This might be too long for some to read. Sorry for this.
Yes, there are similarities to having a flu and overdoing and the flu worsens severely. Except that the ME PEM has many more symptoms,
The problem with very severe and severe ME is that you can do very little without triggering PEM and so you are on a rollercoaster of PEM on top of PEM. This level of ME is not a comfortable one, there's a lot of desperation and trying to hang in there. You are mostly suffering day in and day out with symptoms that are very loud and never-ending and from hour to hour you don't know what you are going to experience next symptom-wise because there are so many coming and going and some stay longer than others, symptoms added on top of other ones.
I agree with others about the 3 different PEMs. I experience the instant, delayed and the accumulation PEM.
Thank you Rosie for an excellent description. I would have to say that the last paragraph, where you describe severe ME is what I am watching daily here at home. There is no remitting of symptoms whatsoever, ever. Upon lying still like a statue the symptoms may go down, but they never abate. Then when standing up is attempted, or bathing, the horror of high PEM just reemerges. It is very hard to go on living with this level of symptoms. It leads to awful spiritual distress.
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