# chronicfatigue.support

> Independent, plain-language information about ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome) for patients, carers and families. It covers what the illness is, symptoms, causes, pacing, POTS, sleep, tests to ask a GP for, supplements and medications (with evidence labels), clinical trials recruiting in Australia and worldwide (with study contacts), conferences, and a directory of Australian doctors. Written by Jayden Stuckey. Content last reviewed 2026-11-08. Australian English; Australia-focused care information, international research.

Key facts about this site:
- Every treatment claim is labelled with its evidence type: RCT, controlled, open-label, observational, lab (in-vitro), adjacent field (e.g. Long COVID), or hypothesis.
- Clinical trial details and contacts were checked against official registries (ANZCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, EU CTR) on 2026-11-08.
- This is information only, not medical advice. The site has no advertising and no commercial affiliations.
- The full text of every page is available as a single plain-text file: https://chronicfatigue.support/llms-full.txt

## Understand

- [What is ME/CFS?](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/): A plain-language introduction to myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome. What it is, what it isn't, and why acting early matters.
- [Common questions](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/faq/): Short, clear answers to the most common questions about ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), including PEM, causes, diagnosis, Long COVID, POTS, pacing, LDN and trials in Australia.
- [Symptoms](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/symptoms/): The symptoms of ME/CFS, how it's diagnosed, and the four levels of severity. Written so you can recognise what you're living with.
- [Causes & triggers](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/causes/): What sets off ME/CFS, who is more likely to get it, and what keeps it going. What researchers know so far and what's still unknown.
- [After COVID vs glandular fever](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/triggers-compared/): How ME/CFS that follows COVID-19 compares with ME/CFS that follows glandular fever (Epstein-Barr virus), and why some people develop it after an infection and others don't.
- [ME, CFS, POTS & related conditions](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/related-conditions/): Is ME the same as CFS? How are Long COVID, POTS, fibromyalgia and depression different? A plain-language guide to the names and the overlaps.
- [Long COVID in Australia](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/long-covid-australia/): What long COVID is, how many Australians have it, its overlap with ME/CFS, where to get care now that most clinics have closed, current Australian research, and how to reduce your risk.
- [Children & teenagers](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/children/): How ME/CFS shows up in children and teenagers, how it's diagnosed, what recovery looks like, and how to handle school, exams and family supports in Australia.
- [Long COVID in Australia](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/long-covid-australia/): What long COVID is, how many Australians have it, its overlap with ME/CFS, where to get care now that most clinics have closed, current Australian research, and how to reduce your risk.
- [Children & teenagers](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/children/): How ME/CFS shows up in children and teenagers, how it's diagnosed, what recovery looks like, and how to handle school, exams and family supports in Australia.
- [How it affects people](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/impact/): The clinical and everyday impact of ME/CFS on health, work, study, relationships and quality of life, and why it's so often missed.
- [The science](https://chronicfatigue.support/understanding/science/): What researchers have actually found going wrong in the brain, blood flow, muscles, immune system and genes of people with ME/CFS, explained in plain language.

## Living with it

- [Pacing](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/pacing/): How to stay inside your energy envelope, avoid the boom-bust cycle and the good-day trap, and why rest is treatment, not laziness.
- [Dizziness on standing & POTS](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/orthostatic-intolerance/): Orthostatic intolerance and POTS are common in ME/CFS and among the most commonly missed treatable problems. Includes a home test you can do and how it's managed.
- [Sleep](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/sleep/): Why sleep is unrefreshing in ME/CFS, the overlap with sleep apnoea, and how to get a proper sleep study.
- [Wearables & tracking](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/wearables/): Which heart rate and HRV trackers help with pacing, what to look for, and a simple daily log you can start today.
- [Severe & very severe ME/CFS](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/severe/): What severe and very severe ME/CFS look like, the principles of good care at home, how to prepare for a hospital admission, feeding and nutrition, and support for carers in Australia.
- [For family & carers](https://chronicfatigue.support/living/family/): How friends, family and carers can genuinely help someone with ME/CFS, and the well-meant things that can make it worse.

