ME/CFS
Severe → somewhat betterIll 2.5 years before improving or writing
Housebound with ME/CFS, now a little better after aquatic physiotherapy
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2.5 years
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
it hasn't had any effect in either direction on my chronic fatigue
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I've been housebound and nearly bedbound from fatigue for two years
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
its been I think 2 and a half years and maybe I've improved a little bit but not much
In context ↗
Read from 11 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
A nonbinary user in California had been housebound and nearly bedbound with fatigue for about two and a half years, with POTS, pain and bad sleep. Aquatic physiotherapy twice a week gave them back muscle and a mood lift, with maybe slight back relief, but they remained stuck in bed. They used a power chair for bigger trips and reported only a little overall improvement; metoprolol traded one severe fatigue for another.
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What they tried
Also tried
aquatic physical therapy· Helpedpower chair· Helpedoffline garmin vivoactive 4· Helpedalgae supplement· Helpedwadded up jacket used as a neck pillow· Helpedtestosterone· No changemetoprolol· Worseregular on land physical therapy· Not saidsurgery· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- aquatic physical therapy · Helped
at first for like a year I felt like it wasn't doing a thing for my back. But I think *maybe* lately it's helping a little bit.
In context ↗ - power chair · Helped
Now I use a power chair for my bigger or more important trips ... that saves a lot of energy
In context ↗ - offline garmin vivoactive 4 · Helped
I just use an offline garmin vivoactive 4, it has body battery and stress (seemingly physical stress/tension) features that I've felt were pretty accurate.
In context ↗ - algae supplement · Helped
some of those have been suspected to be from LPR or silent & severe acid reflux, and an algae supplement helped a lot
In context ↗ - testosterone · No change
Im nonbinary on testosterone and it hasn't had any effect in either direction on my chronic fatigue!
In context ↗ - regular on land physical therapy · Not said
Its so much easier than regular on land physical therapy.
In context ↗ - wadded up jacket used as a neck pillow · Helped
Straight up wrapped a wadded up jacket like an airplane pillow and got maybe 15% total standing exhaustion relief.
In context ↗ - surgery · Not said
I had an upcoming surgery (went well—belly button big hurts tho)
In context ↗ - metoprolol · Worse
I'm on metoprolol but I really want to try out Ivabradine off label ... lowering my blood pressure has just traded one severe fatigue for another
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | became housebound and nearly bedbound with fatigueI've been housebound and nearly bedbound from fatigue for two yearsIn context ↗ | Severe |
| 2026-05-05 | twice-weekly aquatic physiotherapy eased back pain a little and lifted moodI think *maybe* lately it's helping a little bitIn context ↗ | Severe |
| 2026-06-03 | slight overall improvement after two and a half yearsits been I think 2 and a half years and maybe I've improved a little bit but not muchIn context ↗ | Severe |
| 2026-10-22 | still severely fatigued; beta blocker lowered blood pressure but swapped in severe fatigue, wants ivabradinelowering my blood pressure has just traded one severe fatigue for anotherIn context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol)“lowering my blood pressure has just traded one severe fatigue for another” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
pretty sure experience PEM, but never been able to figure out the cycle
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
my super severe hyperadregenic POTS
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
Also really bad sleep
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
as soon as I do something it hurts for a couple days so
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
Weak neck, base skull burning
In context ↗