ME/CFS since 2018, still working a little; mini pill helped, then relapse
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 2 years
- Last post
- Nov 2023
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I’ve been struggling with chronic fatigue since 2018.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I’ve been lucky in that I was still able to work, just not very much.
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I was in heaven for a few months before things suddenly went back to the way they were before
In context ↗ - Began after: nothing they could name
I’ve been struggling with chronic fatigue since 2018.
In context ↗
Summary
They had been ill with chronic fatigue since 2018 but could still work a little. In 2020 the mini pill (norethindrone) relieved their symptoms within days; they worked full time and went to the gym, feeling the best since childhood. The benefit faded after a few months and they went back to how they were before. A bioidentical progesterone pill did not feel similar at all.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- birth controls · Worse
I took many birth controls before eventually opting for sterilization, they absolutely suck the life out of you both mentally and psychically.
In context ↗ - norethindrone or the “mini pill” · Helped a lot
I unexpectedly felt relief from my CFS symptoms within days, and started going to the gym and working full time.
In context ↗ - progesterone pill · No change
I take a progesterone pill now (close to what’s in the mini pill but bioidentical) and it doesn’t feel similar at all.
In context ↗
Approaches: Sex hormones
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | chronic fatigue beganI’ve been struggling with chronic fatigue since 2018.In context ↗ | Mild |
| 2020 | mini pill gave relief within days; gym and full-time work againI unexpectedly felt relief from my CFS symptoms within days, and started going to the gym and working full time.In context ↗ | Near normal |
| 2020 | benefit faded after a few months, back to previous stateI was in heaven for a few months before things suddenly went back to the way they were beforeIn context ↗ | Mild |
| 2023-11-10 | still at pre-2020 baseline; bioidentical progesterone pill no helpI take a progesterone pill now (close to what’s in the mini pill but bioidentical) and it doesn’t feel similar at all.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Hormonal birth control (unspecified)“I took many birth controls before eventually opting for sterilization, they absolutely suck the life out of you both mentally and psychically.” In context ↗ Side effects
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