Bedridden six months with ME/CFS, much better after casual workouts and career change
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Very severe (bedbound, unable to do basic care)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 4 years
- Last post
- Jan 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
4 Years later I'm tired 24/7
In context ↗ - At worst: Very severe
Couldn't get out of bed for 6 months. 4 of those months couldn't even watch tv or get up.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
I had to spend 6 More Months working out casually and changing careers ... 4 Years later I'm tired 24/7
In context ↗ - Began after: glandular fever or EBV
I had mono in 2018.
In context ↗
Read from 1 of their posts and comments; links to the one this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user who came down with mono in 2018 at 26 became bedridden for six months, four of them unable to watch TV or tolerate light and unable to eat solids. Six further months of casual workouts and a career change got them back to physical work. Four years later they were still tired 24/7, could not hold a job beyond ten months, and coffee made them cough for hours and vomit.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- IV from the hospital · Not said
I was extremely dehydrated. Once I got IV from the hospital, the blood test said I had mono.
In context ↗ - working out casually · Helped
I had to spend 6 More Months working out casually and changing careers
In context ↗ - eating every 2 hours · Helped
it is a lot worse if I don't eat every 2 hours
In context ↗ - 30 minute walk in the morning · Helped
A 30 minute walk in the morning helps
In context ↗ - supplements · Helped
supplements help
In context ↗ - not having coffee · Helped
not having coffee helps
In context ↗ - less than 20g of sugar a day · Helped
less than 20g of sugar a day helps
In context ↗ - Drinking 3 Liters of water a day · Helped
Drinking 3 Liters of water a day helps
In context ↗ - 9 hours of sleep in a row · Helped
Trying your best to have 9 hours of sleep in a row and not broken up sleep.
In context ↗
Approaches: POTS medication · Exercise and activity
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | came down with monoI had mono in 2018.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| a month or two into mono, 2018 | mono went haywire; bedridden in complete darknessCouldn't get out of bed for 6 months. 4 of those months couldn't even watch tv or get up.In context ↗ | Very severe | |
| after six months in bed and six more months of casual workouts | built back up with casual workouts and changed careersI had to spend 6 More Months working out casually and changing careers.In context ↗ | Mild | Everyday exercise and activity |
| 4 Years later | still tired 24/7, unable to keep a job more than ten months4 Years later I'm tired 24/7, it is a lot worse if I don't eat every 2 hours.In context ↗ | Mild |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
My sleeping pattern has been whack, have become a night owl.
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
Ive become allergic to coffee in the way of hacking and coughing if I have coffee
In context ↗ - Breathlessness
Throat closed could barely breath, couldn't eat solids.
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
unable to breath, weak limbs
In context ↗ - Light & noise sensitivity
Had to be in complete darkness, the slightest light would destroy my mind.
In context ↗ - Temperature regulation
Night sweats for 6months
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
lying in bed for 6 months made my heart fk'd up
In context ↗
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