Bedridden with ME/CFS after COVID, now much better with an infrared mat
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 8 years
- Last post
- Sep 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
So I have apparently had mild cfs for ~8 years which started with a stress induced autoimmune illness.
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I went from severe (almost completely bedbound) to mild (almost no symptoms anymore).
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
At the moment I am mild again, I very rarely have brain fog. My ability to read is like it was before cfs.
In context ↗ - Began after: stress or burnout
started with a stress induced autoimmune illness
Read from 24 of their posts and comments; links to the 14 this page draws on
Summary
Jukarii had mild ME/CFS for about eight years after a stress-induced autoimmune illness, then became bedridden with breathing trouble after a second COVID infection in summer 2024. An infrared mat, started in January 2025, brought a large improvement within days: energy to clean and dance without crashing, and normal sleep. Symptoms returned after five or more days without the mat, and thinking stayed somewhat slower than before.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- therapy · Worse
Due to therapy, symptoms got worse
In context ↗ - do sports · Worse
I was very surprised when my therapist tried this with my and i just felt like shit.
In context ↗ - sunlamp · No change
However, I tried using a sunlamp before but that didn't do anything for me.
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
And pacing of course, which definitely helped, but mostly in not crashing and not really helped improving.
In context ↗ - visible app · Helped
I've only used it for a couple of weeks by now
In context ↗ - infra red mat · Helped a lot
I went from severe (almost completely bedbound) to mild (almost no symptoms anymore).
In context ↗ - intervall fasting · Not said
at the moment I am experimenting with infrared light therapy, intervall fasting (maybe actual fasting in the future) and antihistamines
In context ↗ - cetirizine · No change
I tried cetirizine, but other than that it made me incredibly tired (still not able to sleep though) it did nothing :/
In context ↗ - meditating · Helped
I have started meditating, which works really well for me.
In context ↗ - anti depressants · Much worse
I have tried some anti depressants and anti anxietiy meds but for me any kind of meds seem to make the overall symptoms a lot worse :(
In context ↗ - saunas · Worse
I react quite badly to saunas and have lots of trouble with dizziness.
In context ↗ - supplements · Not said
I only tried a couple different supplements, antihistaminika and some different antidepressants, which sadly all either did nothing or made it worse.
In context ↗
Approaches: Alternative therapies
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. 1 step has no time and sits in story order between the steps around it. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~8 years before January 2025 | mild ME/CFS began after a stress-induced autoimmune illnessSo I have apparently had mild cfs for ~8 years which started with a stress induced autoimmune illness.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| — | winters made symptoms moderate-severe; depression therapy with exercise made things worsebecause my symptoms get a lot worse in Winter (was mild in summer/spring and moderate-severe in fall/winter)In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| summer 2024 | second COVID infection left them bedridden with trouble breathingAfter my second Covid infection last summer shit really hit the fan and i ended up being bedridden and having trouble breathing.In context ↗ | Severe | |
| January 2025 | infrared mat brought energy back, no crash after cleaning and dancing, normal sleepI'm back to mild cfs I think - but going from basically not able to breath to being able to leave the house without crashIn context ↗ | Mild | Red light, PEMF or microcurrent (unspecified) |
| 2026-09-05 | still mild, symptoms slowly return after five or more days without the matAt the moment I am mild again, I very rarely have brain fog.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Antidepressants (unspecified)“I have tried some anti depressants and anti anxietiy meds but for me any kind of meds seem to make the overall symptoms a lot worse :(” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- CBT and psychotherapy“Due to therapy, symptoms got worse because most therapsts say "you have depression? Do sports!"” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)“I tried cetirizine, but other than that it made me incredibly tired (still not able to sleep though) it did nothing :/” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I also try to find things that I can do without a crash
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I very rarely have brain fog
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
It usually took me 2-3 hours to fall asleep (if I could fall asleep at all) then slept for like 10h and woke up feeling as tired as before.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I still have quite some pain I think, just a lot less than before.
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
like less energy, headache, back pain, not being able to fall asleep and such
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
while listening to loud music (something i couldn't stand for a very long time)
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
i ended up being bedridden and having trouble breathing
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I've been loosing hope for so long and thinking about ending it all because life didn't feel like it was worth living anymore
In context ↗ - Hair loss
My hear stopped falling out when I went back from severe to mild
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I react quite badly to saunas and have lots of trouble with dizziness.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
my symptoms get a lot worse in Winter (was mild in summer/spring and moderate-severe in fall/winter)
In context ↗
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