## Treatment

- [Tests to ask your GP for](https://chronicfatigue.support/treatment/testing/): The standard tests to rule out other causes, extra tests worth asking for in ME/CFS, how to read common results, and a script you can take to your appointment.
- [Supplements](https://chronicfatigue.support/treatment/supplements/): The energy-metabolism supplements with evidence in ME/CFS (creatine, CoQ10, NADH/NMN, carnitine and others), what the research shows, and how to judge whether they're working.
- [Medications](https://chronicfatigue.support/treatment/medications/): Off-label medications used in ME/CFS (low-dose naltrexone, rapamycin, pyridostigmine, aripiprazole and more) and what the evidence really shows.
- [What to avoid](https://chronicfatigue.support/treatment/avoid/): Treatments, tests and habits that can make ME/CFS worse, and how to spot hype.

## Research

- [Clinical trials & studies](https://chronicfatigue.support/research/trials/): ME/CFS and related trials and studies recruiting or under way around the world, with eligibility and who to contact about taking part.
- [Conferences & events](https://chronicfatigue.support/research/conferences/): Upcoming ME/CFS and Long COVID research conferences, patient events and awareness days, plus recordings of past conferences you can watch from home.
- [2026 results](https://chronicfatigue.support/research/results/): What worked, what didn't, and what the big trial results of 2026 mean for people with ME/CFS.
- [Who's working on it](https://chronicfatigue.support/research/who/): The research institutes, companies and funders driving ME/CFS research, in Australia and around the world.

## Support

- [Getting care in Australia](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/australia/): A step-by-step guide to getting diagnosed, supported and treated for ME/CFS in Australia, from Emerge Australia to Medicare plans and research centres.
- [Find a doctor](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/find-a-doctor/): Doctors and clinics in Australia for ME/CFS and Long COVID, from Emerge Australia's national directory and a list of GPs shared by Griffith University's NCNED.
- [Centrelink & the DSP](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/centrelink/): How the Disability Support Pension works for ME/CFS in Australia, what evidence you need, JobSeeker with a medical exemption, carer payments, and where to get free help if you're refused.
- [ME/CFS and the NDIS](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/ndis/): Can ME/CFS qualify for the NDIS? The eligibility rules as they stand in 2026, the changes coming in 2027 and 2028, what evidence works, what gets funded, and what to do if you're refused.
- [Glossary](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/glossary/): Plain-English explanations of the terms, abbreviations and test names you'll come across with ME/CFS.
- [Sources & updates](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/sources/): The studies, organisations and news sources behind this site, and where to follow ME/CFS research as it happens.
- [About this site](https://chronicfatigue.support/support/about/): Who this site is for, how we write it, how we label evidence, and our medical disclaimer.

## Clinical trials in Australia (summary)

- TRI-ME: trimetazidine for ME/CFS (recruiting), ACTRN12625000095460; contact TRI-ME@deakin.edu.au, 0482 869 599
- TreatMELC: low-dose naltrexone for ME/CFS and Long COVID (recruiting), ACTRN12624001162505; contact s.marshall-gradisnik@griffith.edu.au, (07) 5678 0725
- Griffith NCNED research studies & surveys (recruiting); contact ncned@griffith.edu.au, (07) 5678 9283
- AusME Registry & Biobank (recruiting); contact information.ausme@emerge.org.au, 1800 865 321
- CNIC Study: brain inflammation imaging in ME/CFS (Sunshine Coast) (recruiting)
- FRIENDS: heart and brain study in women with Long COVID, ME/CFS or POTS (Melbourne) (recruiting); contact friends@baker.edu.au
- Diet, immune function and fatigue in ME/CFS (Swinburne, Melbourne) (recruiting), ACTRN12625001369415; contact lrapley@swin.edu.au, 03 9214 5922
- NALCOVID: low-dose naltrexone for Long COVID (completed), ACTRN12623001042639; contact ncned@griffith.edu.au, (07) 5678 9283

## Optional
- [Search](https://chronicfatigue.support/search/?q=): full-text site search
- [Sitemap](https://chronicfatigue.support/sitemap.xml)