Unable to speak for years with ME/CFS, now somewhat better with rest and pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- At worst: Severe
I didn’t speak for a few years and now I can chat for about ten minutes a day
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
With rest and pacing I have improved my talk time .
In context ↗
Read from 4 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user with ME/CFS who did not speak for a few years and now manages about ten minutes of chatting a day, mostly texting. They credit rest and pacing with improving their talk time and say gentle swimming is the exercise that suits them best. Years of following a specialist's advice to do 25% more than they thought they could cost them their twenties, and a freezing outdoor pool left them collapsed and half carried to the car.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- freezing outdoor pool · Worse
Total disaster - straight in and out then collapsed and had to be half carried to the car.
In context ↗ - rest and pacing · Helped
With rest and pacing I have improved my talk time
In context ↗ - gentle swimming · Helped
This is why gentle swimming is best exercise for me as you don’t have to talk
In context ↗ - Zolmitriptan · Helped
Zolmitriptan 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
In context ↗ - as much as you think you can and then 25 percent more · Much worse
Dutifully did that for years and lost my twenties
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. Hover or tap a point. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | ME/CFS onsetYes I didn’t speak for a few yearsIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| — | unable to speak for a few yearsYes I didn’t speak for a few years and now I can chat for about ten minutes a dayIn context ↗ | Severe | |
| 2026-10-22 | talk time improved with rest and pacing; mostly textsWith rest and pacing I have improved my talk time .In context ↗ | Moderate | Pacing and the energy envelope |
Adverse events
- Cryotherapy and cold exposure“Tried it once someone encouraged me to get into a freezing outdoor pool ... straight in and out then collapsed and had to be half carried to the car.” In context ↗ Low blood pressure or fainting
- Graded rehab and self-made programmes“Idiot specialist told me to do “as much as you think you can and then 25 percent more “ ... Dutifully did that for years and lost my twenties .” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Headaches & migraine
Zolmitriptan 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
In context ↗
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