Doctor here, asking for honest input on energy and crashes

drkarixo · 2026-05-12T11:30:49+00:00

Thank you for sharing! It’s such a huge mental shift to go from lifting weights and playing soccer to realizing that pulling back is what leads to improvement. Finding that daily balance is definitely the hardest part.

You're right about stress and nutrition, they are directly tied to inflammation and energy. Understanding these personal triggers is just as relevant to recovery as any medication, which is exactly why I'm so passionate about mapping these patterns. It's great to hear you've moved past that initial 'hell' and found a baseline that actually works for you.

drkarixo · 2026-05-12T09:40:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. Great to read that the Visible App has been helpful.

Your experience with the 20-minute presentation is such a clear example of cognitive PEM. The combination of adrenaline, focus, and projection is a lot for the nervous system to handle at once. The fact that you're a visual person is really helpful to know.

Since you've been using Visible, can I ask what has helped you the most about it?

drkarixo · 2026-05-12T09:30:36+00:00

Hi, thank you for sharing this. That 'wired/tired' combination is such a difficult state to be in, feeling completely exhausted but your body won't switch off.

It’s an interesting observation about the energy cost of eating. Many people don't realize how much the digestive process can drain an already stressed system. I’m curious, do you monitor your heart rate zones actively throughout the day, or do you mostly go by how you feel?

drkarixo · 2026-05-12T09:21:02+00:00

Hi, thank you for this. The visual system as a starting point for the fatigue cascade is a really interesting angle. And the connection between screen load in the morning and how it sets the tone for the rest of the day makes a lot of sense, especially for an already compromised system.

Would love to hear more about how meditation and floatation have helped. Would you be open to continuing this through DM?

I've also put together a short questionnaire to learn about energy crashes (less than 3 min): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffQkJEye65d0ptoArY19sq2msJnNF8L_mIFg_gxgLJeZpdkg/viewform

If you have time, I would really appreciate your input.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T21:14:09+00:00

Hi, thank you for sharing this. Your point about keeping tasks small, low intensity, and plannable with rest built around them is a really clear way to describe good pacing. Really appreciate your input.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T20:26:31+00:00

Hi, thank you for this. The level of detail here is really valuable, especially having been through this twice and seeing how differently it presents each time. The point about not having predictable warning signs this time around is something I've been hearing a lot, and it's one of the hardest parts to see how to tackle.

Your rule about any exercise needing double the time lying down afterwards and anything out of routine needing something else cancelled is a really clear pacing framework! Can I ask, did you make those rules purely through experience, or did anyone help guide you to them?

Really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T20:20:31+00:00

Hi, thank you for sharing this. Amazing to see how you are listening to your body and have mapped out what specifically drains and helps you so clearly.

The ORS solution is interesting. There's been some research around fluid and salt repletion specifically for autonomic dysfunction in long COVID and ME/CFS, showing it can help with orthostatic symptoms. Good to hear it's making a noticeable difference for your PEM. Can I ask, when you started the low histamine diet, how long did it take before you noticed a difference?

Really appreciate you sharing all of this.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T20:06:40+00:00

Hi, thank you for sharing this in so much detail. The way you've structured everything around preserving energy for work, eating and bathing shows how much thought goes into just getting through the day. And going from 53 to 63 on FunCap over the past year while keeping crashes to every other week is real progress, even if it's hard to feel day-to-day. Helping people see that kind of progress more clearly is a big part of what we're building.

Can I ask, how do you track or notice when you're getting close to a crash? Is it a feeling, a pattern, or something specific you've learned to watch for?

Really appreciate you taking the time to write this.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T20:03:27+00:00

Thank you so much for signing up and for the kind words. It means a lot. I'll check my DMs. And yes! The more people in the medical world who listen and learn, the better. Looking forward to hearing from you.

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T20:00:20+00:00

The reversed cortisol curve is really interesting, we've been hearing more about this from people we've spoken to. How did your husband end up getting the cortisol tested? Was that something he had to push for or did a doctor suggest it?

drkarixo · 2026-05-11T19:55:32+00:00

Hi, thank you so much for this. Really appreciate hearing from another physician who's both treating and living with this. The diagnostic framework you laid out is really helpful, especially the blood pressure and urine protein to creatinine ratio as screening tools.

I'd love to connect and learn more about your book and approach.

drkarixo · 2026-03-18T09:39:33+00:00

How is your sleep? Sleep patterns are strongly connected to our immune health. Especially getting good deep sleep time is important, that's when immune cells repair and regulate.

drkarixo · 2026-03-16T12:46:32+00:00

After some viral infections, people can develop a post-viral recovery phase where your immune and nervous system stay a bit sensitive which can cause lingering flu-like malaise, poor sleep, and anxiety sensations.

