u/Acousticdemo

5 weeks ago I had a cold, it started getting better then bam, bedbound overnight. I'm 4 months pregnant. I went into a severe crash after first hospitalization where they forced me to walk. Before that I actually could walk to sofa and bathroom.

My crash was so bad I was crying in bed and convulsing from extreme PEM doom, it literally felt like I was suffering in hell. I used a potty next to bed and stopped being able to eat, so my husband called ambulance and they took me to ER.

Nothing clinically wrong so they sent me to psych ward and I don't know when I'll get out. I've been here 2 days, on max dose of benzos, sleeping pills and they force me to get my own food and walk to the toilet.

I still experience severe doom but it seems to be lessening and the benzos help massively. I've been able to walk more here, even shower. They'll force me on SSRI's as well. This is obviously a nightmare scenario, but I'm wondering, could the benzos and meds actually be helping? I still lay down 23,5hrs of the day trying to rest and pace, but I am forced to walk a bit. Is there hope that I could actually regain my baseline like this or are the meds just masking symptoms and an inevitable crash is coming?

I'd do anything to get my life back, I just am wondering could this actually help? I know benzos prevent PEM fairly well too.

I got a cold that lasted a week. On the 7th day I became bedbound overnight. At first i was able to walk from bed to sofa and bathroom but wasnt getting better so i got hospitalized. They found nothing wrong so they told me to push myself so i tried cleaning a bit.

It has been a week since i got discharged and i became extremely weak and completely bedbound. I cant sit up. I use a bedpan. I cant tolerate being on my phone. Its even hard to keep my eyes open. But the most excruciating symptom is the severe panic and doom that I feel in my entire body along with crushing fatigue.

My husband is doing everything to help, he got me some antihistamines which seem to help a bit. I think i probably caused myself PEM and Im suffering so much that it feels like it will never end. If i didnt love my husband and toddler, I wouldnt even want to live anymore. My husband keeps saying that Ill recover within a few months. I dont know what is happening to me and i just need to know if its possible to recover from this. Will i be able too give birth in 5 months? I already co tacted the long covid clinic in my country, they cant help. How long will this suffering last?

Became bedbound overnight for a month after a minor cold. It's not getting better. Once it hits you so severely, is it even possible to get better? I mostly hear of people getting sick, recovering, still being fatigued and becoming bedbound months later..

Been bedbound for a month after a minor cold. It's not getting better. Once it hits you so severely, is it even possible to get better? I mostly hear of people getting sick, recovering, still being fatigued and becoming bedbound months later..

A month ago I lived a normal, peaceful life. I was a sahm to my toddler, we went on walks, I spent most of my time active. I enjoyed being outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I was also pregnant with our second.

My husband brought home a minor cold. I got better in a week. Then I crashed completely. I became bedbound overnight. I've been like this for a month now with no improvement. I've been hospitalized where they found nothing clinically wrong. Some days are better, meaning some days I can sit upright or on a chair for 10 minutes.

I've been really badly for 3 days now. So exhausted I have to lay constantly. I feel like I'm drowning from the exhaustion. It's hard to speak. The only thing I can tolerate is barely being on my phone. I can't read, watch TV, etc. I wake up in the morning and I can't believe this is my life. This has never happened to me. I don't know what it is.

I cry so much because I just can't accept it. I want my life back. Why am I being punished like this? Summer is coming and I can't leave my house to go outside. I've become completely absent as a mother. I thought I'd heal but I'm here a month later still completely bedbound with no real sign of improvement. I have to give birth in 6 months. How could this happen to me? I just don't know how to cope. I just want my life back.

Backstory:

In 2025 March I ate raw oysters. I've done that dozens of times, they're healthy and tasty. A day later I started feeling off, in a few hours started projectile vomiting and pooping. I would try to drink water but it would come back up in liters. After I stopped vomiting I was so weak I could not move for 24hrs.

I am a person who gets norovirus very badly. I have given birth without an epidural and I think norovirus is the worst experience on Earth. Not everyone gets it as badly as me, I just got the genes that make me vomit profusely and feel like dying, thus why I get so traumatized.

