How it went
Did it last?
- 1 of 9 said the benefit wore off: the one who relapsed.
- 1 of 9 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 | 2 | 22% |
| Substantial | 2 | 22% |
| Partial | 1 | 11% |
| Relapsed | 1 | 11% |
| No benefit | 3 | 33% |
Only 9 accounts. Treat these percentages as anecdotes, not rates.
By how ill people were
| Severity at worst | How it went | n | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 6 | 0% | |
| Severe | 1 | 100% | |
| Very severe | 1 | 100% |
1 accounts don’t say how ill the person was.
How often it comes up
Posts that mention Calcium channel blockers (nimodipine, amlodipine, verapamil), 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 | 0 | 682 | 0.0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 704 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1,491 | 0.7 |
| 2013 | 0 | 1,995 | 0.0 |
| 2014 | 7 | 2,707 | 2.6 |
| 2015 | 9 | 2,566 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 13 | 2,023 | 6.4 |
| 2017 | 3 | 3,381 | 0.9 |
| 2018 | 12 | 2,523 | 4.8 |
| 2019 | 10 | 1,637 | 6.1 |
| 2020 | 4 | 3,318 | 1.2 |
| 2021 | 17 | 2,469 | 6.9 |
| 2022 | 3 | 1,871 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | 3 | 2,362 | 1.3 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2,176 | 2.8 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1,349 | 0.7 |
| 2026 (so far) | 2 | 899 | 2.2 |
Posts in the forum threads and blog comments we archived, 34,337 in all, counted per year. A mention means the post names the treatment, not that the writer took it. These pages all contain a recovery story, so they show what those communities discussed, not everyone with ME/CFS or long COVID. All trends
All 9 accounts
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the best treatments I've found
Shanti1 credits this vasodilator/oxygen combination with improving brain circulation and says episodes of feeling oxygen-starved, once frequent, are now rare, describing sustained improvement "over time as underlying conditions addressed." No specific doses…
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A Calcium Channel Blocker for ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia? Nimodipine Pt. II
Nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, caused a severe adverse reaction in this patient after just two tablets, one per day. Illness duration before the trial is not stated. She experienced paralysis in her arms and legs, which reversed only…
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Anyone else here have MCS too?
Followed the Pall Protocol, a methylation-support supplement regimen, then added dysautonomia treatment with fludrocortisone and verapamil, for severe MCS with CFS. Beforehand had near-syncope events, needed an epipen and sudafed, and was essentially…
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Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms
Verapamil ER, a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was started at 120mg and later raised to 180mg extended-release, taken each evening for several years by the time of posting. Illness duration before starting is not stated. He reports night sweats…
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NIMODIPINE use in M.E. / CFS : A comprehensive guide. S. Parker (MBA, BSc) January 2014
Amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was taken for about a month by this ME/CFS patient in Australia. Illness duration before starting is not stated. Her POTS-type symptoms had started improving by the one-month mark. The post is written…
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NIMODIPINE use in M.E. / CFS : A comprehensive guide. S. Parker (MBA, BSc) January 2014
Nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, gave this ME/CFS patient a "noticeable cognitive benefit" at an unspecified dose. Illness duration before starting is not stated. In a later update to the same thread, posted in 2021, they reported that…
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NIMODIPINE use in M.E. / CFS : A comprehensive guide. S. Parker (MBA, BSc) January 2014
Nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was titrated from 15mg up to a maintenance dose of 90mg a day (30mg three times daily) over 7-plus years of treatment described in her own guide. She started at just 20-25% of normal functional capacity,…
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Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms
Verapamil, a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, has been taken at 360-480mg per day for roughly 30 years, originally prescribed for cluster headaches rather than ME/CFS. Illness duration before this long-term use is not stated. Despite the high…
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Verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, eases my symptoms
Diltiazem, a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was tried once for POTS and produced severe hypotension, vomiting and near-syncope within the same session. Illness duration before the trial is not stated. She discontinued it immediately and did not…