ME/CFS for months, unable to walk long, now somewhat better with pacing and antidepressant
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 9 months
- Last post
- Jan 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I started suffering from cfs symptoms
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I couldn't walk for long durations, has sensory overload, insomnia that would last for multiple days at a time
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I'm currently able to walk for 25 mins a day at a stretch, for 3 days in a row, after which I face sleep disturbance that lasts a day
In context ↗ - Began after: stress or burnout
due to the stress I was putting on my body due to heavy workout regime combined with a calorie deficit diet
Summary
Kestrel 50765 had CFS symptoms for eight to nine months after a heavy workout regime and calorie deficit diet, unable to walk long, with sensory overload and multi-day insomnia. Pacing with short daily walks raised tolerance from 10 to 25 minutes at a stretch. An antidepressant helped sleep a lot, but exertion brought sleeplessness back, and three days of walking in a row still cost a day of disturbed sleep.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- pacing · Helped
Came across pacing, started with 10 mins walk a day and I'm currently able to walk for 25 mins a day at a stretch
In context ↗ - anti depressants · Helped
I did visit a psychiatrist, who put me on anti depressants, which did help a lot, helped me sleep well.
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| mid-2025 | CFS symptoms began after heavy workouts and a calorie deficitaround 8-9 months back I started suffering from cfs symptoms, due to the stress I was putting on my body due to heavy workout regime combined with a calorie deficit dietIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| mid-2025 | could barely walk long, sensory overload, multi-day insomniaHit me very hard, to the extent that I couldn't walk for long durations, has sensory overload, insomnia that would last for multiple days at a timeIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| — | antidepressant helped sleep a lotI did visit a psychiatrist, who put me on anti depressants, which did help a lot, helped me sleep wellIn context ↗ | Mild | Antidepressants (unspecified) |
| 2026-01-04 | pacing built walking from 10 to 25 minutesCame across pacing, started with 10 mins walk a day and I'm currently able to walk for 25 mins a day at a stretchIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2026-01-04 | a day of sleep disturbance after three days of 25-minute walksfor 3 days in a row, after which I face sleep disturbance that lasts a dayIn context ↗ | Mild |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
insomnia that would last for multiple days at a time
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
has sensory overload
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
for 3 days in a row, after which I face sleep disturbance that lasts a day
In context ↗
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