ME/CFS
Severe → no benefit
ME/CFS and lymphoma chemo left constant fatigue and brain fog, now unable to work or study
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill for
- Not stated
- Last post
- Jun 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
My doctor settled on CFS when I was a teen
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I need to sit or lay down all the time to recover from exhaustion after relatively little exertion.
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
It’s just getting worse with time.
In context ↗ - Began after: nothing they could name
All of this was going on for years before I was diagnosed with cancer at 22.
- Says they never had: Pain & fibromyalgia
I experience no physical pain from it
Read from 1 of their posts and comments; links to the one this page draws on
Summary
Diagnosed with CFS as a teenager, Bramble 86582 worked full-time factory shifts in their early twenties despite daily exhaustion, long sleep and muscle weakness. Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma at 22 and twelve ABVD chemo infusions left them much worse, with brain fog, memory loss and constant fatigue, now unable to work or study. In remission at 23 they were applying for disability and described near-daily suicidal thoughts.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- antidepressants · No change
we’d tried multiple antidepressants and I remained fatigued regardless of how much sleep I got or how much my mental state might’ve improved
In context ↗ - Adderall · Helped
It helps with the fatigue. Without it I’m in bed all day. With it, some days, I can get out of bed.
In context ↗ - estrogen HRT · Worse
I was very, very sleepy and depressed when I was taking it, more than usual, for the few months I was able to be on it.
In context ↗ - ABVD chemo · Much worse
The cancer definitely didn’t help the fatigue but the chemo has made it so, so much worse.
In context ↗ - pacing · Not said
I have to really pace myself with minor physical activity (even bending over) or I will get smacked with symptoms either immediately or soon after.
In context ↗
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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| as a teenager | diagnosed with CFS as a teenager after antidepressants did not help the fatigueI was diagnosed with it as a teenager many years ago, I’m 23 nowIn context ↗ | Mild |
| age 22 | stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma and 12 ABVD chemo infusions worsened the fatiguethe chemo has made it so, so much worseIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| June 2026, age 23 | in cancer remission but nonfunctional, unable to work or study, applying for disabilitynow I’m more nonfunctional than I’ve ever been, even at the height of cancer and chemoIn context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- “the chemo has made it so, so much worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- “depression, from hair loss, scars” In context ↗ Side effects
- Estrogen (estradiol), Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)“I was very, very sleepy and depressed when I was taking it, more than usual, for the few months I was able to be on it” In context ↗ Side effects
- “Huge scar on my chest (that’s already been surgically revised, it healed horribly…)” In context ↗ Other
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I have to really pace myself with minor physical activity (even bending over) or I will get smacked with symptoms either immediately or soon after
In context ↗ - Brain fog
The brain fog, memory loss, muscle weakness, and exhaustion from chemo
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
the amount I slept (12-15 hours on good days, all day on bad days)
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
the symptoms of daily muscle weakness (I even feel it in my bones, they feel weak like jelly)
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
All of this combined has left me extremely depressed and thinking about suicide
In context ↗ - Hair loss
depression, from hair loss, scars
In context ↗