Wired but Tired or that Blasted "red alert" feeling

[dannybex]

This 'red alert ' wired feeling is literally driving me crazy.
For me it is the most distressing of all the symptoms.....I simply cannot relax or switch off. It's like my whole body is electrically charged, stuck in a weird panic state.
It is awful and I don't know what to do about it.
I seem to have got into a horrible pattern where I am in a crash for a few weeks, can hardly get out of bed or do anything, then the energy starts to return, but quickly becomes this 'red alert' wired state....which goes on until I crash again.
It is a living hell

Two or three things have finally helped me with this extreme wiredness:Adrenergize -- by Enzymedica Therapy: It's an adrenal glandular supplement, not a stimulant, just the ground up glands. It actually really helps, especially in the morning.

Folinic (not folic) acid (Folacal by Thorne): This really helps me. I take one about 1/2 hour before bed. In the past, if I'd wake up around 4am or so to use the bathroom, I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. But if I take another, and hold it under my tongue for a minute or so before swallowing it with a little water, I'm sound asleep within 5-10 minutes and fall into a deep sleep until my alarm goes off.

And finally, adding a little whole organic sugar at the end of meals -- or to oatmeal or a similar complex carb 'dessert'. Also, eating less protein in the evenings.

 

[Cheesus]

This 'red alert ' wired feeling is literally driving me crazy.
For me it is the most distressing of all the symptoms.....I simply cannot relax or switch off. It's like my whole body is electrically charged, stuck in a weird panic state.
It is awful and I don't know what to do about it.
I seem to have got into a horrible pattern where I am in a crash for a few weeks, can hardly get out of bed or do anything, then the energy starts to return, but quickly becomes this 'red alert' wired state....which goes on until I crash again.
It is a living hell

For me the Gupta Programme, regular meditation and proper pacing (i.e. regular periods of complete rest and much reduced time in front of screens) have gotten rid of this for me.

I have tried all sorts of supplements but don't take any now because none of them seemed to do anything. The above is the only thing that has proven to be beneficial for me.

 

[dannybex]

For me the Gupta Programme, regular meditation and proper pacing (i.e. regular periods of complete rest and much reduced time in front of screens) have gotten rid of this for me.

I have tried all sorts of supplements but don't take any now because none of them seemed to do anything. The above is the only thing that has proven to be beneficial for me.

Gupta helped me too about four years ago, but when the 'wired-ness' and anxiety gets extreme, it becomes impossible to settle down and rest, let alone get "complete rest", IHMO.

But you're correct, that in the long run, when things settle down to some degree, it's very important to pace and get off the computer(!), and take rest breaks in order to stop the vicious cycle.

 

[Cheesus]

Gupta helped me too about four years ago, but when the 'wired-ness' and anxiety gets extreme, it becomes impossible to settle down and rest, let alone get "complete rest", IHMO.

But you're correct, that in the long run, when things settle down to some degree, it's very important to pace and get off the computer(!), and take rest breaks in order to stop the vicious cycle.

Yes it is horrible when you're in that state. Real rest certainly eludes you. I really think meditation and diaphragmatic breathing can be of real help, as it seems to be it comes about as a result of serious sympathetic hyperactivity. Having said that, it is certainly not a short-term fix.

Also when anxiety is extreme all the helpful methods to calm anxiety down seem to go out of the window. Very frustrating!

 

[rosie26]

It's hellish. I am thinking seriously of trying cannabis oil without the 'high" affect in it. To see if it can help calm down these heightened sensitivities a bit.

 

[Timaca]

Smith~ I agree with you about the hellishness of that symptom.

Interestingly enough, it seems to have diminished a great deal for me if I eat an elimination diet that excludes foods high in histamine (and other foods that are low histamine that are problems for me.....). You can look at my blog for a bit more info.

I hope you can find some relief. I know it is awful. While I'm not well, I am feeling the best in the 10 years of my illness.

Best,

 

[soxfan]

This is definitely still one of the worse problems for me. I didn't have this in the beginning but seemed to come on after my dad passed away almost 5 years ago now. I really believe the anxiety and stress of his illness pushed me to the limit for months and it just triggered something and now it is still going on.

My wired/tired can happen mostly from sensory overload but not from physical overload. All my symptoms are neurological and stem from too much mental activity or stress and it can only be very minor stress but the minute I feel a little stress I can actually feel my body start pumping out the adrenaline or cortisol.

If I have major stress even for a while I will then feel totally drained...lay down and immediately feel wired instead and unable to rest/relax. My body has totally lost the ability to do that unless I am in a major crash....at which time I seem to be able to rest but never ever sleep during the day.....

