ME/CFS with fatigue and brain fog; brief HRT improvement, then relapse
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Mild (working or studying, with limits)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 8 years
- Last post
- Jun 2023
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
Technically I kind of meet the criteria
In context ↗ - At worst: Mild
I went for an hour hike every morning which was fine but as soon as I came home ... I started to feel like crap again
In context ↗ - Now: Relapsed
Initially, for the first 2.5 months I was much better than before ... at around 3.5 month HRT I started getting worse again
In context ↗ - Began after: stress or burnout
I've been under chronic stress for many years (living with narcissistic parents).
Summary
Hill 67118, a transgender woman, saw her health decline from 2015 with fatigue, muscle loss, brain fog and exercise intolerance; a doctor called it psychosomatic. HRT in late 2020 brought about 2.5 months of clear improvement, then she worsened again with bad crashes, which she linked to chronic stress from abusive parents. By mid-2023 she was walking, including uphill, without crashes the following days.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- HRT (oral estradiol) · Helped
Initially, for the first 2.5 months I was much better than before. ... at around 3.5 month HRT I started getting worse again.
In context ↗
Approaches: Sex hormones
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. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | health began a gradual declineMy health has been gradually declining since 2015In context ↗ | Mild | |
| late 2020 | started HRT; much better for about 2.5 monthsInitially, for the first 2.5 months I was much better than before.In context ↗ | Mild | Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) |
| March 2021 | worsened about 3.5 months into HRT; bad ongoing crashI started getting worse againIn context ↗ | Mild | |
| 2023-06-19 | walking incl. uphill with no next-day crashesI don't experience any crashes the following daysIn context ↗ | Mild |
Adverse events
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)“at around 3.5 month HRT I started getting worse again” In context ↗ Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Brain fog
Another major thing is brain fog and memory issues.
In context ↗ - Pain & fibromyalgia
persistent bad taste in my mouth muscle pains and exercise (even mild weight lifting) intolerance
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
I did have a few crashes (during the first 2.5 months) but no way as severe as the one I'm going through now.
In context ↗ - Sleep problems
I have slept every and 10-11 hours
In context ↗ - Muscle weakness
when I feel bad/ weak and try to lift weights I feel the bad taste in my mouth intensifying
In context ↗
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