After the food poisoning I immediately spiraled. I quickly developed only a few safe foods I could eat. Everything had to be cooked or pasteurized. I spiraled over many months and in autumn it got so bad I ate only 5-6 different safe foods, I was scared of drinking water, I brushed my teeth with bottled water, I washed vegetables with dish soap, I did not eat a raw vegetable or fruit for 4 months, I had severe anxiety and panic attacks every day. I would cry, hyperventilate, pull my hair, kick myself over the thought of getting noro again. And yes, I was constantly nauseous. I constantly had diarrhea, I think I developed IBS from anxiety. I lost a lot of weight, my BMI was around 15. I was a skeleton basically. My hair started falling out.

I remember a turning point for me was thinking how bad 2025 had been because of my emetophobia. I spent every. single. day terrified of vomiting after March. And I did not vomit a single time. Though I was nauseous 24/7 and convinced I would. I could not enjoy life. I fantasized about being a normal person who has a day of vomiting once a year and moves on with their lives, not spend the rest of the year going crazy over that one time they vomited.

This thought really pushed me to go forward. Is this daily suffering worth it, is it worth it to suffer in anticipation to the one day in 1-100 years I might vomit again? I suffered so much. And I decided to have an attitude of "fuck it" and start being less careful and OCD.

I tried to stop caring. I tried to start faking it til I made it. I noticed I only get severe anxiety/panic attacks if I'm nauseous and I figured the nausea must be from all the anxiety. I remember leaving my in laws, wont be seeing them for a year. My BIL let me know he had been feeling really nauseous that morning and don't know if it was anything. I hugged him anyways as a goodbye. That was such a win for me.

Then I just started eating more, still being careful and washing things a lot. Washing my hands a lot. Yelling at my husband and toddler to wash their hands lol. I don't even know at what point I stopped thinking about emetophobia daily, it got better so gradually. Eating more and trying to care less, essentially exposure therapy helped. I'd have diarrhea and think oh, everybody gets that sometimes. I'd have nausea and think, oh, whatever I ate didn't feel good for my tummy, it'll pass. Then I got pregnant and the first trimester nausea helped me so much. Instead of thinking "oh this nausea is a pathogen, virus, a threat to my body" I thought "this is just my body being a body". Granted I didn't vomit from pregnancy nausea but I got close and would be really nauseous at times. This kind of exposure therapy started feeling really safe as time went by and helped me massively.

Where I am now:

I was hospitalized because of a complication with a cold I had. Hospitals have been scary to me because of the contamination risk. In the ER there were 2 people having diarrhea, one pooped her pants, the other very clearly said she just had a bug. I thought, oh well at least there's a curtain between me and them, unlikely I'll catch anything. I didn't freak out.

At the ward I was meticulous about hand hygiene and never touched my mouth/nose. I ate the food they gave me (big ocd about others cooking my food) I didn't worry about my roommate having diapers and occasionally pooping herself. On my last day she started groaning and called a nurse to escort her to the toilet. She blew up the toilet. The nurse didnt even flush half the diarrhea. I had to pee SO bad and couldn't wait for the cleaners to come so I went and peed in the diarrhea toilet, holding my shirt over my nose. Washed my hands. Thought eh, it's probably not contagious.

I got discharged and same evening I had diarrhea once. I did spend a couple hours extensively googling c diff symptoms but then decided whatever, it's just diarrhea. Next day I ordered a pizza. First time ordering from a restaurant since getting noro in 2025!

So I would say I'm 85% cured now. I still question whether food cooked by others is safe. If it looks and tastes fresh I don't obsess over it. Diarrhea doesn't scare me. It's actually nice because I like having completely empty bowels lol! I still wash veg more thoroughly than others would. Still wash my hands a lot and make my family do as well. Still sometimes wonder what's the likelihood of catching something from certain places. But I no longer have daily anxiety. Can't remember the last time I had a panic attack. Would I still eat oysters? No chance. But I would eat raw sushi, raw dairy, fruits and veggies, soft eggs, etc.

If you're struggling like I was in autumn, know that it's possible to get better. Even if you do nothing time often makes it better. But small exposure therapies, gradual attitude of caring less really helped me. I went to therapy too but it didn't really help me. Didn't take any medicine although I did have to resort to xanax multiple times during my worst panic attacks. Trying to eat foods that are scary and then seeing nothing bad will happen, really trains your nervous system to feel more safe.

I hope you all can recover from this and maybe my recovery story inspires someone. Every day you have spent miserable, panicking over vomiting, without ever vomiting, is a day you could've spent being the happiest version of yourself. You have wasted so many days, weeks, months, even years of your life worrying over something that should not dictate your life quality and happiness in any other situation except when you're actually vomiting. I truly hope everyone can get better.

