CFIDS News

Klonopin tablets recalled
Roche Laboratories has voluntarily initiated a recall of some lots of Klonopin tablets, in the .5, 1, and 2 mg dosages. Klonopin is a brand-name anti-convulsant drug prescribed to some persons with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (PWCs). The generic version of the drug, clonezepam, is not part of the recall. The reason given by the company is that the impurity level for the tablets is above the allowable range. More than 48,706 of the affected tablets were distributed nationwide. Health care practitioners and pharmacists have been notified of the recall. For more information, contact the Food and Drug Administration at 1-888-INFO-FDA.

Athlete PWCs in the news
Michelle Akers, Women's World Cup soccer star and PWC, has signed a contract to publish her autobiography. The book, "The Game and the Glory," will be released in April 2000, just before the Olympics. Akers has stated that she will talk about how her battle with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) has affected her life and faith. Although Akers has committed to play in the Olympics, she has announced that this will be her last year with the women's national team.

Peter Marshall, a world-renowned squash player who lost four years of his career to CFIDS, recently made a comeback by becoming the first British man in 20 years to win the Pakistan Open competition. The 28-year old reached the World Open semifinal two years ago, but collapsed the following week. In a Reuters News Service article, Marshall was quoted as saying "I still have a bit of a way to go but I think I am getting better all the time and I am not going to worry any more whether I am going to be able to play or not."

Documentary nears completion
After three years in the making, Kim Snyder's documentary film "I Remember Me" is almost complete. A recent rough cut screening at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City gave 40 members of the film industry the opportunity to view and critique the film, raising their awareness about CFIDS and the devastating effect it has on sufferers' lives. The initial feedback was very positive, with most attendees expressing their shock at learning of the magnitude of CFIDS as a public health problem. Most agreed that the scenes involving an individual who has been bedridden for more than two years were the most compelling.

So what's next for the documentary? Kim plans to put the final touches on the film in the next few months (contingent on funding), and then submit it to several film festivals with the hope of wider distribution. She also hopes to launch a campaign to distribute the film for educational purposes. The Chronicle will keep you updated as to where and when "I Remember Me" will be shown.

Keith Jarrett heals through music
Last year, the Chronicle reported that Keith Jarrett, one of the world's most popular jazz pianists, had begun performing again following a three-year battle with CFIDS. This Christmas, Jarrett released a new CD, "The Melody, at Night, with You." An Associ-ated Press article in December quotes Jarrett as saying "I do think the illness had an enormous creative role. It closed down doors.I had to focus and concentrate my energy on the core of these songs. The combination of emotion for my wife, the limitations of the illness, and my interest in melody all worked together in a synergistic way [to produce this CD]."

He also acknowledged that he is still recovering. "I was famous for how much energy I used performing," he said. "But now I have to conserve my energy at all times in order to ever be well. I never know when I might have a relapse.I'm thankful that I can make music at all. That's how this illness works-you are reduced to a situation where you're thankful for the things that you took for granted. You've been reduced, therefore playing the piano is a miracle in itself."

Correction
In the November/December Chronicle, Leonard Jason’s web page was listed with an incorrect character. It should be http://condor.depaul.edu/~ljason/cfs.