My teen has chronic fatigue, POTS, EDS, chronic pain ect. We started with a naturopath for pain management and I was really excited about the potential of this IV for her. She had 225 mg on Monday. I was hoping on Tuesday we would see the typical results we’ve heard about, a big boost of energy…and when Tuesday came… NOTHING! Same old same old! I was so disappointed for her that she felt no different 😖 anybody else tried the NAD IV and had something similar?

I’ve been to multiple doctors and nothing. All my bloodwork is normal. Maybe someone with the same symptoms could help me.

I could be absolutely fine one day. Normal day. Clean. Gaming. Suddenly, On a random day, I’m stuck in bed. I can’t move, my limbs feel so heavy. Exhausted. No appetite. Wake up. Fall back to sleep. Wake up. Sleep. I’ve literally got out of bed maybe 30 mins to walk my dog and that was so hard to do. When I’m at work, I’m yawning every 20 mins. I have to sit because I’m nauseous from standing up too long. My poor husband is amazing sport, he just lets me bed rot and he feels bad because he can’t do anything.

Please give me some advice. Days like this get very depressing, I feel worthless and very lazy. I’m over it.

Anyone else also feel increasingly more depressed when nothing seems to be helping? I’m in a severe burnout from forcing myself at work and outside work, and I was already starting those things with (chronic) fatigue. So basically it’s my own fault, but so many people have told me to just push through so that’s what I did. And now I’m in the worst burnout I’ve ever been in, it’s been almost a year and nothing has changed at all. I’m becoming more and more desparate, because I see no improvement even though I am basically almost housebound and I can barely socialize. But the worst thing is, is that I feel only 2% alive, it’s like parts of my brain have shut off and I don’t feel real, I feel like an alien trying to carry the heavy load of this flesh suit. Everything is hard. I feel so drained all the time and people can’t see that from the outside, people do not understand at all. I feel so incredibly depressed. Every task that requires minor focus sends my body into fight/flight, even writing this is making my shoulders extremely tense and painful from effort. I am so done, and very close to giving up. I’m only 22, but if my body is deciding to shut down I’ll have to just accept it.

Sorry for this very not useful rant. I thought just maybe someone will feel the same and I would not feel like I’m crazy.

I think one of the hardest parts of chronic pain is how much mental energy goes into managing it.

Stretching routines, sleep adjustments, activity pacing, recovery work, avoiding flare-ups, changing how you sit or move.

Some of it definitely helps, but after a while it starts feeling like a full-time maintenance routine just to stay functional.

Sometimes the exhaustion from constantly managing everything feels almost as draining as the pain itself.

Does anyone else feel like that side of chronic pain doesn’t get talked about enough?

Technically all of my bloodwork is within the normal range, however my calcium is 10.1 and my immunoglobulin A is 71. They are right on the cusp.

All of my other bloodwork is completely normal. I did an at home sleep study and it came back negative for sleep apnea.

Are there any other tests that you’d recommend that I ask for based on my calcium being almost too high and my immunoglobulin A being almost too low? I’ve gotten all of the basic blood work done. Thyroid, electrolytes, etc.

I’m so exhausted every single day. I just want to be able to work again and live my life.

i improved over these 3 months but when i do navy seal burpees and weights i feel tired. my eyes feel tired and high and sleepy and my head feels drained. its only my head but it feels like im going to pass out if i drain myself too much. ive noticed improvement but still.

Hi everyone,

I haven’t been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, but I honestly don’t know where else to turn anymore.

Ever since I had a psychosis around 3 years ago, I’ve been extremely tired all the time. It feels like I never truly wake up or feel refreshed. My psychiatrist doesn’t want me to stop antipsychotics because she’s worried about triggering another psychosis, which I completely understand.

I currently take Abilify, and from what I’ve read it’s supposed to be one of the less sedating antipsychotics, but I’m still exhausted constantly.

I also restarted Wellbutrin last week because I started feeling depressed again. On top of that, I was just diagnosed with ADHD last week and now take Vyvanse daily.

