• 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.

PEM or something else....

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
@SickOfSickness....everything you wrote in the above post is me exactly. I can't drive far to shop because I will be too tired to drive home. Shopping is a nightmare for me but I do it anyway even though I know there will be suffering afterwards. I buy many of my clothes online and just hope they fit but even shopping on the computer is tiring and I can't do it long. The lighting in stores...music playing...commotion is all tiring to my brain. Even just driving is exhausting because of the concentration it takes.

The only thing that doesn't cause this reaction is exercising whether walking or biking because it is calming to me and most of my problems stem from mental activity and stress. I can go hiking as well as long as it isn't really hot out.

For the first few years of illness I couldn't shop at all....
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I do most of my shopping in small local shops;
all my clothes come from charity shops (except underwear and shoes).

The advantage there is there IS only one of each item, if it's not your size, no point in getting it.

I take things home and wash them before trying them on, in my own time.

(A good soak in sodium bicarbonate and warm water will get rid of residual soap powder and conditioner smelly stinks left behind by the previous owner.)


They are much easier to cope with than big places such as supermarkets or malls, which are just a nightmare of sensory overload, and aisles and aisles of the same thing.

The lighting isn't too awful, and folk take their time; stop and have a chat.
 
Messages
26
Location
Gloucestershire
I really have no problems with physical exertion and can feel fine afterwards. I luckily am able to walk up to 4-5 miles daily and bike as well (not on the same day).
If I do anything that has to do with social interaction I am totally floored the next day. The example I have is that I went to an art festival the other day with my son and his wife. We walked around and looked at exhibits and had lunch.

I felt fine during the entire time and had a wonderful afternoon. When I walked in the door at home I totally crashed. I just went right to the couch and laid down for an hour before making dinner.

When I got into bed around nine I could feel my insides vibrating which always means I have overdone. I had the vibrations most of the night. Now today I feel very lethargic....drained...and no energy. I don't have fluish feelings at all. Just like half my life has drained out of my body.

Now if I went out and walked 4 or 5 miles I wouldn't have this reaction at all. In fact I have even run 5K's with no bad after effects.

So is this just a different form of PEM or does it have something to do with adrenal function? It seems to becoming worse as time goes on and I am becoming concerned that soon I will have to just say no to any invitations or just go ahead and know that I will suffer the following day....

I am not sure what this is as I know looking (shopping) and talking uses a lot of brain energy which seems to be what I am lacking...
I really have no problems with physical exertion and can feel fine afterwards. I luckily am able to walk up to 4-5 miles daily and bike as well (not on the same day).
If I do anything that has to do with social interaction I am totally floored the next day. The example I have is that I went to an art festival the other day with my son and his wife. We walked around and looked at exhibits and had lunch.

I felt fine during the entire time and had a wonderful afternoon. When I walked in the door at home I totally crashed. I just went right to the couch and laid down for an hour before making dinner.

When I got into bed around nine I could feel my insides vibrating which always means I have overdone. I had the vibrations most of the night. Now today I feel very lethargic....drained...and no energy. I don't have fluish feelings at all. Just like half my life has drained out of my body.

Now if I went out and walked 4 or 5 miles I wouldn't have this reaction at all. In fact I have even run 5K's with no bad after effects.

So is this just a different form of PEM or does it have something to do with adrenal function? It seems to becoming worse as time goes on and I am becoming concerned that soon I will have to just say no to any invitations or just go ahead and know that I will suffer the following day....

I am not sure what this is as I know looking (shopping) and talking uses a lot of brain energy which seems to be what I am lacking...