How it went
Did it last?
- 12 of 43 said the benefit wore off (including the 4 who relapsed).
- 5 of 43 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 | 10 | 23% |
| Near-full | 5 | 12% |
| Substantial | 11 | 26% |
| Partial | 12 | 28% |
| Relapsed | 4 | 9% |
| No benefit | 1 | 2% |
By how ill people were
| Severity at worst | How it went | n | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 3 | 0% | |
| Severe | 20 | 40% | |
| Very severe | 7 | 29% |
13 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 Thyroid (T3, T4, NDT), 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 | 8 | 682 | 11.7 |
| 2011 | 5 | 704 | 7.1 |
| 2012 | 8 | 1,491 | 5.4 |
| 2013 | 7 | 1,708 | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 6 | 2,352 | 2.6 |
| 2015 | 6 | 2,158 | 2.8 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1,431 | 2.1 |
| 2017 | 13 | 3,110 | 4.2 |
| 2018 | 18 | 2,201 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 6 | 1,075 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | 11 | 2,581 | 4.3 |
| 2021 | 10 | 1,867 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 16 | 1,166 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | 3 | 1,000 | 3.0 |
| 2024 | 6 | 1,237 | 4.9 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1,019 | 3.9 |
| 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 43 accounts
-
ME/CFS patient substantially improved with spironolactone 100 mg daily
Poster combined spironolactone 25mg/day with LDN, a GLP-1 agonist and NP thyroid and states plainly "My CFS is cured, yes cured...my health is amazing," while noting he still needs cortisol supplementation. Because several drugs were changed together it is…
-
Testosterone resolves fatigue and inflammation
This poster credits testosterone, added on top of ongoing antiviral treatment, with improving energy, recovery and joint pain, calling it icing on the cake and naming it one of his three essential treatments alongside an antiviral and a sleep aid. Dose and…
-
Amber's Long MCAS, POTS, MCS, ME/CFS Recovery Story
Amber had digestive and allergy problems since childhood that became severe MCAS, POTS, MCS and ME/CFS after a marathon at thirty and a bad flu-shot reaction at thirty-one, leaving her homebound and fainting daily despite seeing more than a hundred doctors.…
-
What worked for me!
Used T2 (3,5-diiodothyronine) thyroid hormone, dosed once every 21 days, after finding neither T4 nor T3 had any effect. Illness duration and severity are not stated in this post. Says the T2 worked well for him, but that he would feel worse on day 22 if he…
-
Substantial improvement with strange dietary adjustments
Wonkmonk built a highly specific elimination/adjustment diet after years of downhill CFS. He says he moved from borderline "very severe" to the lower end of "severe" - pain almost gone, able to get up, cook, and walk a few miles - and calls it "very…
-
Mallory's Dangerous Spinal Treatments Eventually Work
Followed an aggressive treatment course including Dr. Kenneth Blanchard's thyroid macrodosing approach along with GSK-Cu injections and sublingual doses, Frequency-Specific Microcurrent and TENS therapy. Illness duration and starting severity are not…
-
Oda Shares Her POTS and ME/CFS Recovery After 10 Years Using ANS REWIRE
Oda's recovery combined daily thyroxine for diagnosed Hashimoto's hypothyroidism with the ANS REWIRE program (daily meditation and "postural rewiring" videos starting July 2017), gentle home yoga via the Yoga Studio app, one session of Thomas Hanna-method…
-
I finally fixed post-COVID fatigue
D.Rabbie says a combination of the vasoactive drug heptaminol with cinnarizine, and later with modafinil, gave him "better energy and mental clarity" that he felt exceeded his pre-COVID baseline, after two to three months of unresolving post-COVID fatigue…
-
I replace ALL my hormones. This brought me back to life.