Backstory:

In 2025 March I ate raw oysters. I've done that dozens of times, they're healthy and tasty. A day later I started feeling off, in a few hours started projectile vomiting and pooping. I would try to drink water but it would come back up in liters. After I stopped vomiting I was so weak I could not move for 24hrs.

I am a person who gets norovirus very badly. I have given birth without an epidural and I think norovirus is the worst experience on Earth. Not everyone gets it as badly as me, I just got the genes that make me vomit profusely and feel like dying, thus why I get so traumatized.

After the food poisoning I immediately spiraled. I quickly developed only a few safe foods I could eat. Everything had to be cooked or pasteurized. I spiraled over many months and in autumn it got so bad I ate only 5-6 different safe foods, I was scared of drinking water, I brushed my teeth with bottled water, I washed vegetables with dish soap, I did not eat a raw vegetable or fruit for 4 months, I had severe anxiety and panic attacks every day. I would cry, hyperventilate, pull my hair, kick myself over the thought of getting noro again. And yes, I was constantly nauseous. I constantly had diarrhea, I think I developed IBS from anxiety. I lost a lot of weight, my BMI was around 15. I was a skeleton basically. My hair started falling out.

I remember a turning point for me was thinking how bad 2025 had been because of my emetophobia. I spent every. single. day terrified of vomiting after March. And I did not vomit a single time. Though I was nauseous 24/7 and convinced I would. I could not enjoy life. I fantasized about being a normal person who has a day of vomiting once a year and moves on with their lives, not spend the rest of the year going crazy over that one time they vomited.

This thought really pushed me to go forward. Is this daily suffering worth it, is it worth it to suffer in anticipation to the one day in 1-100 years I might vomit again? I suffered so much. And I decided to have an attitude of "fuck it" and start being less careful and OCD.

I tried to stop caring. I tried to start faking it til I made it. I noticed I only get severe anxiety/panic attacks if I'm nauseous and I figured the nausea must be from all the anxiety. I remember leaving my in laws, wont be seeing them for a year. My BIL let me know he had been feeling really nauseous that morning and don't know if it was anything. I hugged him anyways as a goodbye. That was such a win for me.

Then I just started eating more, still being careful and washing things a lot. Washing my hands a lot. Yelling at my husband and toddler to wash their hands lol. I don't even know at what point I stopped thinking about emetophobia daily, it got better so gradually. Eating more and trying to care less, essentially exposure therapy helped. I'd have diarrhea and think oh, everybody gets that sometimes. I'd have nausea and think, oh, whatever I ate didn't feel good for my tummy, it'll pass. Then I got pregnant and the first trimester nausea helped me so much. Instead of thinking "oh this nausea is a pathogen, virus, a threat to my body" I thought "this is just my body being a body". Granted I didn't vomit from pregnancy nausea but I got close and would be really nauseous at times. This kind of exposure therapy started feeling really safe as time went by and helped me massively.

Where I am now:

I was hospitalized because of a complication with a cold I had. Hospitals have been scary to me because of the contamination risk. In the ER there were 2 people having diarrhea, one pooped her pants, the other very clearly said she just had a bug. I thought, oh well at least there's a curtain between me and them, unlikely I'll catch anything. I didn't freak out.

At the ward I was meticulous about hand hygiene and never touched my mouth/nose. I ate the food they gave me (big ocd about others cooking my food) I didn't worry about my roommate having diapers and occasionally pooping herself. On my last day she started groaning and called a nurse to escort her to the toilet. She blew up the toilet. The nurse didnt even flush half the diarrhea. I had to pee SO bad and couldn't wait for the cleaners to come so I went and peed in the diarrhea toilet, holding my shirt over my nose. Washed my hands. Thought eh, it's probably not contagious.

I got discharged and same evening I had diarrhea once. I did spend a couple hours extensively googling c diff symptoms but then decided whatever, it's just diarrhea. Next day I ordered a pizza. First time ordering from a restaurant since getting noro in 2025!

So I would say I'm 85% cured now. I still question whether food cooked by others is safe. If it looks and tastes fresh I don't obsess over it. Diarrhea doesn't scare me. It's actually nice because I like having completely empty bowels lol! I still wash veg more thoroughly than others would. Still wash my hands a lot and make my family do as well. Still sometimes wonder what's the likelihood of catching something from certain places. But I no longer have daily anxiety. Can't remember the last time I had a panic attack. Would I still eat oysters? No chance. But I would eat raw sushi, raw dairy, fruits and veggies, soft eggs, etc.