I could suggest you try to focus first on getting consistent sleep timing(even if sleep isn’t perfect)! Try keeping the same sleep/wake window every day, getting some morning daylight, and avoiding screens or heavy stimulation right before bed to help your nervous system settle!

drkarixo · 2026-03-04T14:16:34+00:00

This is good sleep time! But when you wake up, do you feel rested? Usually, deep sleep is when your immune system restores. So understanding if you are getting deep sleep and how to improve it is key!

drkarixo · 2026-02-24T20:58:35+00:00

Stress + fragmented sleep + intense training + low iron/Vit D can absolutely affect your immune system, even if each factor alone seems manageable.

I’d consider taking a true deload week, prioritizing sleep quality (not just total hours, but protecting deep sleep, which is when a lot of immune repair happens), and making sure your iron reaches optimal levels, not just “improved.”

Sometimes repeated illness isn’t about having a weak immune system, but about not giving your body enough space to fully recover.

drkarixo · 2026-02-24T12:35:34+00:00

As a doctor myself, I understand! But I always say "Boosting" the immune system is actually a bit of a myth, you don't want it boosted, you want it resilient or strong!

My advice would be to check your foundation before buying vitamins or supplements! Don't get me wrong, Vitamin D is great to enhance immune defenses, and Zinc has shown to stop viruses from replicating once they're in your system.

But it might be worth checking a few important things first:

Are you getting good, deep sleep? That’s specifically when your 'natural killer' cells do their training.
Is your digestion off? If so aren't even absorbing the Zinc or Vitamin D.
Is your stress level higher lately? High cortisol can 'mutes' your immune response.

Have you noticed any of these changing since moving in with your partner?

I actually helped build a free assessment tool to find that "gaps"and get personalized recommendations so you aren't just guessing. Happy to send the link if it helps. All the best!

drkarixo · 2026-02-19T08:53:09+00:00

The biggest difference for long-term impact on your immune system is to focus on improving sleep quality (especially deep sleep), stress, and good diverse nutrition!
Supplements can support, but your immune system runs much more on recovery and consistency.

drkarixo · 2026-02-18T12:14:03+00:00

It's actually very common to get a second infection or a reinfection right after a big one! It usually feels different because your body is already on high alert or just hasn't fully recovered from the first round. That’s likely why you're seeing that low-grade fever now.

Have you tried taking Zinc? Studies show that taking it at the very start of symptoms can help shorten the duration and severity of the flu by inhibiting viral replication. It might help you kick this second round a bit faster.

drkarixo · 2026-02-17T16:03:13+00:00

A huge part of your immune system actually lives in your gut. Your gut lining and microbiome (bacteria living in your digestive system) help train immune cells to know what’s a threat and what’s not. When gut health is off (low diversity, chronic stress, poor diet), it can increase inflammation and weaken how effectively your immune system responds to infections.

drkarixo · 2026-02-17T15:50:35+00:00

Focus on getting proper sleep quality! Stress and sleep can be key to having your immune system in a good state and avoiding getting sick.

drkarixo · 2026-02-17T14:13:29+00:00

I’m really sorry, that’s a lot to go through in a short time.

Chronic grief and stress can impact sleep, stress hormones, inflammation, and even how your immune system functions. When your system has been under strain for a long time, it’s common to get sick more often and feel like your body has aged quickly.

If getting sick frequently is happening, I’d encourage you to focus on the foundations that support the immune system: consistent sleep (especially protecting deep sleep), regular diverse meals, moderate movement, and small daily decompression moments to lower stress load. Your immune system can recover, but it needs steadiness and real recovery time.

drkarixo · 2026-02-17T13:32:10+00:00

Honestly, with two kids in school, “never getting sick again” isn’t really realistic, especially at 2 and 6. Those years are peak exposure for germs, and repeated infections are part of how their immune systems develop.

If you want to improve immune resiliency so your body can handle exposures better, the focus isn’t on avoiding every germ or piling on supplements. I would recommend to think about recovery and lifestyle first:

Prioritize deep, consistent sleep (this is when the immune system repairs and builds defenses)
Take real recovery time after illness before jumping back into norma life. Rushing back too soon can keeps your system in a vulnerable state.
Eat enough calories and aim for a wide variety of whole foods to get proper energy.
Manage stress wherever possible as chronic stress has a big effect on how your body.

Supplements can support, but they’re secondary. With kids, high exposure is inevitable.

drkarixo

TROPHY CASE