I am still able to do a lot of physical activity with no PEM or mental fatigue....

 

[Leopardtail]

I have so appreciated hearing everyone's responses. I would have to say, though, that during my "red alert" or "tense" or "wired" episodes, I do not feel motivated, or full of energy. I just feel like my body is under a physical type of stress, and it is enough to make me know that something is very wrong...and there is no energy to be motivated. But, it interesting to hear different variations of this in others.

I do have palpitations and I do get tachycardia. I have had my heart checked out by a cardiologist, and continue to do this on a regular basis. Machair, make sure you see a cardiologist too, if you haven't already.

I'm fairly certain that my red alert has something to do with my immune system sensing a pathogen. I say this because, my red alert went away as my antibody titers to Coxsackie B3, B4 and B5 dropped. Then the red alert increased when I was put on a double dose of acyclovir (and had die-off). Then when I had a flare, which looks like it was due to EBV reactivation (based on labs), I felt the red alert again.

Best, Timaca

That all sounds like too much adrenalin.
A few other things could cause the 'racing mind, hyper alert' thing on its own.
Have you had any investigations for POTS or low blood volume.

 

[Timaca]

@Leopardtail ~
Thank you for your suggestion. I have not been checked for POTS or low blood volume. However, one thing that has happened, is the "red alert" has decreased quite a bit since being on an elimination diet. So I *think* what might be going on is it *might* be an immune response to both pathogens and foods that my body can't tolerate (and so sees as antigens).

If interested you can read some here on my blog: You Season with Love

Best,

 

[theredwire]

I know this is an old thread but so many great comments.

Been dealing with chronic stress and anxiety issues for about 15 years, but it probably started in childhood, I just did not recognize it. Main issue now is my brain is always hyper-aroused, electrically charged. So sleep is little and not refreshing. I feel like I have adrenal fatigue but don't think there is really anything wrong with my adrenal glands other than they are just really exhausted.

Tired n wired has been my new norm. It's a bad feeling. I push through each day though. I exercise daily but not excessively, eat a low sugar semi paleo diet, and keep a positive attitude. Whole body detox/cleanse helps. I have hope that one day my brain will calm down enough to get 8 hours sleep and wake up refreshed.

I quite benzo drugs a year ago and feel better doing so. They only masked the issue anyways.
I try to be grateful, meditate, find joy in small things.
Open to any help I can get.
Peace.

 

[theredwire]

Two or three things have finally helped me with this extreme wiredness:Adrenergize -- by Enzymedica Therapy: It's an adrenal glandular supplement, not a stimulant, just the ground up glands. It actually really helps, especially in the morning.

Folinic (not folic) acid (Folacal by Thorne): This really helps me. I take one about 1/2 hour before bed. In the past, if I'd wake up around 4am or so to use the bathroom, I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. But if I take another, and hold it under my tongue for a minute or so before swallowing it with a little water, I'm sound asleep within 5-10 minutes and fall into a deep sleep until my alarm goes off.

And finally, adding a little whole organic sugar at the end of meals -- or to oatmeal or a similar complex carb 'dessert'. Also, eating less protein in the evenings.

Just wondering how you are doing now? It's been a few years since this post.

 

[dannybex]

Just wondering how you are doing now? It's been a few years since this post.

I'm doing better in a general sense -- definitely better than 2 1/2 years ago. Got a LOT worse though before I started to get better. Folinic still helps me the most, almost have to avoid it at times or I'll oversleep. The adrenal extract from Vitacost works too.

The only thing I would advise against is the whole sugar. It helped w/"energy", but I paid the price w/increased insulin resistance and developed serious fatty liver issues (and increased muscle wasting) that I'm now trying to remedy.

Also am trying to taper off clonazepam...so as you know that's not exactly stress-reducing...

 

[Lucy1996]

Any body got an quick fixes ?

Suffering from this right now, glands are up and my whole body is tingling. Had this since Saturday how do I break this cycle of tired but wired and go back to feeling fatigued and brain foggy? I much prefer that to feeling wired and woozy.

 

[Countrygirl]

Any body got an quick fixes ?

Suffering from this right now, glands are up and my whole body is tingling. Had this since Saturday how do I break this cycle of tired but wired and go back to feeling fatigued and brain foggy? I much prefer that to feeling wired and woozy.

I found taking baclofen at about 8 pm gives me relief for the following day. I understand quite a few people find it helpful for ME.

 

[dannybex]

And folinic definitely helps me w/sleep. Almost too much, so I have to be careful w/how much I take and when I take it.