If you're struggling like I was in autumn, know that it's possible to get better. Even if you do nothing time often makes it better. But small exposure therapies, gradual attitude of caring less really helped me. I went to therapy too but it didn't really help me. Didn't take any medicine although I did have to resort to xanax multiple times during my worst panic attacks. Trying to eat foods that are scary and then seeing nothing bad will happen, really trains your nervous system to feel more safe.

I hope you all can recover from this and maybe my recovery story inspires someone. Every day you have spent miserable, panicking over vomiting, without ever vomiting, is a day you could've spent being the happiest version of yourself. You have wasted so many days, weeks, months, even years of your life worrying over something that should not dictate your life quality and happiness in any other situation except when you're actually vomiting. I truly hope everyone can get better.

Hi. I'm looking for some insight on my situation. I'm 26yo mother of a toddler and 14 weeks pregnant. 3 weeks ago I had a minor cold. Just congestion and fatigue. It healed normally in a week. Then next day I collapsed completely.

I've been bedbound for 24hrs for 17 days now. 24days since I got ill. My main symptom is extreme exhaustion and weakness upon sitting/getting up. Dizziness, faintness, SOB when I walk. I can walk to the bathroom, but some days I've had to be carried.

My initial thought was I'm having severe PVF. I know it cannot be classified as CFS yet but the symptoms are similar. It wasn't getting better so I got hospitalized for a few days, doctor did all tests to rule out everything. Everything's clinically fine, except slightly low blood pressure and blood sugar constantly. Doctor's opinion was that I'm just an exhausted mum. He said I need to rest, eat (my BMI is only 17), hydrate and not stress. He didn't think it's PVF or CFS yet. He said he thinks I'll heal within weeks. He also said I need to try to push myself within my limits, to get my energy back. Like eating while sitting on a chair, moving about, doing exercises in bed etc.

Now I've done lots of research on how people end up becoming bedridden with CFS and how terrible it is. I've also read a lot about how CFS is caused by a dysregulated nervous system. I am very much an anxious bunny all the time. 2025 was a very bad year for me (had severe emetophobia from food poisoning trauma and BMI dropped to 15) I'm better now. I've also had mild CFS from covid before lasting for months.

What I'm wondering is, should I truly try to push myself like the nurses and doctors kept making me do, or should I try to be careful about resting? I'm not 100% sure if I get PEM. I definitely feel more fatigued and get a malaise like feeling after exerting myself. However it lasts from 30min to some hours only and it comes almost immediately after or the next day. These have been triggered by sitting on a chair, playing overstimulating video games, and being in the hospital setting. Is this just mild PEM? I also don't have brain fog or neurological symptoms, which I know are common in CFS.

I'm honestly trying to just think now that my body isn't broken, it's just in an extremely conservative state due to being stuck in flight-fight mode for so long (ontop of pregnancy + healing from sickness) and I need to earn the trust of my body again by making it feel safe. I very much want to believe it's just in my nervous system and that's the path to fixing myself. I'm almost like trying to fake it til I make it lol. When I get up and feel completely wrecked, I'm trying to think "oh, I'm really weak from laying down so much and my body isn't used to being upright" instead of thinking "oh this is what bedbound severe CFS is like"

Idk guys is this a good coping strategy? I'm really, really, REALLY bad with breathing exercises. They make me so frustrated and annoyed, even though I hear they're the best thing for regulating your nervous system. I just wanna get better and quickly. I have a life to live. I need to be a mum. I'm trying to figure out how to move forward.

Adding all my tests here in case anyone is interested:

Ruled out myocarditis
Ruled out pneumonia, blood clots, etc
Ruled out neurological issues
Ruled out infection
Blood tests:
Hemoglobin & ferritin on the lower end but above range still.
B12 great
Folate great
Thyroid hormones within range
Everything within range on basic blood panel. White blood cells slightly elevated but it's normal in pregnancy
Psychiatrist evaluated me, said I don't seem depressed or psychotic, just slightly stressed or anxious

I got a minor cold with congestion 2 weeks ago. No fever, no serious symptoms. Started getting better and was able to go out on day 6. The next day I collapsed completely.

