Sensory overload and mental crashing

[Kim812]

I do consider myself one of the lucky ones who can participate in physical activities without much consequence. I just returned home from a ten day vacation to the Southwest which included a lot of physical stuff...our last three days were in Vegas as we left 3days prior to the tragedy.
I did really well but made sure to be back at the hotel or condo by 4 to rest before dinner and was unable to do anything at night. I only had one day where I felt really horrible and spent most of that day resting.

I returned home and went to a Bluegrass festival on Saturday and we had our granddaughter on Sunday. Monday morning I woke up feeling like my head was in a fog...I was feeling very disconnected and extremely mentally tired. I was useless and couldn’t do much. Today I feel pretty much the same....extremely tired in my head/brain but physically good.

Once again I do feel so very fortunate I could even go on vacation but I truly suffer with these mental crashes which leave me incapacitated. I am not sure if it is sensory overload...or just not enough energy to support my brain activity.
Does anyone else have these type of crashes as opposed to being physically crashed and if so is there any supplements or pharmaceuticals that can help with this feeling?

I did acupuncture for a while with no results whatsoever and I really have not found anyone else who understands these symptoms. I was recently asked by a doctor if the overload feels like I have had too much caffeine....seriously!!!

The nerve pain also increases during These mental crashes and I feel like my entire body has short circuited...can anyone relate to this?

 

[ShyestofFlies]

I have had the "brain poop outs" (I call them that) and usually when I can't think or do anything I try to sleep or rest until I fall asleep. Normally I am fortunate to have somewhat less brain fog than others. Sometimes the amount of sensory stuff just happens enough to switch the brain into "goo."

 

[Edie]

I do consider myself one of the lucky ones who can participate in physical activities without much consequence. I just returned home from a ten day vacation to the Southwest which included a lot of physical stuff...our last three days were in Vegas as we left 3days prior to the tragedy.
I did really well but made sure to be back at the hotel or condo by 4 to rest before dinner and was unable to do anything at night. I only had one day where I felt really horrible and spent most of that day resting.

I returned home and went to a Bluegrass festival on Saturday and we had our granddaughter on Sunday. Monday morning I woke up feeling like my head was in a fog...I was feeling very disconnected and extremely mentally tired. I was useless and couldn’t do much. Today I feel pretty much the same....extremely tired in my head/brain but physically good.

Once again I do feel so very fortunate I could even go on vacation but I truly suffer with these mental crashes which leave me incapacitated. I am not sure if it is sensory overload...or just not enough energy to support my brain activity.
Does anyone else have these type of crashes as opposed to being physically crashed and if so is there any supplements or pharmaceuticals that can help with this feeling?

I did acupuncture for a while with no results whatsoever and I really have not found anyone else who understands these symptoms. I was recently asked by a doctor if the overload feels like I have had too much caffeine....seriously!!!

The nerve pain also increases during These mental crashes and I feel like my entire body has short circuited...can anyone relate to this?

I do consider myself one of the lucky ones who can participate in physical activities without much consequence. I just returned home from a ten day vacation to the Southwest which included a lot of physical stuff...our last three days were in Vegas as we left 3days prior to the tragedy.
I did really well but made sure to be back at the hotel or condo by 4 to rest before dinner and was unable to do anything at night. I only had one day where I felt really horrible and spent most of that day resting.

I returned home and went to a Bluegrass festival on Saturday and we had our granddaughter on Sunday. Monday morning I woke up feeling like my head was in a fog...I was feeling very disconnected and extremely mentally tired. I was useless and couldn’t do much. Today I feel pretty much the same....extremely tired in my head/brain but physically good.

Once again I do feel so very fortunate I could even go on vacation but I truly suffer with these mental crashes which leave me incapacitated. I am not sure if it is sensory overload...or just not enough energy to support my brain activity.
Does anyone else have these type of crashes as opposed to being physically crashed and if so is there any supplements or pharmaceuticals that can help with this feeling?

I did acupuncture for a while with no results whatsoever and I really have not found anyone else who understands these symptoms. I was recently asked by a doctor if the overload feels like I have had too much caffeine....seriously!!!

The nerve pain also increases during These mental crashes and I feel like my entire body has short circuited...can anyone relate to this?

Hi Kim What really messes up my brain is food allergies, or food sensitivities. I can feel my brain swelling and I become disoriented for at least 1 day. If I've eaten dairy, I can struggle for 3 days, till it clears my system. I've had many of my allergies cleared by N.A.E.T. that resets the immune system to not react to the food or substances that bother me. www.naet.com

 

[Kim812]

I have done an elimination diet ....gluten free diet....non dairy...etc. The doctor has come to the conclusion that I don’t have any food/allergy or insensitivity issues.
I am beyond frustrated at this point with them. I feel so many types of “fatigue”it’s hard to get them to understand it. I honestly don’t understand it either. After four days of severe mental exhaustion/fatigue I am back to my baseline bad. I just have to attribute it to sensory problems...my brain can’t handle an influx of noise...crowds...etc...lots of stimulation..

 

[Edie]

I have done an elimination diet ....gluten free diet....non dairy...etc. The doctor has come to the conclusion that I don’t have any food/allergy or insensitivity issues.
I am beyond frustrated at this point with them. I feel so many types of “fatigue”it’s hard to get them to understand it. I honestly don’t understand it either. After four days of severe mental exhaustion/fatigue I am back to my baseline bad. I just have to attribute it to sensory problems...my brain can’t handle an influx of noise...crowds...etc...lots of stimulation..

Hi again Kim. When I don't get a good night's sleep, I experience the same symptoms as you describe. If I eat anything close to bedtime, I cannot get deep restorative sleep and wake up totally brain wasted. I find that taking a 150mg dose of magnesium citrate at bed time, also helps to relax after a busy day.

 

[Kim812]

I actually take magnesium glycinate 400mg at bedtime. The type of mental exhaustion/ fatigue I just had for three days was unbelievable. I was basically incapacitated from it even though my body (not brain) felt physically great. I know that seems like a very strange concept...feeling like your body can run a mile while the brain/head fatigue feeling is so bad.
I guess that’s why no doctors get it...they can’t understand what I am trying to explain. I really just chalk it up to a Mental Exertion crash ..I don’t eat after six pm except rare occasions. I dunno....I have always had problems with brain fatigue and crashing from it.

I haven’t had restoring sleep in 13 years since the beginning of all this....

 

[TJ_Fitz]

You may be what Dr. Elaine Aron describes as a "highly sensitive person". I am myself. HSP's are more taxed by sensory stimulation. We lack at least some of the usual ability to filter out stimuli, and we process stimuli more deeply, so stimulation costs us more energetically. I don't know if high sensory processing sensitivity is typical in ME/CFS, but they certainly go hand-in-hand for me.

 

[Kim812]

I agree...I definitely have a problem filtering out stimuli. We went out to eat the other night and it seemed so loud when really it was a very small restaurant with limited tables. When we have family get together it’s bad too. I also think that’s where my energy gets drained....from the over sensory issues. I didn’t have this problem till around five years ago..not in the beginning of my illness (2004).