Positives

• One patient reported that within five days of starting the GAPS diet (removing gluten and dairy) her nervous system felt about 50% calmer, and she continued improving slowly over two years until she was able to work part-time again — at the five-year mark she described herself as "much better" with markedly reduced crash frequency, crediting GAPS plus VSL#3 probiotic and probiotic enemas as her core maintenance protocol Phoenix Rising.

Negatives

• Another forum member framed her experience around the hypothesis that CFS/ME originates from gut dysbiosis, but noted the GAPS diet is so restrictive that the cooking workload alone was more than her daily energy budget could support Phoenix Rising.

Hurdles & Side Effects

• The introduction phase of GAPS can last from three weeks to a year and the full diet 1.5-2 years, with daily homemade meat and fish stocks taking hours of prep — the structure provides limited guidance on nutrient adequacy and increases malnutrition risk Healthline.
• GAPS is highly restrictive, with banned categories including grains, legumes, refined sugar, starch and most processed foods — patients describe the cooking and shopping load as a barrier when fatigue is the primary symptom Health.