thingsvarious systematically replaced testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, growth hormone and aldosterone after years of "nightmare"-level fatigue, largely managing it himself because, in his words, "many endocrinologists are shit." He says his energy moved from…
-
I replace ALL my hormones (SilverRose88)
SilverRose88, ill since adolescence and previously bedbound, says hydrocortisone, now 15mg down from 25mg, plus 75mcg of thyroxine got her from being bedbound to being able to be upright. She remains largely limited and expects lifelong hydrocortisone,…
-
Good reaction to Cellfood - may be oxygenating the body, helping immune system, apparently boosted thyroid, now helping stroke patient
Tried Cellfood mineral/enzyme drops after 22 years of ME/CFS marked by recurrent weeks-long sinus infections, starting at 4-5 drops a day and working up over about six weeks to 8-10 drops three times daily. Reports a sinus infection clearing within three…
-
Adrienne Dellwo Shares Her Fibromyalgia Remission Story
Adrienne Dellwo's regimen included low-dose naltrexone at 3mg (compounded, versus a standard 30mg dose per the article), plus rhodiola rosea, L-theanine, vitamin B and D, a custom herbal blend and acupuncture from her rheumatologist, meditation, yoga, a…
-
Selenium working for me
Three days into selenium 150mg/day plus zinc, reports a "drastic improvement in my overall energy" and shrinking of longstanding swollen lymph nodes. Posted very early in the trial, mechanism still unclear to her (she was seeking thyroid testing to…
-
The Suffering of One - Relieved: Kyle McNease's ME/CFS Recovery Story Detailed
Kyle McNease, an Oxford student, became severely ill for three and a half years after arsenic poisoning from renovating an old barn, compounded by genetic detoxification impairments; at his worst he was emaciated, unable to communicate and near death. He…
-
3 Decades of ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, MCS, Lyme End Fast
Claudia treated chronic Lyme disease from 2012-2015 with three years of low-dose Byron White herbal protocols plus a strict elimination diet, then in 2019 did the three-month ANS REWIRE nervous-system retraining program alongside naturopath adjustments that…
-
I created a situation where the evidence for what I was worried about, was created by the worries themselves
Oda used ANS REWIRE, Dan Neuffer's online video-based nervous-system retraining program, after years of trying vitamins, minerals, probiotics, dietary changes and thyroid medication, and considering but not pursuing the Lightning Process. She had been ill…
-
For me it became vital to think that I was well, to say I was well
Recovered using the Lightning Process, taught over two days in her soundproofed bedroom on 11-13 December 2007 by an LP coach who had herself recovered from bedridden ME, after her mother heard about the method and her doctor recommended it having seen other…
-
From ME to MMA
Recovered after a stay at the AiR Rauland rehabilitation centre, which taught mindfulness, energy-pacing (sorting activities into "green" and "yellow" rest zones) and structured daily routines, following a second severe relapse; before that she had seen a…
-
Pain gone with AMBROXOL
Ambroxol 15mg three times daily made 35-year-old neuropathic leg/hip pain "vanish" within two hours of the first dose, which she called "a kind of miracle" while immediately doubting it -- "hard to believe... let's see if the effect will keep going on the…
-
How I recovered.
Combined a multi-part protocol -- twelve $325 Oxford "homeostasis" peptide shots starting September 2013, a rotary diversified (Theron Randolph) elimination diet, vitamin D, low-dose naltrexone, Remeron, the Gupta amygdala-retraining program, and removing…
-
My CFS Recovery
Began with weekly IV infusions of high-dose vitamin C, magnesium chloride, B-complex and liquid glutathione, then moved to a large daily oral regimen including glutathione, acetyl-L-carnitine, MTHFR-targeted methylation supplements and thyroid medication.…
-
My CFS Recovery
Jocelyn became severely ill with CFS more than 25 years before writing, at one point nearly bedridden for over a year with fatigue, muscle and joint aches, brain fog and near-fainting. Intravenous vitamin therapy and dietary change first let her work and…
-
Diet makes the biggest difference for Alexandra
Combined Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol and adrenal/thyroid hormone supplementation with a major diet change away from a long-time low-fat diet, plus stress reduction and mindfulness work on stress-inducing thoughts. Had been ill with ME/CFS for seven years after…
-
Diet makes the biggest difference for Alexandra
Alexandra, a 26-year-old nurse when she first fell ill after flu, recovered initially but then relapsed severely for seven years, becoming mostly home- and bed-bound. She tried amitriptyline, which eventually made things worse, and used the mind-body…
-
Eight Years of ME/CFS Disappears in Two Hours
Had normal thyroid panels for years despite developing dry skin, dry hair and joint pain, until T3 levels eventually tested abnormal and thyroid medication was started. Illness duration before this point is not given, though she describes herself as still…
-
Methylation: From feeling FANTASTIC back to Square One
Took a high-dose B12 protocol and reports it left her hypothyroid after "spending too much energy" on the high doses. Whatever initial benefit there was did not sustain, and she was left addressing a new thyroid problem instead — the treatment causing harm…
-
Eight Years of ME/CFS Disappears in Two Hours
Joy lived with ME/CFS for eight years despite normal thyroid readings on standard tests, until additional T3 testing showed her body was not converting T4 into active T3. Starting thyroxine and Tetroxin to correct this reportedly resolved her symptoms…
-
Monique finds her rocket fuel
Monique, previously athletic, developed ME/CFS after flu and worsened dramatically after her father's death, by 2004 hardly able to walk and fearing a wheelchair. She pursued an orthomolecular approach, describing two supplements as like rocket fuel,…
-
Combination of Supplements Allows Me to Work and Exercise - But causes extreme Gastritis
Built a roughly 60-item daily supplement stack (B12, NADH, high-dose antioxidants/glutathione, SAM-e, CoQ10, glandulars, ribose, phosphatidylserine and more) over three-plus years of trial and error for CFS, fibromyalgia and Hashimoto's. Says the combination…
-
Methylation recovery survey. Recovery stories here!!
