ME/CFS for 15 years, barely able to sit up, somewhat better; therapy and sertraline helped
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 15 years
- Last post
- Apr 2025
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I’ve had CFS for about 15 years
In context ↗ - At worst: Severe
Right now my body will barely let me sit up
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
Despite all that I can say that things have improved for me.
In context ↗
Summary
Had ME/CFS for about 15 years alongside autism, ADHD, PTSD and fibromyalgia; right now their body will barely let them sit up, and they sometimes need something to keep them upright. They say talking therapy for PTSD eased hypervigilance and sertraline 200 mg daily helped depression and anxiety, and they also use vagus-nerve exercises, the Apollo Neuro band and dietary changes, but still overdo it and crash. Risperidone once sent them into psychosis that took a couple of years to recover from.
Ask Miruvor AI
What they tried
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- talking therapy for PTSD with a counsellor who understood autism · Helped
This l helped me be able to get to a place where some kind of relaxing could be possible. It really helped with hyper vigilance.
In context ↗ - Sertraline (Zoloft) · Helped
I’ve been taking Sertraline (Zoloft) 200mg daily now for about 5 years. This has really helped my depression and anxiety
In context ↗ - Apollo Neuro band · Helped
It’s really good for activating the parasympathetic nervous system and good for drug resistant PTSD.
In context ↗ - vagus nerve stimulation (humming, singing, breathing exercises) · Helped
Things that stimulate the vagus nerve are good. Humming, singing, breathing exercises.
In context ↗ - meditation · Not said
I’ve tried really hard with meditation but it is almost impossible for me when the brain is so busy.
In context ↗ - nature bathing away from phones · Helped
Nature bathing away from phones is really good for me.
In context ↗ - ADHD meds · Worse
Unfortunately I cannot take ADHD meds because of exacerbating anxiety.
In context ↗ - looking at screens less, blue light filters and colour filters · Not said
trying to look at screens less, especially in the evening. Limiting blue light and using color filters on screens.
In context ↗ - Endel sounds app · Not said
Using the Endel sounds app.
In context ↗ - limiting sugar, caffeine and processed food, eating earlier · Not said
Limiting sugar, caffeine, processed food. Eating earlier to enable digestion before trying to rest.
In context ↗ - Risperidone · Much worse
the doctor put me on Risperidone and it sent me into psychosis. There was 0% chance for me to rest at all on that. It took a couple of years to recover from.
In context ↗ - cane · Helped
I have to sometimes. It’s the only thing that keeps me up.
In context ↗
Approaches: CBT & mindset
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 15 years after onset: the story doesn’t say how ill they were before that. 2 steps say too little to place on the scale and are only in the table. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were |
|---|---|---|
| onset | ME/CFS beganI’ve had CFS for about 15 yearsIn context ↗ | Not stated |
| — | Risperidone sent them into psychosisthe doctor put me on Risperidone and it sent me into psychosis ... It took a couple of years to recover from.In context ↗ | Not stated |
| 2025-04-22 | says things have improved over the years despite still barely being able to sit upDespite all that I can say that things have improved for me.In context ↗ | Severe |
| 2025-04-29 | uses a cane to stay uprightIt’s the only thing that keeps me up.In context ↗ | Severe |
Adverse events
- Risperidone (Risperdal)“the doctor put me on Risperidone and it sent me into psychosis ... It took a couple of years to recover from.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Stimulants (unspecified)“I cannot take ADHD meds because of exacerbating anxiety.” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I still end up pushing myself or over doing it and then my body fights back so I have to actually lay down
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
my body will barely let me sit up
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
This has really helped my depression and anxiety
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I have Autistm+ADHD also PTSD, CFS/ME and fibromyalgia.
In context ↗
Ask Miruvor AI
Similar stories
-
Mostly bedbound and housebound with ME/CFS, pacing and rest helped before a relapse
Valley 16092 has had ME/CFS and fibromyalgia for about 25 years; stress and lifelong health problems led to a crash from 60-hour workweeks. They never became severe but have been mostly bedbound and housebound, and pacing, rest and comorbidity medication…
-
Mostly bedbound with ME/CFS, now somewhat better with pacing and POTS medication
A man in Australia became ill about two years ago after stress, surgery and a viral infection; he deteriorated to severe within about a year and was diagnosed with CFS. Mostly bedbound and unable to work, he credits pacing, CBD with micro-dose THC, red meat…
-
In bed most days and unable to work with ME/CFS, somewhat better after low-dose naltrexone
After roughly eight years, she was in bed most days and unable to work; low-dose naltrexone from December 2023 moved her from severe to moderate; by 2026 she was on the couch rather than bedbound, doing 1,500-2,000 steps a day with slow physical therapy and…
-
Housebound with long COVID, now much better and back at work after rest and acupuncture
An Australian academic in their forties got long COVID in May 2024 after a third infection: brain fog first, then crippling fatigue that left them housebound and crashing daily for months. Rest, time and treatments including acupuncture greatly improved…