ME/CFS with PEM and crashes, somewhat better with escitalopram
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 12 years
- Last post
- Apr 2024
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
Escitalopram/Cipralex/Lexapro has helped me hugely with M.E. Symptoms over the past decade
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
Now I'm 3 years sober and can't use alcohol to overcome PEM anymore so I workout a lot less and lift very light if I am able
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
has helped me hugely with M.E. Symptoms over the past decade ... Whenever I crash I get this weight/pressure in that area
Read from 6 of their posts and comments; links to the 6 this page draws on
Summary
Ill since at least 2012, they described PEM as extreme anxiety and fatigue, and crashes as pressure in the lower back and kidney area. A few beers relieved PEM almost instantly and let them lift heavy weights, but led to alcohol dependence; sober since about 2021, they use non-alcoholic beer and lift only lightly. Escitalopram helped hugely with ME symptoms over the past decade; adrenal supplements and probiotics did not, salt water seemed to strain their kidneys, and CBD did little.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- a few beers · Helped a lot
I would treat this by drinking a few beers in quick succession which would make me feel better almost instantly
In context ↗ - workouts lifting heavy weights · Not said
would even do workouts lifting heavy weights knowing that I could have 3-4 beers after
In context ↗ - non-alcoholic beer · Helped
non-alcoholic beer works quite well at relieving my PEM, although not nearly as well as the real thing
In context ↗ - Escitalopram/Cipralex/Lexapro · Helped a lot
Escitalopram/Cipralex/Lexapro has helped me hugely with M.E. Symptoms over the past decade
In context ↗ - CBD · No change
I've tried CBD but it didn't do much for me
In context ↗ - kombucha, sauerkraut, live yoghurt and every strain of probiotic · No change
I've tried kombucha, sauerkraut, live yoghurt and every strain of probiotic under the sun. No real positive effect from any of them
In context ↗ - adrenal supplements · No change
I was spending ridiculous sums on adrenal supplements that didn't help one bit
In context ↗ - Himalayan pink salt in bottled water · Worse
I drank Himalayan pink salt in bottled water all day for weeks. It felt like it was just putting extra strain on my kidneys
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs
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. The chart starts 2 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 or earlier | Already ill; one of the first things tried was drinking salt waterThat was actually one of the first things I tried back in 2012.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2014 | Began relieving PEM with a few quick beers, which let them lift heavy weightswhich would make me feel better almost instantlyIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| about 2014 | Escitalopram helped hugely with ME symptomsEscitalopram/Cipralex/Lexapro has helped me hugely with M.E. Symptoms over the past decadeIn context ↗ | Mild | Escitalopram (Lexapro) |
| about 2021 | Got sober after alcohol dependence; could no longer use beer for PEM and works out much lessNow I'm 3 years sober and can't use alcohol to overcome PEM anymore so I workout a lot less and lift very light if I am able.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2024-04-22 | Still crashing with lower back and kidney pressure; non-alcoholic beer eases PEM; lifts very lightover this time the feeling that my fatigue is centred in my kidneys/adrenal glands has never left meIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits)“this lead to an alcohol dependence problem which was hard to get over” In context ↗ Other
- Probiotics and fermented foods“All that the probiotics did was make me gain weight so I stopped those after 2 months.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Salt, electrolytes and fluids“It felt like it was just putting extra strain on my kidneys to filter out all the minerals so I stopped” In context ↗ Liver or kidney problems
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
When I get PEM it's like extreme anxiety and fatigue combined
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
Whenever I crash I get this weight/pressure in that area
In context ↗
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