Things I’ve already checked:
Sleep apnea test came back negative
Multiple blood tests all came back normal
I try to sleep enough, but I still feel drained

I’m starting to feel desperate because this fatigue is affecting every part of my life. Has anyone experienced something similar after psychosis or while taking antipsychotics? Could this still be medication-related even with Abilify? Or could depression/ADHD somehow explain this level of exhaustion?

Any advice, experiences, or things I should look into would really help. Thank you.

I spend a lot of time my time partially reclined in my bed. I have a big foam wedge that can be turned to be more sat up or my lied down and it works okay. I was at a friend's yesterday and she built me a nest of squishmallows to prop me up while we watched movies. It was so comfortable because I could switch positions and shift and move them around as I wanted. Meanwhile, my wedge is very flat and firm and leaves me in some unsupported positions.

Before I go spend the big money on a pile of squishmallows, I figured that I'd ask the experts. What do you use for support while stuck in bed?

Idk what to do y’all. I slept from 3am to 4pm - I had go take two Benadryl to sleep because my allergies were bad so I knew it would be long but not that long. Woke up to feed my dogs and let them out, was still tired so I slept again from like 4:30-10:30pm??, dogs out and fed again, finally ate and drank something and then “went to bed” at 1:30am and slept until 11 the next day (today).

I’m getting a sleep study in August but goddamn this is the worst it’s been in a long time. Any advice?? 🫠

Disclaimer - I am not asking for medical advice at all.

So 2 years ago I started medication for mental health. And 3 months after I became extremely exhausted. I lost my job because the tiredness would take over. I would get 9 hours of sleep at night and now its increased to minimum 21 hours of sleep every single day. I have had days where I have slept for 3 or 4 days straight.

Even the smallest of tasks will put me into very bad burnout and I can never seem to recover from even getting out of bed and doing daily things.

I have never had any luck with doctors but I told my current doctor that I sleep this much and she said "everyone gets tired, get over it'. I've been tested for narcolepsy and I don't have that.

I don't know if its chronic fatigue or what it is. And I can't see myself ever getting my life back.

Does anyone else experience this level of exhaustion?

I think one of the hardest parts of chronic pain is how much mental energy goes into managing it.

Stretching routines, sleep adjustments, activity pacing, recovery work, avoiding flare-ups, changing how you sit or move.

Some of it definitely helps, but after a while it starts feeling like a full-time maintenance routine just to stay functional.

Sometimes the exhaustion from constantly managing everything feels almost as draining as the pain itself.

Does anyone else feel like that side of chronic pain doesn’t get talked about enough?

33F suffering from fatigue for 2 years. Still have to see a specialist for a more specific diagnosis

I have been consistently fatigued since 2021/2022. My new doctor brought up chronic fatigue today and I’m still looking for answers. I gained weight, started this extreme fatigue and exhaustion when I was got diagnosed with hypothyroidism but it look me years to medicated because doctors didn’t listen to me. I have been medicated and within “normal” range for years and I’m still so fatigue and I always believed it was my thyroid. I’ve gotten blood tests and sleep apnea tests and they were all normal.

I sleep 8-9 hours a day, still waking up exhausted. Years when I started I would sleep 12 hours and it would be almost impossible to get up for work. Now I have to get up with my toddler so I can’t sleep. I feel like a zombie. I don’t have the energy to play with him and I just sit/lay on the couch most of the time. I’ve tried all the supplements and nothing helps. I take vitamin d, iron, b12 and while those levels fluctuate, I’m just consistently fatigued. I’m currently taking iron, a megadose of vitamin d, b12, and a multivitamins. Working out makes it worse, and I get headaches after workouts if they were too intense. My legs also feel heavy sometimes so it makes it harder.

I wake up with headaches all the time. I just don’t feel rested even with those 8-9+ hours of sleep. Idk what to do. I’m going to a sleep doctor again but I have no disturbances last time. I have no answers. I just feel like a zombie and I want my life back. I’m not that old (late 30s) but feel older and exhausted. Just a rant i guess!

Hi all,

I’m posting because I feel overwhelmed, scared, and honestly pretty alone in this.

