• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Very unstable moods?

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Severe problems with my brain is 95% of this disease for me. Amongst them is my having reactions to situations that aren't normal. As in; sometimes if I exert at all I start to feel all awkward and can't even talk to anybody because of this jittery awkward feeling. Or I was recently with my best friend watching a movie- the person I'm calmest around and it was a comedy and I just had unrelenting anxiety. I did nothing to instigate it but these things just happen.

It's like I have no control over what my brain decides to do but it's almost always uncomfortable, like my brain reacts the wrong way to situations. There's just no homeostasis.

Is this common of ME?
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I think that is just part of this damn disease. I have huge reactions to things, sometimes totally out of proportion to the situation and to the point where I exhaust myself.

I"d love to be able to get on a more even keel but my brain is so screwy that AD's amp me up too much. I have yet to be able to find a SSRI or any brain med that I can tolerate.

There must be something that goes haywire for you. Maybe if you can figure it out that would help but sometimes it just sucks.

Mink
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Severe problems with my brain is 95% of this disease for me. Amongst them is my having reactions to situations that aren't normal. As in; sometimes if I exert at all I start to feel all awkward and can't even talk to anybody because of this jittery awkward feeling. Or I was recently with my best friend watching a movie- the person I'm calmest around and it was a comedy and I just had unrelenting anxiety. I did nothing to instigate it but these things just happen.

It's like I have no control over what my brain decides to do but it's almost always uncomfortable, like my brain reacts the wrong way to situations. There's just no homeostasis.

Is this common of ME?

Yes, very common. Could well be coming from the autonomic nervous system--most of us have screwy ANS responses. Some take meds to help control theses symptoms, some find supplements help and some find that the symptoms diminish as the disease process begins to reverse.

Sushi
 

Aerose91

Senior Member
Messages
1,400
Well if anything it's good to hear that it's not rare for this to happen.

I take only 5 mg of Prozac and it seems to stabilize my mood pretty well so I have no desire to use any more. However I would love to not need anything at some point
 

PearlGirl26

Living with CFS for years, recently diagnosed.
Messages
65
Location
CA
I've noticed that my moods/attention span are especially unstable from the day I ovulate to the third morning of my period. (Being stuck at home has allowed me to start noticing and charting these things on a regular basis.) Once I figured this out, it allowed me to reposition the feeling in my head so it isn't as troublesome (still annoying, but not as disturbing). It also has given me a schedule of when to not accept visitors. When things are really bad I take .25 Xanax and just ride it out. I loathe taking anything that dulls my already dulled senses, but everyone needs help now and then. If only NY was a medical marijuana state...
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I've noticed that my moods/attention span are especially unstable from the day I ovulate to the third morning of my period. (Being stuck at home has allowed me to start noticing and charting these things on a regular basis.) Once I figured this out, it allowed me to reposition the feeling in my head so it isn't as troublesome (still annoying, but not as disturbing). It also has given me a schedule of when to not accept visitors. When things are really bad I take .25 Xanax and just ride it out. I loathe taking anything that dulls my already dulled senses, but everyone needs help now and then. If only NY was a medical marijuana state...

PearlGirl.. try taking Calicum daily (I forget how much now but studies have shown that it helps with PMS and I found it helped my PMS moods A LOT when I tried it (I previously had a diagnoses of having severe Premenstral Dysphoric Disorder so in my case I was even far worst then just ordinary PMS.. my hormones were nearly sending me psychotic.. I got in police trouble due to my periods coming on.. I ended up even hitting my lawn mowing guy and a door salesman).. if you research Calicum and PMS, you should easily be able to find out how much to take.

Note.. I didnt find that it worked right away but had to be daily it daily for 2 or 3 months before I got the great affects of it. If I started missing doses it didnt work. I had to take it regularly for it to work. Whenever I stopped it, right back to my symptoms with the next period.

Best luck.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
if I exert at all I start to feel all awkward and can't even talk to anybody because of this jittery awkward feeling. Or I was recently with my best friend watching a movie- the person I'm calmest around and it was a comedy and I just had unrelenting anxiety. I did nothing to instigate it but these things just happen.

It's like I have no control over what my brain decides to do but it's almost always uncomfortable, like my brain reacts the wrong way to situations. There's just no homeostasis.

Is this common of ME?

Yes its very common and can be a sure sign you over did it, that can come on just as easily as any of the other symptoms do when you over do it. It means you should be resting rather then having visitors or out during these times. Rest is soo important. If you manage to pace things better so you dont overdo things, you may find you are far more stable.

Its caused by the nervous system overstimulation Dr Cheney talks about I believe. Many people take low dose Klonopin (Rivotril as it is known in other countries) for this but the best fix is dont over do it in the first place and be bringing the symptom in.
 

PearlGirl26

Living with CFS for years, recently diagnosed.
Messages
65
Location
CA
PearlGirl.. try taking Calicum daily (I forget how much now but studies have shown that it helps with PMS and I found it helped my PMS moods A LOT when I tried it (I previously had a diagnoses of having severe Premenstral Dysphoric Disorder so in my case I was even far worst then just ordinary PMS.. my hormones were nearly sending me psychotic.. I got in police trouble due to my periods coming on.. I ended up even hitting my lawn mowing guy and a door salesman).. if you research Calicum and PMS, you should easily be able to find out how much to take.

Note.. I didnt find that it worked right away but had to be daily it daily for 2 or 3 months before I got the great affects of it. If I started missing doses it didnt work. I had to take it regularly for it to work. Whenever I stopped it, right back to my symptoms with the next period.

Best luck.
Thanks for the advice! I will add Calcium to my supp bucket (that's what I call the trough next to my bed;) The PMDD ebbs and flows, but I can tell you it has gotten truly awful and scary to the point of contemplating ending things, then poof the feeling disappeared on the third morning of my period. When I saw this happen a bunch of times in a row, I knew something wasn't right. My guess is that previously I had been distracted by my job, relationship, etc. Now that I am no longer working, have no relationship, and plenty of time on my hands I was able to decipher the pattern.