Bertolín Guillén, J M, Bedate Villar, J · Actas luso-espanolas de neurologia, psiquiatria y ciencias afines · 1994
This article reviews different treatment approaches for ME/CFS, which currently lacks a definitive cure. Researchers found that antidepressant medications—particularly amfebutamone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors—showed the most promise, while other medications (antivirals, immune boosters, anti-inflammatory drugs) had limited success. A combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and comprehensive psychiatric management tailored to each patient's needs also appeared helpful.
This guideline addresses a critical gap in ME/CFS management by synthesizing available therapeutic evidence during an era when treatment options were poorly defined. For patients and clinicians, it provides a framework for understanding which interventions have demonstrated efficacy and highlights the importance of personalized, multidisciplinary care rather than single therapeutic approaches.
This review does not establish causality for any proposed etiology of ME/CFS, nor does it prove that antidepressants address the underlying pathophysiology of the condition. The abstract does not provide evidence of the methodological quality or sample sizes of the individual studies reviewed, limiting conclusions about the strength of evidence for any specific intervention.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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