ME/CFS
Moderate → no benefit
Homebound and unable to work with ME/CFS after a crash, tried pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill for
- Not stated
- Last post
- Mar 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
Most doctors who aren't specialized in the area know nothing about this disease.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
resulted in me ending up homebound and no longer able to work
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
I was mild for a year. Listening to a doctor who told me that there was no harm in doing physical activities that would lead to a crash resulted in me ending up homebound and no longer able to work.
In context ↗
Read from 7 of their posts and comments; links to the 5 this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user with ME/CFS was mild for a year, then followed a doctor's advice that exertion was harmless, crashed and became homebound and unable to work. Pacing with strict time limits and rest breaks made a big difference, and a heart rate monitor helped them spot overexertion. A low-dose medication taken at night for five years helped them sleep, though early waking and leg pains remained.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Acupuncture · Worse
I did it once. May have done too much. Put me in PEM.
In context ↗ - Physical activities advised by a doctor · Much worse
Listening to a doctor who told me that there was no harm in doing physical activities that would lead to a crash resulted in me ending up homebound
In context ↗ - Pacing · Helped
Discipline around time limits has made a big difference for me.
In context ↗ - Meditation · Not said
Stopping for 10 minutes every hour to meditate/rest.
In context ↗ - Mirtazapine · Helped
I've been taking it at a low dose at night for 5 years now. Only thing I've ever found that helps me sleep through the night and doesn't make me feel out of it the next day.
In context ↗ - Visible · Helped
The heart rate monitor lets me know when I'm overdoing something.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | mild ME/CFS for a yearI was mild for a year.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| before March 2025 | followed a doctor's advice to do physical activities; crashed, became homebound and stopped workingresulted in me ending up homebound and no longer able to workIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2025-05-25 | strict time limits on activity, visits and hourly rest breaksDiscipline around time limits has made a big difference for me.In context ↗ | Moderate | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2026-03-26 | using Visible heart-rate and symptom tracking to cut energy useThe heart rate monitor lets me know when I'm overdoing something.In context ↗ | Moderate |
Adverse events
- Acupuncture“I did it once. May have done too much. Put me in PEM.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
I still wake up too early some days with leg pains
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
taking a shower (sitting) and getting dressed were both spiking my heart rate
In context ↗