How it went
Did it last?
- 4 of 17 said the benefit wore off (including the 2 who relapsed).
- 3 of 17 needed to keep doing it to stay well.
Read from what people wrote. A story that ends without a follow-up counts as lasting, so treat these as minimums.
| Outcome described | Accounts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Full recovery | 0 | 0% |
| Near-full | 0 | 0% |
| Substantial | 6 | 35% |
| Partial | 4 | 24% |
| Relapsed | 2 | 12% |
| No benefit | 5 | 29% |
By how ill people were
| Severity at worst | How it went | n | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 3 | 0% | |
| Severe | 5 | 0% | |
| Very severe | 3 | 0% |
6 accounts don’t say how ill the person was.
Who published these accounts
Right-hand number: share describing a full or near-full recovery. Pages that sell something, and advocacy sites, tend to publish only the successes.
How often it comes up
Posts that mention AHCC and medicinal mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, maitake), per 1,000 posts each year. Hover a point for the count.
Show as a table
| Year | Posts mentioning it | All posts | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0 | 184 | 0.0 |
| 2010 | 10 | 682 | 14.7 |
| 2011 | 7 | 704 | 9.9 |
| 2012 | 6 | 1,491 | 4.0 |
| 2013 | 14 | 1,708 | 8.2 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2,352 | 0.9 |
| 2015 | 5 | 2,158 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 4 | 1,431 | 2.8 |
| 2017 | 0 | 3,110 | 0.0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2,201 | 0.9 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1,075 | 0.9 |
| 2020 | 4 | 2,581 | 1.5 |
| 2021 | 9 | 1,867 | 4.8 |
| 2022 | 5 | 1,166 | 4.3 |
| 2023 | 4 | 1,000 | 4.0 |
| 2024 | 4 | 1,237 | 3.2 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1,019 | 2.0 |
| 2026 (so far) | 0 | 840 | 0.0 |
Posts in the forum threads we archived, 26,806 in all, counted per year. A mention means the post names the treatment, not that the writer took it. These threads all contain a recovery story, so they show what those communities discussed, not everyone with ME/CFS or long COVID. All trends
All 17 accounts
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Success keeping EBV in check with Tagament and/or a herbal protocol
Used Tagamet against recurring mouth sores and flu-like symptoms, but wary of long-term use over dementia-risk concerns, and describes an herbal stand-in - monolaurin, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, raw garlic, cat's claw, reishi and andrographis taken…
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Cusack protocol for EDS—reports from anyone trying it
Maitake mushroom, one component of the Cusack Protocol supplement regimen, was taken by a forum poster with thoracic spinal instability linked to their ME; illness duration is not stated. Within days of starting it they noticed they could stand longer and…
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List of ME/CFS Recovery and Improvement Stories (page 7-8 discussion)
godlovesatrier, previously almost housebound, credited the same HASD protocol (v3.2, with EGCG and a broader supplement stack) as BrightCandle for progressing to tolerating low levels of exercise, with resolution of a sore throat, neck pain,…
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The Temporary Recovery Stories (Judith)
Commenter Judith described multiple remissions and relapses since childhood, including a Rituximab course that caused complications. She now manages with AHCC, magnesium, Plaquenil and colchicine, and describes the illness as progressive, each relapse…
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Mitochondrial and Energy Metabolism Dysfunction in ME/CFS - Myhill, Booth and McLaren-Howard Papers
MrTwoToedSloth, mostly housebound and limited to about one activity a week before a week-long flare-up, assembled a broad mitochondrial-support stack (CoQ10, acetyl-L-carnitine, nicotinamide riboside, creatine, D-ribose and more) and noticed improvement at…
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Chaga Tea, dramatic but temporary
Drank very strongly brewed chaga mushroom tea for ME/CFS marked by muscle pain, air hunger, shortness of breath and, at its worst, "intense trouble even forming a thought." Reports "significant (above placebo) relief" from the muscle pain, air hunger and…
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My antiretroviral Regime for Antiretroviral Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) 500mg daily was used as a protease-inhibitor substitute within a broader antiretroviral regimen that also included tenofovir, started at a fraction of a tablet and raised over seven months to full dose, plus cistus incanus…
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#Arztanfragen - Mein Therapieregime für die antiretrovirale Behandlung bei Myalgischer Enzephalomyelitis
Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum), one 500mg capsule daily as a protease inhibitor, was taken as part of a combination antiviral protocol that also included low-dose tenofovir, Cistus incanus, and green tea extract, recommended by Dr. Judy Mikovits. The…
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ME versus CFS: #Arztanfragen - Mein Therapieregime für die antiretrovirale Behandlung bei Myalgischer Enzephalomyelitis
Cistus incanus, 2100mg daily, taken as one part of a broader antiretroviral regimen, including tenofovir titrated up over seven months plus N-acetylcysteine, glutathione, niacinamide, reishi mushroom and green tea extract, that a mother, Katharina Voss,…
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Anyone else get sleepy from Cordyceps?
Cordyceps, 500mg of a Host Defense product taken at half the recommended dose, was tried by perchance dreamer, who described herself as really sensitive to supplements generally. No illness duration or severity detail was given beyond that self-description.…
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I start to relapse every time I come off equilibrant
Equilibrant, a supplement combining shiitake mushroom with selenium, astragalus, sophora flavescens, olive leaf and licorice, was taken daily for over a year, working up to six pills a day. They had a severe bacterial infection that nearly killed them,…
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Could AHCC make me feel worse?
AHCC supplement taken for several months, and separately Maitake mushroom supplements taken for about a year. Illness duration and severity beforehand are not stated. She reports no reactions whatsoever, good or bad, from either supplement. There was no…
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Could AHCC make me feel worse?
AHCC supplement, taken for about two months before posting. Illness duration and severity beforehand are not stated. She reports it made her feel quite fatigued, non-alert, and ready to pass out at any moment, a clear worsening rather than a benefit. No…
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Could AHCC make me feel worse?
AHCC supplement (ReishiMax brand), started about two days before posting. She describes herself as severely ill with ME/CFS, bedridden 24/7. Over the two days on AHCC her functioning declined further, with increased immune symptoms including a sore throat.…
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A Closer Look at Natural Killer Cells In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Three Natural Ways to Boost Them
Maitake mushroom was credited by a commenter, in a discussion of natural killer (NK) cell counts in chronic fatigue syndrome, with helping raise her NK cell count a bit; no dose, duration of use, prior illness duration, or severity is given. The improvement…
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EECP Treatment is Very Helpful/My Daughter Helped Alot
Had weekly EECP sessions for 5 months alongside a methylation protocol, a Candida protocol and AHCC Gold. After about a month she noticed improved sleep and daytime energy, roughly 20-25% more daily activity, less brain fog and easier waking. She was…
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Who Here Takes Any Kind of Mushroom?
Cordyceps was taken by jeffrez for about a year without any problems, by his own account on a forum thread about medicinal mushroom use. He reported never having issues with it, but did not describe any specific energy or symptom benefit either, only that it…