ME/CFS after COVID with brain fog and aching, no improvement from counselling
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill for
- 4 years
- Last post
- Aug 2024
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
the doc who diagnosed me with cfs and fibro said it was basically a one-two punch
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
so I'm just sitting here at work while feeling like I'd throw up from anxiety if I had the energy
In context ↗ - Now: No benefit
I just knew that I've felt awful since I got sick in 2020
In context ↗ - Began after: COVID
Covid killed my mom. It almost killed me. It's what triggered my ME and fibromyalgia.
Read from 4 of their posts and comments; links to the 4 this page draws on
Summary
They became ill in March 2020 and say COVID triggered their ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, with their mother's death stacking on top. They kept working, but 15 minutes of exercise in 2022 left them on the floor with legs up the wall and brought their depression back. Trauma counselling did not change their symptoms. By August 2024 they were cutting caffeine to find their baseline, with heavy brain fog and aching.
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What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- melatonin · Worse
I used to take 10mg before I got CFS, but it gave me the weirdest vivid dreams.
In context ↗ - caffeine · Helped
I've been using caffeine and sugar as a crutch to get me through the day for 4 years
In context ↗ - trauma counselling · No change
It hasn't really changed my symptoms, but it does give me resources to manage my symptoms.
In context ↗ - 15 minutes of exercise · Worse
As soon as the clock hit 15 minutes, the wall hit me.
In context ↗ - pacing · Not said
So, my new years resolution was to get better at pacing.
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 2.5 years 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 |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | fell ill; COVID/viral bronchitisgetting sick in March 2020 with viral bronchitus just stacked up and knocked me downIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| 2022-09-13 | crashed after 15 minutes of exercise, then depression returned15 minutes of exercise had me on the floor with my legs up the wall for a half hourIn context ↗ | Mild |
| 2024-08-09 | cut caffeine to find their baseline; brain fog and aches worseI'm on day two of cutting my caffeine all the way down, and Lord, is the change obvious. The brain fog is out of this world, and my body just aches.In context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Melatonin“I used to take 10mg before I got CFS, but it gave me the weirdest vivid dreams. I stopped when the dreams had me waking up after 4-5 hrs.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
15 minutes of exercise had me on the floor with my legs up the wall for a half hour
In context ↗ - Brain fog
The brain fog is out of this world
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
my body just aches
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
my depression has come roaring back
In context ↗