Acute vs longer crashes?

[Caliginousace]

I was wondering about the kinds of crashes people get. A lot of times when I see it discussed it seems to be longer-term PEM type things, which I also experience, but isn't typically what I'm referring to when I talk about "crashing". Sometimes when I'm pushing myself too far ("too far" can be something as little as a 5 minute walk to the store) my body puts the brakes on everything and become really sensation to lights/sounds and become functionally paralyzed. I lay down and don't have the energy to move at all, even when the position I'm in is awkward and painful. Most of the time I'm non-verbal, if I can talk it's very quiet and mumbly. These crashes usually last at leastlan hour, and I'm likely to have some amount of pem afterwords.

Does anyone else have these acute crashes? Is this the common understanding and I'm just misunderstanding? Does anyone have any advice?

I've been crashing several times a week, often even multiple times a day, and it's currently the most disastrous symptom to my life.

 

[maybe some day]

Yes, quite normal too for that to happen. During the day, I can do "ok", and out of the blue I can start to crash just by doing nothing. Half hour later I start to feel better. This usually happends once during the day.

 

[hamsterman]

This is a great subject. I think with PEM, we are usually talking about the severe malaise that takes 24 hours to manifest, and lasts > 2 days.. But there are other things that cause malaise for PWME. One thing for me is a screwed up cortisol cycle. Another issue, is a 'moderate malaise' that I get a couple hours after exertion. I am sure there are plenty of others as well.

 

[Sidney]

I agree. For me, the word 'crash' applies very literally to the sort of train wreck that happens when I've just gone over the limit: someone has talked on the phone for too long, or I’ve struggled to write an email for too long - and suddenly a bus runs you over: it is a CRASH. I passed out a couple of times but now I’ve learnt and I try to avoid those situations. Though they happen even when you are housebound. I say 'I’ve got to lie down' and curl up on the nearest sofa and pray that nothing interrupts ever again. Get to bed if possible - and it does get better, more 'normal ME' , maybe in hours, though usually , as @Caliginousace says, followed by PEM.

The PEM type is so different; also can come when I’ve been pushing the envelope too far for a day or days - I wake up aware that things are very wrong and that doing anything, even the tiny things I usually do, is climbing a mountain. This can go on, with fluctuations, for a week, or months.

I wonder if any doctor or researcher, has described, or explained, the different kinds of crash.