PEM and Irritability?

L

lauren108

Messages
9
Hello! Does anyone else experience an increase in irritability when they have overexerted themselves? I've been trying to "pace" myself more lately and I've been using my irritability almost like a barometer so I know when I've reached my limit. My CFS was gradual so for the longest time I assumed my fatigue was laziness and I really pushed through it for about 3 years prior to becoming bedridden, so I still have that desire to "override" feelings of fatigue and irritability sometimes.

Let me know if you experience the same or have any tips to deal with this. :)

Thanks in advance!!!
 
H

Hope4

Desert of SW USA
Messages
473
Yes, to irritability from exertion, or too many external stressors/disruptors. The effects are cumulative. I went to a store yesterday with very high VOCs, lots of EMFs/WiFi, etc., and noise, and who knows what all. I pushed myself to do what I needed to do, but it made the rest of my chores, and the rest of the day very hard. The irritability does seem to be chemical, and not based on choice. I must plan the routes inside the stores better, when I need to do errands.
 
Mary

Mary

Moderator Resource
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Texas Hill Country
@lauren108 - actually I get the most irritable the day AFTER a crash. During the crash (PEM), I'm too wiped out to feel much of anything, but when it's over, I generally feel like I want to kill someone :eek: Actually I'm not as bad as I used to be, but I have to be careful the day after a crash if I'm going to talk to anyone then to make sure I don't bite their head off. I don't know if this irritability is physiological in origin or if part of me is pissed off at crashing again . . . it does wear off after several hours, well it can actually take a whole day to get over, depending on how bad the crash was, etc.
 
Hip

Hip

Senior Member
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18,150
Wishful said:
It's not something I've noticed. Just add another mark for me in the 'atypical ME' column.
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I don't think irritability is a common symptom of ME/CFS. To my knowledge it is only mentioned in the CDC Holmes criteria definition of ME/CFS, but not the other ME/CFS diagnostic criteria.

Irritability can be a major symptom in autism though, and some children with autism have really strong "weapons grade" irritability. In these cases, it is such a problem that it is treated with atypical antipsychotics. N-acetyl-cysteine can also help.
 
Hip

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
18,150
Pyrrhus said:
I have wondered if the “emotional lability” mentioned in some early descriptions of ME might have included irritability...
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I am not sure; emotional lability relates to the exaggeration, instability and randomness of emotional states. Those with emotional lability may for example find they are laughing one minute, and the next minute crying, because emotions flitter about.

Perhaps the nearest emotion to irritability is anger, but they not quite the same.



For many years after my viral brain infection which appeared to trigger my ME/CFS, I suffered from high levels of irritability, which is a very unpleasant mental state. You constantly are extremely annoyed, but you have bite your lip and not show it, because you know it's not legitimate, as the irritability is caused by a brain biochemical imbalance or dysfunction.

My irritability could get quite severe: if someone in my household said a friendly good morning to me, it would be intensely irritable to me! If they just walked across the living room, it would irritate me!

That degree of irritability is clearly pathological. In my case, I discovered that very low-dose amisulpride (an atypical antipsychotic that a study found can improve ME/CFS symptoms) helped a great deal to calm and soothe that irritability.
 
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Wolfcub

Wolfcub

Senior Member
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7,089
Location
SW UK
I got irritable about 4 days ago when a crash was coming on. Irritated with cars going by....and with slow internet...stupid email that's been "updated" thus takes an age to load now....etc.
It's strange to read this thread because that is the first time in a year I have felt irritable. Usually I've just felt like crying.
I reckoned mine was caused by great tiredness; sensing I was pushed a bit beyond limits, and having to adapt to a new speed. In my case, just the body screaming to be listened to.
 
Dysfunkion

Dysfunkion

Senior Member
Messages
415
Oh yes this is a big one with me, I'll know when I'm really in the gutter when EVERYTHING sets me off but talking to closest friends that really know how to respect my boundaries when I get so sensitive. I become the most antisocial person on the face of the earth. But under how irritated I get is this feeling of panic. Everything is too much and I need it to stop! It's definitely not my personality though because when I'm finally out of it I am the complete opposite. My environment is also not great and have me hanging on to a state like that for far longer than I'd like. Once I'm safe and have space though to regulate myself I'm fine though.
 
Nacht_Segler

Nacht_Segler

(He/Him) - ME/CFS Since 2002
Messages
279
Location
North Eastern PA - USA
lauren108 said:
Hello! Does anyone else experience an increase in irritability when they have overexerted themselves? I've been trying to "pace" myself more lately and I've been using my irritability almost like a barometer so I know when I've reached my limit. My CFS was gradual so for the longest time I assumed my fatigue was laziness and I really pushed through it for about 3 years prior to becoming bedridden, so I still have that desire to "override" feelings of fatigue and irritability sometimes.

Let me know if you experience the same or have any tips to deal with this. :)

Thanks in advance!!!
Click to expand...

Yes. I can get as cranky as h*ll.:huh:

The only thing I can do is like what you said - just pacing things. Even then it can feel and seem difficult as I am always going around with a sort of 'no-nonsense' disposition...which tends to either 1) turn away people because I have the look of Grumpy Cat on my face or 2) others, who for lack of properly functioning brain cells, seem to want to test me to see if they can get away with causing problems in my life...needless to say #2's don't last very long.
 
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