ME/CFS
Mild → relapsedIll 3.5 years before improving or writing
COVID-triggered ME/CFS: fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, nearly normal then relapsed
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3.5 years
- Last post
- Jul 2025
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I'm fairly certain I have CFS/ME and PEM.
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I still go to work but am finding it really, really, REALLY hard to keep up with my normal amount of work
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
I actually start to feel sort of normal. I thought I was in the clear. Then, a couple months later, bam, exhaustion hit again
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
it probably started with a covid infection in early 2022
In context ↗
Read from 1 of their posts and comments; links to the one this page draws on
Summary
Crocus 75590 fell ill after a COVID infection in early 2022, with fatigue, breathlessness and brain fog, then a reactivated EBV and mononucleosis. After about 18 months they felt almost normal, but a cold brought the exhaustion back and things worsened. Still working, they take ADHD stimulants to get through one activity a day, with tachycardia and insomnia.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Adderall · Worse
I have ADHD and have a prescription for both Adderall and Vyvanse ... tachycardia, crash, insomnia, even more tired the next day
In context ↗ - SSRI · No change
I started an SSRI in 2021, but after I had covid it stopped working and I switched to an SNRI.
In context ↗ - SNRI · No change
I do not think being on or coming off the SNRI has affected anything in a positive or negative away.
In context ↗ - B complex · Not said
I have also been taking B complex, Vitamin D, magnesium glycinate, turmeric, and occasionally zinc.
In context ↗ - Fish Oil · Not said
I recently introduced Fish Oil and plan to start CoQ10
In context ↗
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. The chart starts 18 months after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 1 step says too little to place on the scale and is only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| early 2022 | COVID infection; fatigue, breathlessness and brain fog persistedit probably started with a covid infection in early 2022In context ↗ | Not stated |
| about 1.5 years after covid | started to feel sort of normal and thought they were in the clearI actually start to feel sort of normal. I thought I was in the clear.In context ↗ | Near normal |
| a couple months later | exhaustion hit again two weeks after a cold (covid negative)Then, a couple months later, bam, exhaustion hit again 2 weeks after having some kind of viral infectionIn context ↗ | Mild |
| July 2025 | worsening; exhausted, needs a stimulant to manage one activity a dayMost days I'm so tired I want to cry. I struggle to take a shower.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Amphetamine salts (Adderall), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse)“tachycardia, crash, insomnia, even more tired the next day” In context ↗ Heart rhythm problems
- Amphetamine salts (Adderall), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse)“tachycardia, crash, insomnia, even more tired the next day” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
- Amphetamine salts (Adderall), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse)“tachycardia, crash, insomnia, even more tired the next day” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Antidepressants (unspecified)“plus the side effects when I missed it” In context ↗ Withdrawal problems
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodBrain fogBreathlessnessHeart symptoms & palpitationsPain & fibromyalgiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I have not yet been officially diagnosed, but I'm fairly certain I have CFS/ME and PEM.
In context ↗ - Brain fog
After 3 months, I was still having symptoms which included fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
insomnia, even more tired the next day
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
tachycardia, crash, insomnia
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
now coupled with more joint pain (prior I had some feet and back pain but now knee, sometimes a 10 out of 10 pain)
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I can't help but feel that THIS is what will bring medication-requiring depression back
In context ↗