Severe ME/CFS after COVID, improved on aspirin and antihistamines, then relapsed to severe
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I have moderate to severe MECFS from long COVID
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
I started severe in 2022, improved to moderate march 2025, and crashed back to severe in June
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I'm currently severe, but I was moderate for a year up until a flare 2 months ago and currently looking for answers to get back to where I was
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
The COVID infection that gave me MECFS also caused subclinical hyperthyroidism
Read from 25 of their posts and comments; links to the 18 this page draws on
Summary
Ridge 66475 became severe with ME/CFS after a COVID infection in 2022. Daily low-dose aspirin, antihistamines, an air purifier and over 80g of protein a day helped most, and by March 2025 they had improved to moderate. In June 2026 wildfire smoke, heat waves and viral infections crashed them back to severe. By October 2026 they were still mostly bedbound, pacing and volunteering a few hours a week in ME advocacy.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- graded exercise (GET) · Worse
I had POTS before long COVID/ME and thought I could improve with GET ... I kept pushing because I didn't realize I had PEM
In context ↗ - higher protein diet · Helped
I do better on higher protein ... make sure I get over 80g protein and that's done the most
- CBD · Helped
10 parts CBD to 1 part THC or lower is most successful for me
In context ↗ - THC · Worse
I've pretty much stopped using THC because of anxiety
In context ↗ - CBN · Helped
CBN mixed with other non-THC cannabinoids is helpful for improving deep sleep for me
In context ↗ - CBG · No change
I don't notice much difference between adding extra CBG and just taking a full spectrum CBD oil
In context ↗ - NAC (N-acetyl L-cysteine) · Helped
I don't think I notice much difference for my MECFS caused by long COVID, but 2400 mg per day split into 2 doses with my meals keeps the skin picking urge more controllable
In context ↗ - coal tar shampoo · Helped
Coal tar seems to slow the excess skin growth
In context ↗ - salicylic or glycolic acid · Not said
then use salicylic or glycolic acid treatments to exfoliate
In context ↗ - therapy · Helped
finding a therapist that understands chronic illness was helpful for me
In context ↗ - thigh high compression socks · Not said
thigh high compression socks were what was recommended to me by my initial neurologist who dxed me with POTS
In context ↗ - Venture Pal electrolytes · Helped
If I slack on electrolytes they get worse too, but I know how to fix that
In context ↗ - DXM (dextromethorphan) · Worse
I had a bad reaction to it too, even though it seemed to be helping beforehand ... my heart felt pretty unstable for a little bit
In context ↗ - caffeine · Helped
I feel better with caffeine as long as I don't overdo it
In context ↗ - low dose aspirin · Helped
the aspirin noticably helped me with energy and shortness of breath
In context ↗ - antihistamines · Helped
I take antihistamines and aspirin to help with my symptoms in PEM
In context ↗ - HEPA air purifier · Helped
run a hepa air purifier in my room, and make sure I get over 80g protein and that's done the most
In context ↗ - low dose Abilify (LDA) · Helped
it seems to have increased my PEM threshold a bit ... Still mostly bedbound and dose increases cause some insomnia
In context ↗ - guanfacine ER · Helped
I also started guanfacine ER at night at the same time and that seems to help increase my deep sleep to mitigate some PEM risk from insomnia
In context ↗ - cymbalta · Not said
taking it with 60 mg cymbalta and LDA
In context ↗ - magnesium citrate and glycinate · Helped
I take magnesium citrate and glycinate at night and it helps with the all-the-time jerks
In context ↗ - pacing · Helped
the only way to make it stop is to rest and pace
In context ↗
Approaches: H1 antihistamines · Anticoagulants · Diet · Mould avoidance
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ME/CFS began after a COVID infection; started severeI started severe in 2022In context ↗ | Severe |
| March 2025 | improved to moderate on aspirin, antihistamines, air purifier and high proteinI take low dose aspirin daily, antihistamines, run a hepa air purifier in my room, and make sure I get over 80g protein and that's done the most.In context ↗ | Moderate |
| June 2026 | crashed back to severe after wildfire smoke, heat waves and viral infectionscrashed back to severe in June due to wildfire smoke, heat waves, and a couple viral infectionsIn context ↗ | Severe |
| 2026-10-12 | still severe and mostly bedbound; volunteers a few hours a week in ME advocacyI'm currently severe, but I was moderate for a year up until a flare 2 months agoIn context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Cannabis (THC, marijuana)“50:50 gives me anxiety too.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Compression garments“It's hard for me to tolerate from a sensory standpoint” In context ↗ Side effects
- Low-dose Abilify / aripiprazole“dose increases cause some insomnia” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Dextromethorphan (DXM)“I had a bad reaction to it too, even though it seemed to be helping beforehand ... my heart felt pretty unstable for a little bit” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
seems to have increased my PEM threshold a bit
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
I have MECFS, POTS, SIBO and possibly MCAS
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
dose increases cause some insomnia
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
have had a headache all day with random sharp head and neck pains
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
I get SOB when I'm in PEM or generally crashing
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
my heart felt pretty unstable for a little bit
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
feeling less weak and limp
In context ↗ - Neuropathy & tingling
I think it's autonomic neuropathy caused by my ME
In context ↗ - Vision problems
get blurry vision/slow focusing from small eye muscle fatigue
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
constantly being hot and sweating
In context ↗
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