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Mood swings

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
Are mood swings common? I find that sometimes my mood just goes into free fall. I can kind of feel it coming on - like back in my teenage days when I didn't have control - and I feel so despondent about everything that it is almost impossible to function at all. Sometimes I think there is an external trigger such as a comment from someone that is critical but other times there doesn't seem to be anything/anyone setting it off.
Does anyone have strategies to share about coping with these? Thanks
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I personally think that these do not happen without a reason. You need to try to find out "why" you are getting these to fix the issue. I "had" extremely severe mood swings.

It turned out I have premenstral dysphoric disorder PMDD (it took me years to work out just how related to my menstrational cycle my moods were), many who have ME/CFS get PMS due to this illness but those who already have PMS before ME/CFS on having this issue get worst, may end up with PMDD).

I also have hyperinsulinemia and that SEVERELY affected my moods when my insulin spikes and it doesnt take many carbs at all to do it to me (6 pieces of KFC with no other carbs at all with it and Im a wreck, completely unbearable for others to be around me). I never realised that a huge range of foods were causing my mood swings till I found out I had the insulin issue and was put on a strict no carb diet for it. (note that issue can also cause many other symptoms or worsen other ME/CFS symptoms too).

anyway, you may want to check to see if you've had a 2hr glucose tollerance test with the insulin included just in case... also consider other food issues possibly playing a part too.
 

daisybell

Senior Member
Messages
1,613
Location
New Zealand
I wonder if perhaps the mood swings could be a kind of migraine.. The last one was preceded by about an hour of visual disturbance and aura. Thanks for the advice re the carbs. I know I need to be more careful about eating regularly.
 

Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
Hi daisybell;
Mood swings can be from many things, fluctuating hormones, neurotransmitters, etc. Migraines too.
One possibility can be from B12 deficiency. B12 has an effect on hormones, neurotransmitters, etc.
It has helped my migraines more than anything.
 

Sparrowhawk

Senior Member
Messages
514
Location
West Coast USA
We're a complex organism.

Aside from the above mentioned hyperinsulemia issue (which I would call, severe reactive hypoglycemia) I've also had mood swings from clearing metals, reactions to the wrong supplement, and reactions to foods *not* related to hypoglycemia. There's a book called "Is this Your Child" that's just about the food effects on mood in children.

I agree the trick would be to try to identify what the precipitating causes might be for you and if you have had a full endocrine workup (that's one place to start as mentioned above) then you can look at other variables in turn. Keep a notebook of what you eat, sleep etc. to help you track things along those lines.

Hang in there!