ME/CFS
Mild → somewhat betterNeeds ongoing treatment
Mildly affected by ME/CFS with PEM, unable to work, somewhat better with pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Apr 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I’ve had CFS for +2 years, I'd say is mild but unable to work
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I still consider myself 'mild', but I can’t work or exercise anymore
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I used to live in a cycle of activity/crash now I know how to pace and feel a bit better
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
I got infected and took me about a month to recover from it and when I tried to exercise I felt sick again
In context ↗ - Says they never had: Brain fog
I don't really have cognitive problems
Read from 76 of their posts and comments; links to the 31 this page draws on
Summary
Alpine 44613, a former competitive triathlete in Belgium, fell ill with COVID in 2022 and kept exercising, which made him worse. Four years on he remains mildly affected, unable to work or train, with PEM as his main symptom, though a trip to Italy briefly left him feeling 75-90% normal. Pacing within his limits gave him a better quality of life, and cutting phone use eased his neck and trap pain. CFS supplements and red light did nothing for his energy, though red light gave temporary fibro relief.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
pregnancy belt for core support· Helpedsalt water gargles· Helpedmagnesium bisglycinate· Helpedsauna· Helpedyoga nidra audio· Helpedseparate mattresses· Helpedred and near-infrared light panel· Helpedmorning outdoor light· HelpedHuberman sleep toolkit· Helpedphone time limits with a PIN (Digital Wellbeing, Block)· Helpedfast-acting liquid melatonin· HelpedL-theanine· Helpedmindfulness and reading· Helpedmicro dosing psilocybin· No changedoing nothing at all for months· No changePQQ· No changeUbiquinol· No changeNAC· No changeglutamine· No changecreatine· No changed-ribose· No changeL-carnitine· No changeR-ALA· No changecoffee· No changelifting weights and pushing exercise· Worseaddressing the mold possibility and whole-house air filter· Not saidpsychotherapy· Not saidpotassium + sodium in water with lemon· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- micro dosing psilocybin · No change
I did micro dosing a few years ago and that did absolutely 0, I only got an upset stomach
In context ↗ - lifting weights and pushing exercise · Worse
in 2023 and 2025 I had major crashed due to insisting on lifting weights and that made my condition worse each time
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
now I know how to pace and feel a bit better
In context ↗ - pregnancy belt for core support · Helped
has been working great so far, I sleep with it and use it most of the day
In context ↗ - salt water gargles · Helped
by the next day the pain is gone and normally i dont fall ill
In context ↗ - magnesium bisglycinate · Helped
For me the one that makes the difference with sleep is only magnesium bisglycinate
In context ↗ - sauna · Helped
now I use it 3 times per week up to 25min and that seems to be perfect
In context ↗ - yoga nidra audio · Helped
Yoga nidra audio helps me a lot when I can't sleep
In context ↗ - doing nothing at all for months · No change
I have tried doing nothing at all for months and I don't feel any better compared to when I do minor things
In context ↗ - PQQ · No change
PQQ and Ubiquinol for 3 weeks but haven't noticed anything at all
In context ↗ - separate mattresses · Helped
now I barely wake up
In context ↗ - NAC · No change
for the last 12 weeks taken NAC, PQQ, Ubiquinol, glutamine, creatine, d-ribose, l-carnitine, R-ALA which do absolutely nothing AT ALL
In context ↗ - creatine · No change
I have taken creatine for a long time but I see no real difference in anything
In context ↗ - R-ALA · No change
I took for 3 months the main components of mitocore (R-ALA, L-carnitine, NAC) and so no benefit at all
In context ↗ - red and near-infrared light panel · Helped
I do feel noticeably better for a few hours after using it. But the pain always returns
In context ↗ - addressing the mold possibility and whole-house air filter · Not said
I am currently addressing the mold possibility and see if I improve
In context ↗ - coffee · No change
I do drink coffee but it doesn't really make much of a difference
In context ↗ - psychotherapy · Not said
After many expensive sessions, the psychologist was puzzled by my lack of progress and suggested that the real problem was CFS
In context ↗ - morning outdoor light · Helped
step outside for 10-15min, if there is sun I feel much better
In context ↗ - Huberman sleep toolkit · Helped
I solved mine using this guide ... Basically you need to reset your circadian rhythm.
In context ↗ - potassium + sodium in water with lemon · Not said
I am currently doing potassium + sodium in a big glass with water and lemon and so far I enjoy it very much
In context ↗ - phone time limits with a PIN (Digital Wellbeing, Block) · Helped
my fibro is finally under control. I’m pain-free most days because I’m no longer straining my neck
In context ↗ - fast-acting liquid melatonin · Helped
fast-acting liquid melatonin (not mentioned by Huberman, but works very well for me at a very small dose)
In context ↗ - L-theanine · Helped
l-theanine combined with magnesium glycinate has worked wonders for me
In context ↗ - mindfulness and reading · Helped
practicing mindfulness, which helps a lot regardless of how I'm feeling physically
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing
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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | COVID infection, then felt sick whenever he exercisedI got infected and took me about a month to recover from it and when I tried to exercise I felt sick againIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023 | crash after a year of pushing exercise; later crashes from lifting weightsit went like this for a year until I had a crash and from there all went to hellIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| March 2025 | trip to Puglia, Italy: walking 8-10 hrs a day with no PEMspent 6 days outdoors walking 8-10 hrs ... yet felt 75-90% normal!In context ↗ | Near normal | |
| March 2025 | back in Belgium, a 1-hour walk dropped him back to baselinethen a 1-hr walk dropped me back to my usual 70-75% and haven't improvedIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| October 2025 | living a fairly normal life within his limitsAfter 2 years of investigating and trial and error I finally found a way to live a fairly “normal” life as long as I stay within my limitsIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| January 2026 | cut phone use from 5-8 hours to 90 minutes a day; neck and trap pain mostly goneMost importantly, my fibro is finally under control. I’m pain-free most days because I’m no longer straining my neck.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| April 2026 | still mild, unable to work or train, no change in fatigue or PEMI manage now to keep mild only because I never cross my daily limitsIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Psilocybin (magic mushrooms)“I did micro dosing a few years ago and that did absolutely 0, I only got an upset stomach and that was it” In context ↗ Gut side effects
- Hyperthermia and sauna“I experience something similar with the sauna but more than 15min I PEM lol” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Everyday exercise and activity“I first was diagnosed with burn out so I tried to exercise my way out of it just to make my problem worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
my only symptom is PEM when I exceed my limit
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I deal with CFS and fibromyalgia, specifically in my right trap and neck
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
mid-severe fatigue, sore throat, intense back paint
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I had also a lot of stress from work, barely sleeping due to stress
In context ↗
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