Specific PEM symptoms for specific activities - anyone else?

[keepswimming]

I've noticed I get very specific PEM symptoms for different types of overdoing. I wondered if anyone else finds this?

These are mine

Overdone physically - physical exhaustion, flu like malaise
Overdone mentally - headaches, brain fog, can't concentrate
Overdone socially - emotional, the thought of speaking to someone makes me want to cry

I'm finding it quite useful to understand this, as depending on my symptoms I know what activities I particularly need to avoid while I recover!

 

[bensmith]

yes me too.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Overdone physically - physical exhaustion, flu like malaise
Overdone mentally - headaches, brain fog, can't concentrate
Overdone socially - emotional, the thought of speaking to someone makes me want to cry

I do also notice some differences in PEM between these various sources of- overdoneness. But its not as clear cut in my case.

With socially- that means I was talking to somebody, and that will mean I develop the equivalent of laryngitis/strep level pain if the conversation is more than about 20 minutes. The thought of speaking to someone, for me typically results in- I won't make that call today. I just don't have - the energy to speak to somebody- for very long and something about the phone itself...is weakening almost Right Away.

I've had huge PEM crashes and malaise from: strictly mental. Doing mental work I used to do daily for 50 years- doing that same work now is a wipe out.

For me- things go along until at last I seem to have the one day I feel a bit better and slightly OK-ish. On the one day, I then- do a little something...more. somehow even those little efforts often lead to- overdoing.

Currently I mostly am avoiding physical crashes..or trying to still recover thru major rest, from the 7 months of guests, a toddler and doing too much every day for 7 months. I'm gradually crawling out of that ditch. But the day after the one day that was better - there are never 2 or 3 days of that.

The biggest improvement from all this resting I've done- about 2 months of- is my Gut. Its gotten WAY better. Not from food, not from probiotics, not from supplements, not from herbal teas. It just- got way better and it feels like I had a return of more energy required to defend the gut, reducing permeability.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Related discussion:

Different-feeling PEM depending on activities
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/different-feeling-pem-depending-on-activities.6216/

 

[Emmarose47]

I can't seem to get it into my head why social creates such crash for me

 

[SWAlexander]

I thought I need to find out what PEM is all about. So I looked for the source.
This is how I found out that I had PEM even as a child at about age 10.
If anybody is interested I`ll post my collection.

 

[keepswimming]

I can't seem to get it into my head why social creates such crash for me

Social is my worst trigger too. I measure HRV and when I do any kind of socialising my HRV absolutely plummets (meaning my body's stress levels are sky high). That helped me understand why socialising crashes me so much - for whatever reason it obviously takes an awful lot of energy. I think it's mentally and emotionally more draining than we realise.

 

[SWAlexander]

I think it's mentally and emotionally more draining than we realise.

You're right. Me too.
The question is what is the faulty mechanism?

 

[Emmarose47]

Social is my worst trigger too. I measure HRV and when I do any kind of socialising my HRV absolutely plummets (meaning my body's stress levels are sky high). That helped me understand why socialising crashes me so much - for whatever reason it obviously takes an awful lot of energy. I think it's mentally and emotionally more draining than we realise.

What's HRV keep swimming ?

 

[Emmarose47]

Om this occasion I literally felt something switch in my brain whilst having the visit .
And when it did I then couldn't function well cognitively ...
That was nearly a wk ago and I'm in a proper crash ...
I figure m.e CFS is a neuro syndrome... Inflammation of the brain and spine so the exertion triggers ..
I mean I've always had raised stress around people ...

The good news is b4 this visit I got to the point I was doing 1 on 1 or 1 to 2 one visit ... Shorter times and it was fine .
I think for me there is also something about the anticipation that is stressful where as when my neighbour pops by its lighter

 

[Emmarose47]

It's my b day wed but don't have plans for visitors well my homehelp but that's fine ..
I am gettig baptised on Sunday although it's happening in my house and maybe on the bed 😊