For a while now, I’ve been dealing with crushing fatigue that feels way beyond just being “tired.” Some days even basic things like standing, going up stairs, concentrating, or getting through normal responsibilities feel exhausting. I also have weird physical symptoms that seem to come and go (body aches/sensitive skin, brain fog, lightheadedness, feeling feverish at times, neurological-type symptoms in my hands/feet, etc.), and I’m in the middle of trying to figure out what’s going on medically.

I recently had an abnormal ANA (1:320 speckled), but I still don’t have answers yet, and specialist appointments take forever.

What’s really getting to me is how much this is affecting my ability to function like a normal person. I’ve had trouble keeping jobs because I genuinely don’t know from day to day whether I’ll be physically capable of showing up and functioning. From the outside I’m sure that looks flaky, lazy, anxious, dramatic, whatever—but internally it feels like my body is betraying me and I’m trying as hard as I can just to keep up.

I keep questioning myself because without a diagnosis, part of me wonders if I’m somehow exaggerating or failing to cope, even though another part of me knows something is clearly wrong.

Has anyone dealt with something similar—especially unexplained fatigue/chronic illness symptoms before diagnosis? How did you manage work, finances, and the mental side of not knowing what was happening? Any advice for getting through this would mean a lot.

Thank you!

I’m a (22/M) and have been dealing with what I consider to be chronic fatigue for as long as I can remember. I’ve suffered from anxiety, panic attacks, and depression since I was in elementary school and overall have a very deregulated nervous system. I wake up almost every morning feeling as if I never slept at all, rely on caffeine to get through everyday, and feel overall weak despite doing everything in my power to get better.

I go to the gym regularly, sleep 8-9 hours straight, I’m at a healthy weight, I eat decent, I’m on SSRIs and have been in and out of therapy for years, and I’ve had all sorts of medical AND functional testing done. I’ve been told that I have “adrenal fatigue” by a functional doc and my tests showed that my body produces enough cortisol (total cortisol), but burns through it too fast to leave enough in reserve for actual use (free cortisol). I believe this is a large portion of my issue, though I’m skeptical of functional medicine after trying many supplements with no results.

I’m also vitamin D deficient and take the supplement for it, but otherwise all of my hormones including testosterone and thyroid are normal.

The constant absence of energy is genuinely ruining my life. Everything feels like a chore and I never want to go out of the house or do anything that requires a lot energy. I feel so alone because I don’t know anyone else my age who struggles with this so if anyone else is or has been in a similar situation it would help to hear your experience.

Sorry for posting this here if it isn't allowed, but I'm very desperate.

I am 19F and was pretty active and healthy most of my life, and despite being born prematurely and dealing with things like severe social anxiety and depression in the past I had finally broken through that and was coming into my own, but then I got sick last fall.

Right now I have 0 diagnosis for my current health problems, just a diagnosis of acid reflux and scoliosis.

But since I had very severe symptoms this year things have been so so rough, and every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it did. First was abdominal pain(now thought to be endo by my pcp), kidney infection, then chronic headaches, and then allergic reaction type symptoms that led to an anaphylactic episode in march.

Now these are my symptoms:

Fast heartbeat when standing up, sitting down, walking, bending down

Seeing Silver glittery sparkles after over exertion or heat exposure (since December)

Muffled ringing ear after over exertion (since march)

Dizziness with exertion (since march)

Phlegm when waking up in the morning (since march)

Headaches with over exertion (since December)

Very exhausted during the day, feeling like I could always fall asleep most of the time but feel more awake at night (since February)

Unrefreshing sleep (since march)

When I was dealing with my kidney infection in November of last year and crying in pain on my dad's living room couch, he told me that I shouldn't be so sad and that I will face much worse things in the future. I was upset that he said that and brushed off his words, but I should've listened because he was right.

Right now I'm going to be 20 in less than a week and all I can think about is how much I don't want to live anymore.

