Does doing too much cause your symptoms to worsen?

[doni54]

Hi all!!!

Even though I am undx, like many of you I suffer with the awful fatigue.  Of course over the Christmas holiday, I did entirely too much and was totally exhausted.  Now it's spasm city and pain and spasticity at an all time high in my legs, blurry eyes, etc.  

I've noticed before that when I push myself and get overtired it causes my symptoms to worsen.  Is this the case with any of you?

Mokibear is going through the same thing.  She had to work a night shift (12 am til 8 am) on Christmas night and ever since then she is having legs problems, eye problems, etc.

I understand why getting overheated effects us, but I just wondered if anyone could explain why getting overtired causes the symptom change or worsening.

Thanks in advance.

doni

[Octarine]

And yes, most of my symptoms are worse when I overdo.  For me, it's the pain, balance and fatigue that get worse.  The bladder, bowel, and swallowing issues happen regardless.

I knew there was a question I should be responding to! :-)  

[Octarine]

Oh yeah.  This is a huge difference for me in the last 4 months.  

Last year by Dec. 30, I had all the Christmas stuff away and my kitchen pretty much cleared out for a remodel during a vacation. Just before we lost the kitchen for a month, I made 12 steamed Christmas puddings (like fruitcakes; heavy), stirring the batter by hand.  After the old kitchen was gutted, I gave it 3 coats of paint and assembled Ikea cabinets for the contractor to install.  Energy to burn!  My usual style.

This year before Christmas, I was barely able to get the decorations out, and I baked only one treat - using the mixer.  My son did the tree while I napped, and there were dust bunnies galore.  I did too much on Christmas Eve and Day, and then flew across the continent and back, and now I'm sleeping 12+ hours at a stretch.  

I thought it was mostly depression, and maybe that's part of it, but it's good to see so many of you feel this tired too.

[saveone]

I can answer that....not only yes, but he** yes.  

I had a PT eval today at 10:30.  I started at 9 am....let the dog out...take a bath....but up anything you don't want to take a chance on the dog eating...yada yada..yada.  10: 30 until 11:45 at the hospital..!2;30 UNTIL NOW walmart, grocery store, hair cut (mom is getting married tomorrow and I am giving her away) another grocery store...pick up my son...

I am ready to die.

Sitting down now

terry

[essdipity]

When I overdo things I also pay big time--with exhaustion, which comes much more quickly than it used to. I don't notice my symptoms getting worse, except that my paresthesias always bother me more in the evening and at night.

And Erin, yes, the more overtired I am, the longer it takes me to recover. The worst was 3 weeks, after a wonderful but very strenuous trip. Now I'm having to get real about things.

But I did have one strange occurrence two days before Christmas. It was the morning after my Avonex shot, and I'd medicated myself and gone to bed the night before as usual. The next day I had to carry a lot of stuff, some heavy, down several flights of steps, making several trips. I was completely wiped out just packing up my car for a trip.

About an hour into the 4-hour ride I began to feel ~awful~. Pounding head and face, burning eyes, severe backache, etc., etc. It was very much like Avonex effects without proper medication. A real flu-like episode. Nevertheless I had to keep driving, but on arrival I went straight to bed. Aspirin did nothing. When my sister got in she brought some Aleve, thank God. I had failed to bring any, not thinking I'd need it. By the next day I was 95% better.

The only thing I can attribute this to is a delayed Avonex effect, brought on by overdoing and exhaustion. I'm really watching things closely now, and may have to move my shot night to cover contingencies.

ess

[Erin0313]

  Absolutely YES! I am burning the candle at both ends and paying for it big time. I have a 2nd Christmas celebration with the in-laws tomorrow and am so tired I am thinking of bringing my jammies so that when the "normal" people think it's fun to party for 12 hours I can sneak off to a quiet room somewhere. If I wait until they're snookered I bet they won't even miss me until they need their designated driver, lol.

I have a second part to your question : Does anyone notice that the more over tired they become the longer the time to bounce back? Let's ask the naughty girl Moki. How long does it take after shoveling miss naughty?

I have had to increase the neurontin and baclofen to keep going. I am not planning on getting out of bed on Sunday except to pee :)

Erin

[Dixie_Amazon]

Yes! I drove 8 hours up to Little Rock the 26th and was wiped out. I returned the 30th and am now in a flare.

[LATW]

YES!  I do pretty well in the morning except for a little balance issues if I am overly tired.  As the day goes on it gets more difficult. I need a nap every day even with Provigil.
Using my rollator helps.  
The more you use your muscles the more fatigued they become and the more difficult they are to control in my experience.

LA dx'd

[Lulu54]

That was an excellent answer - thanks for taking the time to write that out for all of us.

Lulu

[mokibear]

Tattle taler!! heehee Okay, if I'm wearing a 3 boo bie suit, so are you!!

