ME/CFS leg pain and crashes for 20 years, now symptoms rare with meat diet and exercise
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 20 years
- Last post
- Apr 2022
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I have all five main symptoms of CFS listed on this subreddit
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Sore legs, fatigue legs are my biggest problem last 15 years ... It's my biggest blocker for doing anything more active
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
this enabled me to exercise more and more and both things helped a lot ... Sometimes some of the symptoms and restless legs come back but it's very rare now
In context ↗ - Began after: nothing they could name
I carry symptoms about this more than 20 years
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Oak 71996 had leg muscle fatigue and pain for over 20 years, with cramps, cold feet and a crash after exertion, and no CFS diagnosis. Water fasting and a low-carb diet brought some relief in 2017, but a crash after rope jumping and stretching sent them back about half a year; broth and gelatin helped within a week. By 2022, a cleaned-up, almost entirely meat diet and more exercise had made symptoms rare.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- water fasting · Helped
Only recently I found fasting + Low carb diet, that made me see a bit of light and come out of the cave
In context ↗ - Low carb diet (LCHF) · Helped
I managed to reduce this stair/going up problem with taking Creatine and GLutamine and LCHF diet, up to now
In context ↗ - Magnesium oxide · No change
I do take 1000mg this days, zero improvements ... I can't find anything better then Magnesium oxide here.
In context ↗ - creatine · Helped
I do take creatine and glutamine and this are like my drugs because once I cut them mild similar symptoms that I have now will apear
In context ↗ - potassium chloride · Not said
I cant overdose with 2000mg it's just that potassium chloride can be hard on the stomach.
In context ↗ - rope jumping and leg stretching · Much worse
the big crash was after the rope jumping and strong stretching of the hamstring and calf
In context ↗ - homemade broth and gelatin · Helped
did a week with a lot of homemade broth and gelatin and it helped
In context ↗ - cleaned diet, zero processed food, almost 95% meat · Helped a lot
cleaned my diet, zero processed food, and went almost 95% meat ... this enabled me to exercise more and more and both things helped a lot
In context ↗ - exercise more and more · Helped a lot
this enabled me to exercise more and more and both things helped a lot
In context ↗ - time · Helped
time and expectation are important factors
In context ↗
Approaches: Diet · Exercise and activity
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | After |
|---|---|---|
| onset | long-standing leg muscle fatigue, cramps and pain; out of workSore legs, fatigue legs are my biggest problem last 15 years, ye I carry symptoms about this more than 20 years.In context ↗ | |
| about six months before August 2017 | water fasting and low-carb diet brought some reliefOnly recently I found fasting + Low carb diet, that made me see a bit of light and come out of the cave.In context ↗ | Extended water fasting (3+ days) |
| November 2017 | crashed after rope jumping and strong leg stretching during a 14-day water fastrecently I got very weak in my legs, I can't even hold my weight, a lot of pain and awful fatigue feeling when sitting or standingIn context ↗ | |
| 2017-11-20 | weakness close to gone after a week of broth and gelatinwas a hard week but the weakness is close to gone now, did a week with a lot of homemade broth and gelatin and it helpedIn context ↗ | |
| 2022-04-01 | cleaned-up near-carnivore diet and more exercise; symptoms now rarecleaned my diet, zero processed food, and went almost 95% meat ... this enabled me to exercise more and more and both things helped a lotIn context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Extended water fasting (3+ days)“as I said at the start it helped a lot but then its like I crashed totally” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Muscle weakness
recently I got very weak in my legs, I can't even hold my weight
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
It started with calf cramps, that had prolonged pain and muscle exhaustion on the left calf for days
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
my calfs, flexor, knees all are hot yet my feet fingers are cold freezing but on touch, they don't feel cold
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
the big crash was after the rope jumping and strong stretching of the hamstring and calf
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Long COVID crash after exercise, bedbound for weeks, now somewhat better with pacing
A 22-year-old man fell ill with mild COVID-19 in August 2020 and crashed days after resuming exercise. He reached 90-95% by month four, then a relapse after alcohol and exertion began a long decline; a later relapse around month nine left him bedbound for a…
-
Bedridden with long COVID, now nearly back to normal after time and guided meditation
He caught COVID in June 2023 and was bedridden for about 18 months, with a severe relapse, and had PEM, anxiety, brain fog and light and sound sensitivity. He credits time, guided meditation, pregnenolone, Vyvanse, a ketogenic diet and stand-up paddle…
-
Long COVID once unable to walk without leg pain, now 80% better with time and testosterone
Fell ill in February 2023 after repeated COVID infections and spent the first two and a half years at his worst, once unable to walk without leg pain. He credited time, testosterone for low testosterone, NAC, an inhaler, CPAP, probiotics, fiber, diet changes…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
Long COVID with brain fog and breathlessness, much better after pacing
He fell ill with COVID in March 2021, aged 24, and for six months could sit at his desk job but lay down otherwise, with brain fog, breathlessness, aches and anxiety. Over five years he improved gradually, crediting pacing, breathing exercises, vitamins,…