ME/CFS
Mild → no benefitNeeds ongoing treatment
Years of constant tiredness and burnout after exercise with ME/CFS, no lasting improvement
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill for
- many years
- Last post
- Feb 2015
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I just don't know if I actually have CFS. Ive been struggling with low energy and lethargy for many years.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I don't get ANYTHING done...I'm getting fat...I'm so damn unproductive
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
For now I believe that just like most everything in my life, there will never be a time when I'll just feel right.
In context ↗ - Says they never had: Pain & fibromyalgia
I don't really think I get muscle soreness/pain out of the blue
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 8 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user on r/cfs described years of constant lethargy and burnout after exercise, unsure it was really CFS because blood tests and a sleep study found nothing. Antidepressants gave only a little relief and exercise made them more tired, and cannabis eventually made the tiredness worse instead of better. Coffee, tea, yerba mate and maca powder were used to get through the day. By 2015 they still felt constantly tired, with no lasting improvement.
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What they tried
Also tried
caffeine (coffee, tea, yerba mate)· Helpedyerba mate· HelpedMaca Powder· HelpedLexapro and Wellbutrin (buproprion)· HelpedLexapro and Wellbutrin (buproprion)· HelpedTrazodone· Helpedmaintaining a regular sleep schedule· Helpedcannabis· Worseexercise· Worse
Their words about each treatment
- cannabis · Worse
the fatigue that it causes outweighs the benefit I get from it.
In context ↗ - caffeine (coffee, tea, yerba mate) · Helped
it seems to be the only thing that helps
In context ↗ - yerba mate · Helped
a glass or two of yerba mate in the late morning and late afternoon to keep me going
In context ↗ - Maca Powder · Helped
The alternatives that I continually rely on to make me feel semi-normal are a teaspoon of Maca Powder with my fruit smoothie when I awake
In context ↗ - exercise · Worse
Exercising doesn't help, and in fact gets me more tired.
In context ↗ - Lexapro and Wellbutrin (buproprion) · Helped
I suppose it helped a little bit but I had other side-effects that I didn't like.
In context ↗ - Trazodone · Helped
I was also on Trazodone for about 7-8 months and that was fuckin kickass for when I wanted to sleep.
In context ↗ - maintaining a regular sleep schedule · Helped
now that my sleep schedule is well maintained, I wake up maybe once a night
In context ↗
Their path
They say too little about how ill they were at each step to draw it on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| — | Years of constant low energy and lethargy, no clear startIve been struggling with low energy and lethargy for many years.In context ↗ | Not stated |
| 2014-05-22 | Still exhausted daily; cannabis now worsens the tirednessit just gets me way more tired than I already amIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Escitalopram (Lexapro), Bupropion (Wellbutrin)“I was on buproprion for about 4 months. That alongside Lexapro. I suppose it helped a little bit but I had other side-effects that I didn't like.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Trazodone (Desyrel)“I was also on Trazodone for about 7-8 months and that was fuckin kickass for when I wanted to sleep. Knocked me right out. But of course...there were other side-effects that were taking place that were negative.” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro), Bupropion (Wellbutrin), Trazodone (Desyrel)“I decided to go off the anti-d's becasue there were some side-effects that i didn't appreciate and i thought it'd be best to just drop em out.” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
There are just some days where a bomb couldn't get me out of bed.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
being high is the only time I feel right in the head and motivated to get stuff done
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I guess I get headaches often
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
i was told that my depression was the cause of this constant lethargy
In context ↗