I feel so guilty for taking my health granted. I feel guilty for getting colds or infections and brushing it off as nothing not knowing it could disable me one day. I feel guilty for not wearing a mask and I feel guilty for not appreciating the days I had where I was healthy enough to run and enjoy nature.

my long distance partner is in my room right now, visiting for my birthday and I'm in my bathroom crying as to not disturb him. I feel so hopeless and lost. We used to do so much together, but now even going out today for an hour or so with a wheelchair I came home and had a headache and felt so tired and weak.

He tried to comfort me saying he'd never leave me no matter how sick I am, he said that there's still tests to be done and we don't know if I'll be this way forever, and that I have a pcp appointment soon, but I'm still terrified I'll be this way forever, or even get worse.

I apologize for so much venting but I just feel so lost and hopeless. I've never ever been suicidal until my health started to decline, now I think about it daily.

I'm not excited for my birthday, I'm not excited for gifts, im not excited for presents or even a special dinner. I just want my health back.

I used to care for animals and I was also an artist and I played the gituar, I enjoyed hiking and urban exploration as well as photography. Now all I do is lie in bed exhausted and if I do too much I get a headache and i get dizzy.

I told my mom I was suicidal and she said "you need to suck it up and get used to it because life stops for no one" I just wanted to be comforted, not scolded. Maybe I should expect less because my mom has recently lost her mom and is struggling, but I just wanted comfort.

Being undiagnosed is like a constant spiral of worrying and then feeling reassured, then right back to worrying.

On one hand, I am not diagnosed so part of me thinks, hey maybe you're anemic like your sister, or maybe you have a thyroid issue since your mom has hashimoto's, or you have narcolepsy, maybe sleep apnea, or even POTS. It could be anything until I get the proper labs done. And that makes me feel a little hopeful for improvement.

But on the other hand, my allergist already thinks I could have MCAS, which I've heard is comorbid with CFS, and my TSH leves were normal with testing, and my hemoglobin is 11.5, so Maybe I just have CFS and I will never feel better, and maybe I'll even deteriorate. And then all hope is lost. I feel exhausted after such small tasks. I'm so scared.

I already had a huge scare in march when the MCAS symptoms showed up. I had to get put on oxygen and was given so much epinephrine. I was covered in hives and i was red and itchy, I lost 20lbs because I couldn't eat, and I was so miserable.

Now those symptoms are gone as of march 27th, but I fear every day that I will get that bad again and maybe that time it won't go away.

I'm trying to work with my therapist who is chronically ill herself to focus on the present, but it is so so so hard when all I can think about is how terrifying the future might be, or how good the past was.

I know I could have it worse, but I am just miserable right now. Thanks for listening if you did, I wish you an easy day.

TLDR: I'm 19 and my birthday is soon, im struggling with the will to continue living with undiagnosed symptoms and no answers. I am scared.

Hi CFers,

I suffered from idiopathic, crippling fatigue and mental brain fog for around 15 years. I would start degrees, jobs and quit midway as I couldn't maintain the energy over time, an endless cycle of failures. The usual profile.

At some point, I started experimenting with fasting, elimination diet & food journaling, and there were suddenly marked periods of sustained improvements I had never experienced before - except with large dose of chocolate or coffee.

While it took a long time to map out (food has so many moving parts, just imagine playing Mastermind with 75 different colours!), I ended up conclusively associating immune overreactions to certain food items. Eat X, and I would start itching a few hours after, followed with maintenance insomnia and a period of rather impenetrable brain fog.

Complete abstinence of the identified foods raised back my energy from 2-3/10 to 9-10/10, albeit I need to stress out again that it took a gruelling extended amount of time as identifying every triggers is quite challenging, even when avoiding processed food to keep a solid oversight on all ingredients ingested.

I don't think this anecdote can help many people, but I'm quite convinced there MUST be at least one other desperate soul for which the CF is also stemming from the whims of an unattuned immune system.

Good luck!

Edit (2026-05-11)
I'm not mentioning the culprits because there is no universal pattern: my food intolerance are my own and knowing mine won't help anyone figure out theirs - if they have any in the first place.

I’ve seen around more times to count that sleeping too much can actually make you more tired. Is this possible for people with chronic fatigue? Should I fight my fatigue in order to sleep the normal amount like everyone else?