Worst dysautonomia with ME/CFS, now somewhat better with alpha lipoic acid and ALCAR
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Aug 2025
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I take Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L- Carnitine daily and they really help reduce my fatigue, PEM and muscle aches
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
Now that I’ve found a decent supplement regime that gives me enough energy to have some functionality, I want to focus on gut stuff because it’s really affecting my quality of life
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
I’m a bit better since i found some supplements that help my symptoms! ... I even had a remission event while on those but unlikely I got virus that got activated not long after that gives me the worst dysautonomia symptoms so that’s my main issues now
Read from 18 of their posts and comments; links to the 8 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user began a batch of supplements in June 2023 and felt better the next day, crediting alpha lipoic acid most, with ALCAR and glutamine, for energy, PEM and muscle aches, and also took D-ribose; ALA still worked nearly two years on. They had a remission, then a reactivated virus brought the worst dysautonomia, still their main problem in June 2025. Supplements were costly.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- pacing · Not said
Sometimes when I really want to enjoy a social event I’ll ignore pacing but I’ll always suffer the consequences after.
In context ↗ - dietary changes (more protein, less refined sugar, more hydration) · No change
I don’t really feel like the dietary changes have helped
In context ↗ - Alpha lipoic acid · Helped a lot
alpha lipoic acid helps me with energy the most ... It’s been life changing and I’ve been taking it for nearly 2 years now and it still works the same
- Acetyl-L- Carnitine (ALCAR) · Helped
I take Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L- Carnitine daily and they really help reduce my fatigue, PEM and muscle aches ... ALCAR was the best out of these for me
- D-ribose · Not said
I also take d ribose and ALCAR
In context ↗ - glutamine · Helped
Second best probably ALCAR and glutamine for me, I take those daily with ALA
In context ↗
Approaches: Amino acids and carnitine · Supplements
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 |
|---|---|
| 2022-10-24 | Living with ME/CFS; crashes after social events when pacing is ignoredSometimes when I really want to enjoy a social event I’ll ignore pacing but I’ll always suffer the consequences after.In context ↗ |
| 2023-06-14 | Started several new supplements including ALA; felt better the next dayI started a whole bunch of new supplements including ALA And felt better starting the next dayIn context ↗ |
| 2024-06-17 | A bit better on ALA and ALCAR; fatigue, PEM and muscle aches reducedI take Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L- Carnitine daily and they really help reduce my fatigue, PEM and muscle achesIn context ↗ |
| 2025-06-20 | Remission event while on ALA, ALCAR and glutamineI even had a remission event while on thoseIn context ↗ |
| 2025-06-20 | Reactivated virus brought the worst dysautonomiaI got virus that got activated not long after that gives me the worst dysautonomia symptomsIn context ↗ |
| 2025-08-15 | ALA still helping energy, recovery, muscle aches and blood sugar; dysautonomia the main problemEnergy, recovery, muscle aches, blood sugar issuesIn context ↗ |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
they really help reduce my fatigue, PEM and muscle aches
In context ↗ - Gut problems
I want to focus on gut stuff because it’s really affecting my quality of life
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
gives me the worst dysautonomia symptoms so that’s my main issues now
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
ME/CFS: fatigue, brain fog, depression much better after probiotic and antioxidant
Crocus 28715 fell ill around 2007 after a mono-like infection, with fatigue, brain fog and depression that became intense about two years in. Zinc helped for a while; a multi-strain probiotic plus an antioxidant cocktail left them mostly recovered by 2017.…
-
Long COVID with PEM, brain fog and fatigue, now much better after Paxlovid and a booster
They got long COVID in 2023 with PEM, brain fog and fatigue. A 15-day Paxlovid trial cured it, with improvement starting around days 9–12, but reinfection months later brought it back; 10 more days of Paxlovid did not cure it, and a COVID booster gave a…
-
Long COVID unable to work, often in bed, now much better with beta blockers and SSRIs
A Reddit user who developed long COVID in April 2022 described almost 3 years of ups and downs and a slow decline, leaving them unable to work and often limited to ADLs and time on the couch or in bed. From late 2024 they credited beta blockers, SSRIs,…
-
Debilitating long COVID, nearly back to normal after lumbrokinase and low-histamine diet
After COVID in December 2021 and a severe reinfection in November 2023, Pond 93119 developed debilitating long COVID with PEM, brain fog and breathlessness, and could barely work. They credited lumbrokinase, started January 2025, and a low-histamine diet for…