Unable to keep working with ME/CFS for 3.5 years, now recovered after a trip to India
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3.5 years
- Last post
- Aug 2017
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I had CFS, I recovered.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I could barely work and eventually quit, unemployed living in my parents house.
In context ↗ - Now: Recovered
I have been sick with CFS for about three and a half years, and I’ve been symptom free for around 4 months.
In context ↗
Read from 2 of their posts and comments; links to the one this page draws on
Summary
A Reddit user who had CFS for about three and a half years described being unable to keep working and living in their parents' house. A trip to India, during which they took MDMA, meditated, used marijuana and learned to stop pushing before crashes, was followed by gradual improvement. They reported being symptom free for about four months and called themselves recovered, though unsure whether it would return.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- Hydrocortisone treatment · No change
I took Hydrocortisone treatment, but it didn’t help at all
In context ↗ - MDMA · Helped
The MDMA made me forgive myself, love myself.
In context ↗ - more aware of what I was eating, drank tons of water · Not said
I became more aware of what I was eating, I drank tons of water.
In context ↗ - Meditation · Helped
meditation helped me accept my limitations, to love my bloated stomach, to forgive my fatigue.
In context ↗ - learning to feel a crash coming and stop pushing · Helped
Each crash became less intense and shorter as I learned this.
In context ↗ - Marijuana · Helped
It helped me feel normal, even if only temporarily.
In context ↗ - Reiki · Not said
I tried alternative treatments (which I really don’t know to what extent they made a difference): ... Reiki
In context ↗ - Ayurvedic medicine · Not said
I tried alternative treatments (which I really don’t know to what extent they made a difference): ... Ayurvedic medicine
In context ↗
Approaches: Mind-body practices · Other drugs and medicines · Pacing
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | CFS beganI have been sick with CFS for about three and a half yearsIn context ↗ | Not stated | |
| — | could barely work, then quit; unemployed and living with parentsI could barely work and eventually quit, unemployed living in my parents house.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| — | travelled slowly in India, rested when needed and stopped pushing before crashesEach crash became less intense and shorter as I learned this.In context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2017-08-09 | symptom free for about four monthsI've been symptom free for around 4 monthsIn context ↗ | Recovered |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Headaches & migraine
Minor headaches
In context ↗ - Flu-like symptoms
Flu like symptoms
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
If I needed to sleep 12 hours, then I slept 12 hours
In context ↗
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