Rarely left house with ME/CFS and could study 15 minutes, now somewhat better with pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 years
- Last post
- Aug 2020
In their words
- At worst: Moderate
I don't work and rarely leave my house
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
Today was the first time I have managed to hand in a piece of work for my university course for over a year and a half.
In context ↗
Read from 13 of their posts and comments; links to the 9 this page draws on
Summary
Vale 82691 fell ill with ME/CFS in the final year of a UK university degree; they did not work and rarely left the house, managing only about 15 minutes of study at a time. Pacing from an NHS fatigue clinic helped them do something each day, and in August 2020 they handed in their first university work in over a year and a half. Ibuprofen only dulled the pain slightly.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- pacing course (NHS fatigue treatment centre) · Helped
I have been getting treatment to help with learning pacing ... It's helped me manage my cfs
- anti depressants · Helped
My cfs was misdiagnosed as just depression for ages and so I can say that if you are able to a mixture of anti depressants and therapy are helpful
In context ↗ - therapy · Helped
The therapist I saw was really good as she was very understanding about my exhaustion
In context ↗ - ibuprofen · Helped
Currently I do just tend to take some ibuprofen but it only dulls the pain slightly
In context ↗ - short walks · Helped
I found going for walks helped me as it was not a strenuous activity and I started with really short ones trying to keep my heart rate lowish
In context ↗ - blue light blocking glasses · Helped
blue light blocking glasses have helped because I find myself staring at screens lot but my eyes get really tired and cause headaches
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset · Exercise and activity · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing
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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | ME/CFS began during final year of university; studies pausedI was in final year of my university degree when I got illIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| March 2020 | rarely leaving the house, not working, only short study bursts possibleI don't work and rarely leave my houseIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2020-08-14 | handed in first piece of university work in over a year and a halfToday was the first time I have managed to hand in a piece of work for my university course for over a year and a half.In context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2020-08-16 | building energy for short daily work and short low-heart-rate walksI started with really short ones trying to keep my heart rate lowish so not to get exhausted and causing a flareIn context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
we will just stay in and chat around the house so it's not too strenuous and cause me to crash the next day
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
it stopped be going out and would feel worse due to the anxiety
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
my eyes get really tired and cause headaches of too much
In context ↗ - Brain fog
can't remember all the details though
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Moderate ME/CFS, improved then relapsed; low-dose naltrexone gave early relief
Breeze 69166, a man in his 30s, has moderate ME/CFS and works part-time from home. He had about 18 months of milder symptoms in 2023-2024, then relapsed to moderate in 2025 after losing track of pacing. He credits low-dose naltrexone with significant early…
-
Bed- or couch-bound six months with long COVID, now functional after SSRIs and CBT
Tulip 55516 was bed- or couch-bound for six months with long COVID. Getting depression and anxiety under control with SSRIs and CBT, plus exercise, physical and occupational therapy, helped them reach a functional lifestyle, though they were not working yet.…
-
Not enough detail to draw a path
ME/CFS bedridden nearly a month after flu jab, now much better with pacing and LDN
Fell ill in January 2010 with an unidentified virus that attacked her nervous system, spent three weeks in hospital and has had ME/CFS since. Mostly mild to moderate, she works a few hours a day from home and credits pacing, cutting sugar and carbs, LDN and…
-
Bedbound and housebound with ME/CFS, now much better with pacing and POTS/MCAS drugs
Diana fell ill at 12 in 1998 and was very severe for about 15 years, bedbound for about four years and housebound for another seven or so. Endometriosis surgery moved them to moderate, and treating POTS and MCAS from late 2024 brought them toward mild.…