ME/CFS
Mild → no benefit
Mild ME/CFS with PEM and severe episodes, no improvement, still pacing and napping daily
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill for
- decades
- Last post
- May 2026
In their words
- At worst: Mild
its mild severity has always stayed at the same level
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
its mild severity has always stayed at the same level
In context ↗ - Began after: another virus
Apparently I have some kind of 20th c version of virus-triggered CFS
Read from 17 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Dune 21435 has had mild CFS since a virus decades ago, with a stable baseline and occasional severe episodes from which they always recovered. Returning to upper-body gym work twice caused PEM with a few days lying around, but building up from no weights restored their usual light strength training. They pace by feel, nap daily and travel, saying nothing except maybe getting older has made them worse forever.
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What they tried
Also tried
strength training at the gym, rebuilt from no weights· Helpedcontrolling energy output and rest· Helpedcognitive based therapy methods· Helpedcbd with a bit of thc· Helpedfatigue episodes going away by themselves· Helpedtime release acetaminophen (8 hour Tylenol)· Not saidAleve (naproxen)· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- strength training at the gym, rebuilt from no weights · Helped
Now I’m back to my usual light strength training with no PEM.
In context ↗ - controlling energy output and rest · Helped
I still am able to travel — have gotten very good at controlling energy output and rest.
In context ↗ - cognitive based therapy methods · Helped
I've used it to manage my physiological symptoms and to develop hundreds of workaround in daily life.
In context ↗ - time release acetaminophen (8 hour Tylenol) · Not said
I take it with time release acetaminophen 8 hour Tylenol) , 2x 650 mg
In context ↗ - Aleve (naproxen) · Not said
One Aleve (naproxen) can be interesting because it lasts all night.
In context ↗ - cbd with a bit of thc · Helped
I use cbd with a bit of thc added to make fatigue and general yuckiness less distracting.
In context ↗ - fatigue episodes going away by themselves · Helped
The fatigue episodes go away by themselves
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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| decades ago (20th century) | virus-triggered CFS, lifelong mildApparently I have some kind of 20th c version of virus-triggered CFS, but its mild severity has always stayed at the same level.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2025 | PEM twice after returning to gym upper-body workTwo days after I finally got back to the gym for mild upper body stuff, I got PEM, (stuck at home lying around for a few days.)In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2025 | built up from no weights, back to light strength training without PEMthe next few times at the gym I went thru the exercises with no weights at all, and built up from there. Now I’m back to my usual light strength training with no PEM.In context ↗ | Mild | Everyday exercise and activity |
| 2026-05-04 | still mild, active weekly, walking up to 5+ milesif I can recover from an exercise session in 1-2, days then I’m willing to trigger PEM in order to stay active and strong on a weekly basis. One day on, one day off.In context ↗ | Mild |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
Two days after I finally got back to the gym for mild upper body stuff, I got PEM
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I feel depressed—as in a sudden mood dip out of the blue—the night before a fatigue episode
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
the most restful thing (I call it "deep rest") after any sleep deficit is taken care of
In context ↗