Remember, I'm too stupid to know when to fall over. haha

I'm glad you wrote this post though Doni. I have been wondering about it too. I do know that since working that midnight shift I have been in a bad way. I was already going down hill as I was working a lot and there was a lot of stress as well but it was that last shift that put me down.

Heather, that was a really good explanation. Thanks for taking the time to do that. It made a lot of sense to me too. I'm back next week to my normal shift but hey I think I could pull off the 3 boo bie look. heehee

Hugs
Moki (the 3 boo bie Bear)

[jensequitur]

Yup, yup, yup!

I find that if I take short breaks throughout the day, I do a little better.  I have a tendency to push myself until I'm *tired* and that really wipes me out.  If I rest after every activity, I have a longer duration before I wipe out.

[nncdalton]

Hey there! Yes the symptoms get worse. I think it is all of the stress and you are not only physically worn down but mentally too when you have to think "am I doing too much" all of the time. When I get really stressed my vision goes.
My dog almost died and he had to have emergency surgery and that with the holiday and all of the traveling I went into a full episode. Please take the time to care for you too. People do not realize the stress that you have to go through with the unpredictability of this disease, you never know when it will hit or how or if you are doing something that can hurt you.

Christy D

[meg321]

Another big "YES"...I can do almost nothing without getting worn out...climbing the stairs in my house makes have to stop and recover. I cant do full days of much now.

And thats with Provigil.

Happy New Year...meg

[doni54]

Hi Ladies!! I knew I wasn't alone!!!  Thanks.

Heather, thank you, you explained that very well.  It is a pain (literally) to walk from one side of the kitchen to the other, and I did that quite a bit during the holidays.

As for Moki, you need to help me with her!!  She is a stubborn bear!! If she's not working, she's out shoveling snow!!!  I'll have to get you and Quixxie to put that funny suit on her....hahaha  She's probably gonna put me in a suit for telling on her....heeheehee

Hugs to all,
doni

[Heather3418]

Dearheart, it's that 'reserve of energy' I talk about in another post.  Even though you are not diagnosed, I think you will understand that when I talk about someone with MS; the body is challenged already.  Because the Central Nervous System is "screwed up," (and that's exactly what it should be called) it takes more energy for our bodies to do what "normal" people take for granted.  (Sorry "normal people", nothing against you)  

Our nerve pathways are damaged and our brains and spinal cord have to look for other pathways to send and receive signals.  The signals are trying to go through scar tissue in some cases, around damaged areas and this takes energy.  This is my opinion and I have never really seen it written anywhere that justifies my opinion.

Take your leg for instance....let's say that leg bothers you all the time.  It drags when you get tired.  You trip over the toe of your shoe, because your foot is dragging.  That leg feels like it is in concrete.  So what is happening here?  You are having to use more energy than that "normal person," just to move your leg through space.  So to walk 100 feet takes YOU more energy than the normal person, to walk that same 100 feet.  YOU are using more energy.  Do this same 100 foot walk enough times and you can see why your body gets tired.  It take YOU more effort to move that 100 feet, than a person without physical problems.  Does this make any sense?

So yes precious one, that I believe, is the reason you suffer more when you over-do.  Because your physical disability makes it harder for you to move through space....

And I SECOND Julie's response -YES....

Message for Moki-"Baby Bear"-STOP working all those long hours, it's not good for our baby bear to do things like that.  If you don't behave, I will sick Momma Bear on you or clothe you in one of her funny looking "three boo bie" body suits....That's a promise!

Huggie Wuggies Girlfriend,
Heather
Earth Mother

[Fluffysmom]

Doing too much, heck, even emotional overload wipes me out, worsens my tremors, blurs my vision, tests my balance.  

I know that when I did some snow shoveling, I got overheated even though it was 20 degrees out, because I was so bundled up.

I remember that people with fibromyalgia have increased pain and body temperatures when they do too much.

I was going to venture a guess as to why we have worsening symptoms when we over-do,  but maybe I should leave it to someone who truly knows.

I just hope that we all recover from our holiday excesses soon.  Hah, I remember when that meant drinking too much; now it just means cleaning the house and cooking, visiting with friends and family; Zap! Symptom-hangover!  Symptover?  

Take it easy, and feel better soon, please.

Hugs,
Kathy

[Sarahsmom46]

I can answer your question in one word - YES!

-Julie

[Wobbly]

Hi.. hope you had a wonderful holiday.  We were quite busy, but then doing anything more then normal is busy for me.. and it took me by surprise that my body quickly let me know that it wasn't happy with me trying to just do what others just do.

I ended up using my cane most of the holiday because I was on my feet alot more then normal.... my legs both ended up weak and heavy feeling...seems like it is one or the other.

my vision has been blurry and double for awhile now... but I don't know if it worst or the same as it's been before holidays.

I have been sleeping for hours since the holidays are over and can't seem to get enough of sleep.  

Hope you feel better soon...rest up
wobbly
undx