Profound fatigue, PEM and brain fog with ME/CFS, now much better after mindset and vagal work
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 1 year
- Last post
- Apr 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
By accident, I listened to a podcast about me/cfs co-hosted by Dr. Howard Schubiner that completely changed my perspective on this.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
It’s really insane to go from running 5 miles no big deal 4x a week and gym on alternating days with lots of activity besides to….just rotting.
In context ↗ - Now: Much better
For me, the mindset shift saved me. No more crashes but very mild vague symptoms and the full conviction that this is FOR ME—- dysautonomia.
In context ↗
Summary
They had fatigue in 2025 with borderline-low iron, and iron IV infusions made them feel great. In January 2026 they crashed with profound fatigue, PEM, pain everywhere, brain fog and headaches, and by February had muscle and joint pain and meh and exhausted days. After hearing Dr. Howard Schubiner on a podcast they shifted their mindset and did emotional and vagal work; by April 2026 they reported no more crashes, only very mild vague symptoms.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- oral iron · Worse
Cannot tolerate oral iron
In context ↗ - iron IV infusions · Helped
Cannot tolerate oral iron so got a couple iron IV infusions and felt great.
In context ↗ - Med mj · Helped
Med mj helps me stop so much negative thinking and takes the edge off the pain
In context ↗ - mindset shift from Dr. Howard Schubiner podcast · Helped a lot
By accident, I listened to a podcast about me/cfs co-hosted by Dr. Howard Schubiner that completely changed my perspective on this. For me, the mindset shift saved me.
In context ↗ - emotional and “vagal” work · Not said
I am now focused on emotional and “vagal” work.
In context ↗
Approaches: Brain retraining
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. 1 step has no time and sits in story order between the steps around it. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | fatigue began; iron found borderline lowFatigue in 2025 but no other big issues. Iron came back borderline low.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2025 | felt great after iron infusionsCannot tolerate oral iron so got a couple iron IV infusions and felt great.In context ↗ | Near normal | Iron infusion / ferritin repletion |
| Jan. 2026 | hit with profound fatigue, PEM, pain, brain fog, headachesJan. 2026 I get hit with profound fatigue, what had to be PEM, that poisoned feeling, pain everywhere, brain fog, headachesIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2026-02-25 | spiralled; muscle and joint pain, meh and exhausted daysI'm now developing muscle and joint pain and have meh days and exhausted days.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2026-04-09 | no more crashes, only very mild vague symptoms after a mindset shiftNo more crashes but very mild vague symptomsIn context ↗ | Mild | Sarno / TMS / somatic tracking / JournalSpeak |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
what had to be PEM
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
I'm now developing muscle and joint pain
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
the full conviction that this is FOR ME—- dysautonomia
In context ↗
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