Severe ME/CFS fatigue, now nearly back to normal with herbal antivirals and diet
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- several years
- Last post
- May 2023
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I had ME/CFS…..although granted I have mostly recovered…..when I got COVID.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
all of those symptoms continued to worsen until I had to push myself to get out of bed every day ... I had a demanding corporate job and took time off from work to focus on my health
- Now: Near normal
although granted I have mostly recovered ... it’s still not perfect but I have lots of energy most days
- Began after: stress or burnout
For me, (and I could only see this after I came out the other end) chronic stress played a huge role.
Read from 24 of their posts and comments; links to the 14 this page draws on
Summary
After years of severe fatigue they hit rock bottom in 2017, napping every afternoon and pushing themself out of bed. Modafinil and Ritalin kept them awake but their health declined, with brain fog, muscle and joint pain, palpitations and flu-like symptoms. They credit herbal antivirals and antibiotics, supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine and an elimination diet with their recovery; by 2022 they had lots of energy, though still working within their limits.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Modafonil · Worse
It kept me awake but I never felt great. It felt like my body needed rest.
In context ↗ - Ritalin · Worse
Both drugs did keep me awake but I always felt like my body was tired and just needed rest.
In context ↗ - Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal protocols · Helped a lot
the thing that got me halfway there was a mix of Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements and lots of detox strategies
In context ↗ - acupuncture · Not said
I did do acupuncture for a little while but not for the entire time I was taking the herbs.
In context ↗ - Tuina massage and cupping · Helped
Really helped to loosen up tightness in the muscles.
In context ↗ - elimination diet · Helped
I did the elimination diet a year ago for about four months and saw big improvement after I also eliminated my food sensitivities.
In context ↗ - eliminating high histamine foods · Helped
it was only after I eliminated all of the high histamine healthy foods I was sensitive to that the elimination diet really worked
In context ↗ - strength training and sprints · Helped
Not as tone as I like but I feel better than not doing anything at all
In context ↗ - Meditation and mindfulness · Helped
Meditation and mindfulness does wonders.
In context ↗
Approaches: Alternative therapies · Diet · Exercise and activity · Mind-body practices
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, in the order they describe; they don’t give enough times to place each step. Hover or tap a point. 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 | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | years of debilitating fatigueI suffered from debilitating fatigue for years.In context ↗ | Not stated | |
| 2017 | hit rock bottom after several years of severe fatiguefinally hit rock bottom in 2017 after several years of severe fatigueIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| — | herbs, supplements and detox got them halfway backthe thing that got me halfway there was a mix of Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements and lots of detox strategiesIn context ↗ | Mild | Chinese herbal medicine (TCM formulas) |
| 2022-05-16 | lots of energy most days, still not perfectit’s still not perfect but I have lots of energy most daysIn context ↗ | Near normal | Chinese herbal medicine (TCM formulas) |
| 2023-05-07 | exercising again but must stay within their limitsOne of my biggest challenges in recovering has been finding and working within my limits or I end up exhausted for days.In context ↗ | Near normal | Chinese herbal medicine (TCM formulas) |
Adverse events
- Modafinil / armodafinil“I had a skin reaction to it after a few months (which apparently is really bad) and had to stop.” In context ↗ Allergic reaction / anaphylaxis
- Modafinil / armodafinil“Both drugs did keep me awake but I always felt like my body was tired and just needed rest. This precipitated a steady decline in my health” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)“But after going on meds, my symptoms continued to worsen.” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
- Everyday exercise and activity“My doctor advised me to keep up the exercise, struggle through ... But by the end of the day, I felt wired and tired and unable to fall asleep.” In context ↗ Insomnia from treatment
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
I was experiencing brain fog, muscle and joint pain which gave me a lot of anxiety.
In context ↗ - Heart symptoms & palpitations
joint and muscle pain, heart palpitations, brain fog and flu like symptoms
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I used to wake up every morning feeling exhausted
In context ↗ - Anxiety & low mood
which gave me a lot of anxiety
In context ↗ - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
after I recovered I had multiple food sensitivities which would often make me tired immediately after eating
In context ↗
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