Followed a "Yasko lite" methylation protocol blending Rich Van Konynenburg/Freddd/Ben Lynch approaches for about 1.5 years, including methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, potassium, magnesium, molybdenum and methylfolate. She discontinued long-term antifungal…
-
The Woman Who Healed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Naturally
Edie used a wide-ranging natural protocol: topical arnica gel, papaya and devil's claw for inflammation, Cell Food (a liquid oxygen supplement), homeopathic thyroid, adrenal, hypothalamus and pituitary remedies, spirulina, herbal melatonin and 5-HTP for…
-
CURED CFS/ME? PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY HERE.
Unable to work or grocery-shop for about ten years, this poster describes roughly eight years of intensive rest combined with Armour thyroid, herbal hormone support, magnesium and low-dose Effexor, after which she functioned normally for over sixteen years -…
-
Natural Dessicated helped alot...at first!
With longstanding physical signs of hypothyroidism (no outer eyebrows, absent nail half-moons, swollen indented tongue, central weight gain, moon face - self-described as "the poster child for hypothyroidism for many years"), she started natural desiccated…
-
Ten Years of healing: No more congestive heart failure, FMS, CFS and minus 100 pounds
After lifelong gastrointestinal problems, she spent about a year working up to a full dose of a Metafolin-containing B-complex alongside a gluten-free diet. She reports "doing a lot better now," with normal T3 thyroid levels "for the first time ever" and…
-
Ten Years of healing: No more congestive heart failure, FMS, CFS and minus 100 pounds
After 13+ years of CFS that left her unable to walk well, she added transdermal cyanocobalamin spray and methylcobalamin/methylfolate to her regimen and reported "the first time in over 13 years that my energy has really come back," with markedly improved…
-
Tests coming in from Dr. Bradstreet
On ongoing GcMAF injections (plus an added antiviral, Cytomil, and a new antiviral regimen on Dr Bradstreet's recommendation) after 5 years of relapsing illness, including bouts "couch bound for months at a time." Bradstreet reviewed her labs (showing…
-
progess report..feeling almost normal
About 1.5 years into severe illness (bedridden, lightheaded, shaking, forced to leave her home), she combined cholestyramine and Valtrex for 4 months, methylB12 injections tapering from daily to every other day over 4 months, plus ongoing sublingual…
-
Vasopressin/ADH ... My Story
Added low-dose vasopressin (half pill twice daily) on top of thyroid medication, cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone and DHEA. Says he stopped over-urinating (previously about twice the volume he drank), fatigue improved, and his bench press rose sharply…
-
Some things that have helped me
A ten-month combination of Lugol's iodine, desiccated thyroid, an elimination diet, monthly liver flushes and an antiparasitic herbal mix brought "much more energy and much less pain" after 9.5 years of CFS/fibromyalgia, with symptoms shifting within a day…
-
Gut healing - what seems to be helping me
After about 8 years of illness, 9 months of drinking raw-milk kefir resolved her multiple chemical sensitivity ("no longer feel like I'm choking" around perfume), completely cleared longstanding hand eczema, let her cut thyroid medication from 225mcg to…
-
Hormones: Some women go into remission during pregnancy, can we recreate w hormones?
Used a high-dose estriol cream (6-8mg/day) and says it was "like a miracle for me when I started it," giving dramatic relief from nervous-system symptoms, POTS and depression. The effect later stopped working after she changed her thyroid medication, so the…
-
What worked for me
After 8+ years on Humira, Enbrel, Methotrexate and cortisol shots, switched to desiccated thyroid hormone (Armour, later Erfa) starting in 2003. Says her pain "disappeared," fatigue became "much much better," previous bone density decline reversed, and food…
-
Recovery from CFS: 50 Personal Stories
This page is a description of the book "Recovery from CFS: 50 Personal Stories," edited by Alexandra Barton, for which Jacob Teitelbaum — Medical Director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and himself a former CFS patient as a medical student — wrote…