Dr Rosamund Vallings, reports:
'Treatment with the drug IsoprinosineŽ (an immunomodulator with anti-viral properties) was outlined by Byron Hyde (Canada), who described this drug as having been available for 30 years without encountering any serious side effects.

Patients studied were widely and thoroughly investigated, and a group of 16 CFS patients with abnormal SPECT scans was treated using placebo control over a 7­ month period. 7 patients improved on the drug, 7 remained unchanged and 2 deteriorated when on placebo, with improvement once the drug was reinstated.

Improvements in general health and energy were modest but significant. All those who improved were happy to continue. Thinking and memory improved, ataxia decreased, headaches decreased, there was less clumsiness and better motor function. In particular, ability to attend social functions increased. Only one patient experienced side effects, which were bad headaches'.

Dr Vallings made further reference to the work of Dr Byron Hyde in the 16 CFS patients mentioned above:
'He too found there were persisting major immunological abnormalities and a subgroup had associated abnormal brain SPECT scans. He then looked at the effects of the drug IsoprinosineŽ on the immune markers in this subgroup. He found some of these patients had marked improvement in symptoms, with associated improvement in cytokine parameters and NK cell numbers. Improvements did not show in the placebo group'

Dr Rosamund Vallings is a general practitioner from Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. Her practice is mostly CFS patients and she has seen about 1500 patients with the illness.