ME/CFS
Moderate → no benefitIll for 3 months
ME/CFS crash after stress: severe insomnia, flares, PEM; rest and scaling back no help
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- 3 months
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I’m 3 months into a vicious crash, not diagnosed me cfs but seems related.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Activity is 2000 steps/day, small grocery pickup or med pickup as needed.
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
Feels like I’m backsliding and going to lose ability to care for self soon.
In context ↗ - Began after: stress or burnout
I had a health crash from a very mild state after massive stress.
In context ↗
Read from 4 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user crashed from a very mild state after massive stress and lost much capacity over 2.5 months. Three months on they had constant severe insomnia of 2-3 hours a night, frequent flares, tinnitus, dysautonomia and very limited cognition, yet still cooked and drove for medication on about 2,000 steps a day. Scaling back activity and resting aggressively left them still in PEM.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- backed off considerably in activity · Not said
Not finished but better. Activity is 2000 steps/day, small grocery pickup or med pickup as needed.
In context ↗ - aggressively resting during day · No change
I scaled back all unnecessary activities and tried more aggressively resting during day, but still in thick of it
In context ↗ - drugs · No change
Drugs aren’t touching it.
In context ↗
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| onset | health crash from a very mild state after massive stressI had a health crash from a very mild state after massive stress.In context ↗ | Mild |
| 2.5 mo | pushed far beyond limits while sick and lost much capacityHad to push myself far beyond limits while sick and lost a lot of capacity in 2.5 months.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-10-12 | slight improvement, managing 2,000 steps a dayNot finished but better. Activity is 2000 steps/day, small grocery pickup or med pickup as needed.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-10-18 | three months into a vicious crash, backslidingI’m 3 months into a vicious crash, not diagnosed me cfs but seems related.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-10-26 | still in PEM after scaling back activityScaled back my activities of living hard, but currently in pem still.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Symptoms mentioned
Brain fogLoss of smell or tastePOTS & dysautonomiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problemsTemperature regulationTinnitus
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
Severe insomnia (every night 2-3 hours)
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
Feels like I’m in pem all the time
In context ↗ - Tinnitus
constant tinnitus
In context ↗ - Brain fog
very limited cognitive functions
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
cold extremities, paleness and weakness
In context ↗ - Loss of smell or taste
false smells and sinus pressures
In context ↗