For 9 days now I'm completely bedridden and it only seems to get worse. At first I was able to move a bit, then I could only lay down and had to be carried to the bathroom. There came a day when I could walk to the kitchen and sit on a chair for 10min, I felt hopeful it's getting better. The next day I was passing out from exhaustion, could barely talk or be conscious. Almost called an ambulance. It got a bit better every day, I still wasn't able to read or do anything except be on my phone, until yesterday when I was able to sit with my head upright (instead of laying flat) and play video games. Still could barely walk to the bathroom but I had so much hope I was recovering.

Today I woke up and I'm feeling ten times worse, I can barely keep my eyes open, I can't tolerate even being on my phone. I got a nosebleed too last night (never had one). I've read about CFS and pacing and I think it's unreal that sitting for 10min on a chair or playing video games can cause such a severe crash.

I've been to the hospital, got all tests done, nothing is clinically wrong with me. I'm 13 weeks pregnant and a mother of a small child. I want my life back. I've become completely absent from my child's life as I can't even take care of myself. My husband brings me everything and carries me around. I've been crying the whole day today because I just want my life back. How could something like this happen from a minor cold? I was perfectly fine before I got sick. I'm young and healthy.

I'm trying to rest as much as I can, eat, drink, take supplements but I'm just mentally in a very bad place. It doesn't seem to be getting better and I can't stop crying and feeling like my life is over. Or like it will be bad for a long time. Yes I know crying isn't good but the pregnancy hormones don't help

I got a minor cold with congestion 2 weeks ago. No fever, no serious symptoms. Started getting better and was able to go out on day 6. The next day I collapsed completely.

For 9 days now I'm completely bedridden and it only seems to get worse. At first I was able to move a bit, then I could only lay down and had to be carried to the bathroom. There came a day when I could walk to the kitchen and sit on a chair for 10min, I felt hopeful it's getting better. The next day I was passing out from exhaustion, could barely talk or be conscious. Almost called an ambulance. It got a bit better every day, I still wasn't able to read or do anything except be on my phone, until yesterday when I was able to sit with my head upright (instead of laying flat) and play video games. Still could barely walk to the bathroom but I had so much hope I was recovering.

Today I woke up and I'm feeling ten times worse, I can barely keep my eyes open, I can't tolerate even being on my phone. I've read about CFS and pacing and I think it's unreal that sitting for 10min on a chair or playing video games can cause such a severe crash.

I've been to the hospital, got all tests done, nothing is clinically wrong with me. I'm 13 weeks pregnant and a mother of a small child. I want my life back. I've become completely absent from my child's life as I can't even take care of myself. My husband brings me everything and carries me around. He lost his job having to stay home with me. I've been crying the whole day today because I just want my life back. How could something like this happen from a minor cold? I was perfectly fine before I got sick. I'm young and healthy.

I'm trying to rest as much as I can, eat, drink, take supplements but I'm just mentally in a very bad place. It doesn't seem to be getting better and I can't stop crying and feeling like my life is over. Or like it will be bad for a long time. Yes I know crying isn't good but the pregnancy hormones don't help.

Jäin 2 nädalat tagasi haigeks. Oli nohu ja väsimus. Vaikselt hakkas paremaks minema, eelmisel esmaspäeval sain juba autoga sõita. Järgmine päev varisesin täielikult kokku. Olen nüüd iga päev voodihaige olnud, vetsu saan minna kui keegi kannab. Ei saa püsti tõusta ega kõndida. Rääkimatagi endale süüa või juua toomisest.

Iga päev ärkan lootuses et vaikselt läheb paremaks, aga pole üldse paremaks läinud, mõned päevad isegi hullemad. Käisin neljapäeval emos kui pidin põrandal roomama, püsti enam ei püsinud, tegid kõik vereproovid, EKG, südame ultraheli, kõik olid korras. Kopsuröntgenit ei saanud teha kuna olen rase. Arst tahtis mind haiglaravile jätta aga ülemus arst otsustas et mitte, kuna pole midagi kliinilist ravida.

Helistasin täna arstile ja ütlesin et ei ole üldse paremaks läinud, ütlesid et mine jälle emosse. Ma ei saa liikuda, ja mis mõtet minna kui kõik testid korras ja saadavad mu jälle koju. See on äärmiselt kurnav seal istuda ja oodata.

Kas kellegil on kunagi sellist asja juhtunud? Millal selline asi paremaks läheb? Ainukesed sümptomid on et olen täielikult nõrk ja saan ainult lamada, hingeldan rääkides ja püsti olles, rinnavalusid väga natuke olnud, aga üldiselt mitte. Kõik testid ja näitajad olid korras!