Not well enough to work; paleo-keto helped briefly, then worst crash below baseline
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- May 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
though I do also have ME, so I experience the physical side of things, too
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I’m not well enough to work or do anything reliably regardless of the dynamic nature of my ME
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I haven’t yet recovered and my baseline is much lower as a result.
In context ↗
Read from 10 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user with ME/CFS, autistic burnout and hypermobility was not well enough to work or do anything reliably. A paleo-keto diet brought dramatic but short-lived improvement, and cutting carbs further made them very unwell. In summer 2025 they moved from moderate to mild for a few months, then stress over a benefits reassessment and a mental breakdown caused their worst crash, leaving them below baseline and still unrecovered.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- pushing through my limits · Worse
I spent way too much time pushing through my limits and my day to day health is now worse as a result
In context ↗ - weighted blanket · Helped
I find a weighted blanket helps me
In context ↗ - osteopath · Not said
My osteopath states that he has noted a correlation between ME and inflammation of the spine
In context ↗ - valerian tea · Not said
I really wanted to find it helpful for my insomnia but I could never get past the smell
In context ↗ - (paleo)keto · Helped a lot
I saw dramatic improvement for a short period of time when I went (paleo)keto, but it was not sustainable
In context ↗ - therapist · Helped
I would not have survived without mine ... It just makes it a little easier to cope.
In context ↗
Approaches: Diet
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 |
|---|---|---|
| onset | ME/CFS at a steady level, unable to work or do anything reliablyI’m not well enough to work or do anything reliably regardless of the dynamic nature of my MEIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| summer 2025 | moved from moderate into mild for a few monthsI had a few months last year where I suddenly moved from moderate into mildIn context ↗ | Mild |
| after summer 2025 | crashed after the stress of having benefits reassessedhaving had a good period of improved symptoms over the summer of last year, followed by a big crash triggered by the stress of having my benefits reassessedIn context ↗ | Moderate |
| 2026-05-06 | still not recovered from the worst crash; baseline much lowerI haven’t yet recovered and my baseline is much lower as a result.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Keto and low-carb diets“I learned that the hard way lol, made myself very unwell.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
it is still possible to overexert myself and trigger a crash
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I’m currently having 7-11 hours of disrupted sleep per night and still waking up exhausted
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
the temperature affecting my joints + pain levels
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I feel overwhelmed and depressed for a long time
In context ↗
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