis through testing:

• Testing for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis 

Information to help friends and family members understand M.E. better:

• M.E. vs MS: Similarities and differences 
• M.E.: The shocking disease
• A Million Stories Untold and So you know someone with M.E.? 
• What is M.E.? or the 2 page summary of this paper: What is M.E.? Summary
• Hospital or carer notes for M.E. 
• Why patients with severe M.E. are housebound and bedbound

The most important papers for carers are:

• Hospital or carer notes for M.E. 
• Why patients with severe M.E. are housebound and bedbound
• The importance of avoiding overexertion in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
• Treating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - The Basics 
• A Million Stories Untold 
• M.E. vs MS: Similarities and differences 

The most important activism and advocacy papers are:

• Who benefits from 'CFS' and 'ME/CFS'?
• Are we just 'marking time?' 
• The WHO ICD in relation to M.E. and ‘CFS’