ME/CFS
Moderate → somewhat better
Housebound with ME/CFS, now somewhat better with omega-3 and escitalopram
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- Not stated
- Last post
- Oct 2026
In their words
- At worst: Moderate
I myself am moderate and know it’s definitely an organic illness
In context ↗ - Now: Somewhat better
It has really given me quality of life back like I can’t even describe. My body is still sick but my mind is so much more at ease
In context ↗
Read from 28 of their posts and comments; links to the 22 this page draws on
Summary
A German Reddit user with ME/CFS first blamed bad insomnia, then pushed through with sport until they could not stand up without feeling faint. Aggressive rest left them stable but housebound most of the time. Omega-3 cut their headaches by 70-80%, and escitalopram (20 mg) calmed their nervous system and anxiety, which they called a game changer; quetiapine helped them sleep, but their body remained ill.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
high quality, high dose omega3· Helped a lotquetiapine (seroquel)· Helpeddaridorexant (quviviq)· Helpedbenzos· Helped · wore offashwagandha (KSM-66 600mg)· No changel-Theanine· No changemagnesiumglycinade· No changeoxaloacetate· No changeagomelatine· No changeTrimipramine· No changeTrazodone· No changeDoxylamine· No changeZolpidem (Ambien)· No changeacupuncture· No change5htp· Worseweed· Worsesport, being active· Much worsecq10· Not saidcarnitine· Not said
Their words about each treatment
- extra virgin olive oil · Helped
what really helped me is adding a lot of extra virgin olive oil to my diet
In context ↗ - high quality, high dose omega3 · Helped a lot
Especially a high quality, high dose omega3 intake has cured my general pain (headaches mostly) by around 70-80%, very noticeable.
In context ↗ - ashwagandha (KSM-66 600mg) · No change
So far a stack of ashwagandha (KSM-66 600mg); l-Theanine 300mg and magnesiumglycinade 750mg (150mg elementary Magnesium) hasn’t brought significant results.
In context ↗ - cq10 · Not said
I took it with cq10 carnitine and an overall very big stack.
In context ↗ - oxaloacetate · No change
It didnt have any effect for me tho so I stopped it.
In context ↗ - agomelatine · No change
Had agomelatine, it did nothing for me
In context ↗ - quetiapine (seroquel) · Helped
For me quetiapine (seroquel) has shown the best results.
In context ↗ - Trimipramine · No change
I’ve been on Trimipramine, Doxylamine, Seroquel, Trazodone and some benzos. Nothing helped so far.
In context ↗ - Zolpidem (Ambien) · No change
Many different meds have failed before: quetiapine (seroquel); Trimipramine; daridorexant; Zolpidem (Ambien) and some more.
In context ↗ - daridorexant (quviviq) · Helped
Didn’t do much for me, but helped a little bit.
In context ↗ - benzos · Helped
Benzos are great but they loose the effect very quickly and you get addicted.
In context ↗ - acupuncture · No change
Im currently in week 6 of acupuncture by a TCM certified doctor. Hasnt had any noticeable effect yet but it also hasn’t made me worse
In context ↗ - 5htp · Worse
sadly 5htp only seems to make my dysautonomia worse
In context ↗ - resting aggressively · Helped
Only after basically quitting my entire life and resting aggressively I am now somewhat stable, but still not able to leave the house most of the time.
In context ↗ - very tiny amounts of activity · Helped
So I started to do very tiny amounts of activity again, never forcing myself
In context ↗ - sport, being active · Much worse
What helps? Ofc, sport, being active, meeting people. The more I tried the worse it got.
In context ↗ - escitalopram (lexapro) · Helped a lot
Escitalopram (lexapro) has been an absolute game changer for me.
In context ↗ - weed · Worse
Weed makes me more nervous
In context ↗
Approaches: SSRIs · Pacing · Radical rest · Supplements
Their path
What they say at each step doesn’t fit the worst point or outcome above on the severity scale, so the steps are listed as they describe them. Dates are when they posted.
| When | What happened | After |
|---|---|---|
| onset | illness began, blamed on insomnia; kept exercising and socialisingWhen it started for me I mainly thought I just had bad insomnia and was tired because of that.In context ↗ | |
| — | kept pushing with sport and activity until too faint to standThe more I tried the worse it got. To the point where i couldn’t stand up to go to the toilet without feeling like I would faint.In context ↗ | |
| 2025 | quit activities and rested aggressively, became somewhat stableOnly after basically quitting my entire life and resting aggressively I am now somewhat stable, but still not able to leave the house most of the time.In context ↗ | Radical rest |
| 2025-06 | supplement stack, especially high-dose omega-3, largely cleared headachesEspecially a high quality, high dose omega3 intake has cured my general pain (headaches mostly) by around 70-80%, very noticeable.In context ↗ | Omega-3 and fish oil |
| 2025-11 | escitalopram calmed the overactive nervous system and post-exertional heart racingI’m on 20mg lexapro and I actually helped me tremendously with calming my nervous system down.In context ↗ | |
| 2026-02 | body still ill but mind much more at ease; sleeping on quetiapineMy body is still sick but my mind is so much more at ease and I feel like I can at least relax againIn context ↗ |
Adverse events
- Radical rest“although aggressive resting didn’t cause me to crash, it made my depression and overall body fitness way worse like extremely” In context ↗ Mood or psychiatric effects
- Radical rest“after spending so much time just laying I really noticed how my heart became weaker too” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- 5-HTP“sadly 5htp only seems to make my dysautonomia worse” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Trimipramine (Surmontil), Trazodone (Desyrel), Doxylamine (Unisom)“I find the antihistamine sleep (like from trimipramine, doxylamine, trazodone) to be very unrefreshing and they all gave me a bad hangover” In context ↗ Side effects
- “as someone who has to take neuroleptics I know full well what it is as I have frequently experienced it myself” In context ↗ Side effects
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)“It can be a bit unpleasant in the first week tho” In context ↗ Side effects
Symptoms mentioned
Anxiety & low moodHeadaches & migraineHeart symptoms & palpitationsPOTS & dysautonomiaPost-exertional malaiseSleep problems
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I struggle with bad headaches in episodes of pem too
In context ↗ - Headaches & migraine
I used to. Omega 3 was an absolute game changer for it.
In context ↗ - POTS & dysautonomia
Had a lot of the symptoms you describe, all gone now.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I’ve been on 25mg seroquel for a bit over a year now for my insomnia
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
I have been put on escitalopram tho which has helped quite a lot with the stress
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
when I did some exertion like walking, my heart would start to ramp up a couple hours later and just not calm down again. That is, for the most part, gone
In context ↗
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