How it went for everyone who tried it
Helped 3 of 8 people who said how it went; 3 got worse. 8 more tried it without saying how it went.
Net score +0: the share who got better minus the share who got worse. This counts everyone who tried it, including people it did nothing for, one report per person.
| How it went | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Helped a lot | 1 | 13% |
| Helped | 2 | 25% |
| No change | 2 | 25% |
| Worse | 3 | 37% |
| Much worse | 0 | 0% |
Only 8 people said how it went. Treat this as anecdotes, not a rate.
Recovery among the 5 who credit it
Credited as one of several things behind their improvement. These are recovery stories, which are written more often when something worked.
How it went
Did it last?
- No one said its benefit wore off.
- 2 of the 5 who credit it 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Recovered | 0 | 0% |
| Near normal | 0 | 0% |
| Much better | 1 | 20% |
| Somewhat better | 4 | 80% |
| Relapsed | 0 | 0% |
| No benefit | 0 | 0% |
Only 5 accounts. Treat these percentages as anecdotes, not rates.
Over time
- None of the 3 people it helped said it wore off, including those who don’t credit it for their recovery. Few people; read as anecdotes.
Read from each person’s own timeline. A story that ends without a follow-up counts as lasting, and times are estimated from the dates in the account.
Side effects people reported
2 of the 16 people who wrote about taking it described a side effect or worsening they tied to it.
By how ill people were
| Severity at worst | How it went | n | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 1 | 0% |
4 accounts don’t say how ill the person was.
How often it comes up
Posts that mention Symptom-tracking apps and wearables (Visible), 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 | 1 | 704 | 1.4 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1,491 | 0.7 |
| 2013 | 7 | 1,995 | 3.5 |
| 2014 | 0 | 2,707 | 0.0 |
| 2015 | 5 | 2,566 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | 0 | 2,023 | 0.0 |
| 2017 | 2 | 3,381 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | 3 | 2,523 | 1.2 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1,637 | 0.6 |
| 2020 | 0 | 3,318 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 2,469 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | 4 | 1,871 | 2.1 |
| 2023 | 3 | 2,362 | 1.3 |
| 2024 | 4 | 2,176 | 1.8 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1,349 | 1.5 |
| 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 5 accounts
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Treatments. Yes, they do exist.
She has ME and POTS. Vagus nerve stimulation is the treatment she credits most: about three months passed before she noticed anything, six months for moderate gains, and a year to really work, easing GI symptoms, cognition and PEM. She also takes low-dose…
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the best treatments I've found
Shanti1 was diagnosed with ME/CFS and at first found nimodipine, pentoxifylline, tadalafil and inhaled oxygen helpful. A night-time pulse oximeter showed occasional drops well below 80, and a vibrating alert at 92 helped some. As they worked on infections,…
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Bring It On!
Helen had COVID in March 2020 and has had long COVID since, with POTS diagnosed in July 2021. A second vaccine dose in early 2021 mainly triggered her worst relapse, keeping her off work for six months. She credits pacing, heart-rate monitoring and salt and…
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Visible homepage customer testimonials
Make Visible, an app for tracking pacing and exertion, was used by her, though no dose, start date, or her prior illness severity and duration are stated. She reports that using it she was able to attend a friend's wedding, something she did not think she…
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Visible homepage customer testimonials
Make Visible, an app for tracking heart rate and pacing, was used daily by her, though no start date, duration of use, or her prior illness severity is stated. She reports being back at work and able to see in real time how work affects her body so she can…