The intense light seems to glare down at me as the excessive noise continues all around me. I feel myself start to become overwhelmed. All I want to do it get home so I can sit in my quiet and dark room. As I rush out of the store someone brushes my shoulder and spikes of pain radiate up my arm. I know it shouldn’t hurt that much, but it does. Even as I reach home 10 minutes later I can still feel the pain radiating. I know this isn’t normal, but I don’t know how to fix it.
Side effects of chronic pain
What many people do not understand is that pain itself can cause side effects and can affect concentration and mental clarity just as profoundly as any drug. – Dr. Scott Strassels
I shared this quote from Brainless blogger on my Facebook page last week. It started a great conversation about pain and over-stimulation. It’s something I’ve always dealt with, but I never had a name for it before. I thought I was alone and weird, and that it was just another example of a symptom I’ve been left with handling on my own. It turns out it’s common in people with chronic pain and Fibromyalgia.
Over-stimulation and sensory overload with Fibromyalgia and CFS
People with Fibromyalgia often report trouble with:
- chronic pain and tenderness
- sensitivity to sounds
- sensitivity to smells
- sensitivity to temperature changes
- sensitivity to touch
It seems like in every Fibromyalgia/chronic pain group I’m in there are people who are bemoaning the weather changes upping their pain levels. We all knew it was a common thing, but it seemed like a symptom that doctors mostly scoff at.
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It turns out that sensory overload and over-stimulation are quite common in people with chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In one study, people with Fibromyalgia reported discomfort or pain at lower levels of stimulus intensity than the control group. This leads to the belief that sensory overload and hypersensitivity are a core part of Fibromyalgia and CFS.
Sensory overload and over-stimulation are quite common in people with chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Click To TweetEveryone’s bodies react to all kinds of noise, flashing or bright lights, loud people, strong smells, and chaos. But with Fibromyalgia our bodies can have a hard time processing all of this at once. We’re unable to tune things out and our senses are bombarding our brains with information that our brains can’t handle.
Pain and Over-stimulation
When studied, people with Fibromyalgia appear to have brain activity in key pain processing areas of the brain when exposed to both painful and non-painful stimuli. The affected areas of the brain include those that process or modulate responses to pain. Translation- There is a reason people with Fibromyalgia experience higher pain levels.
Another study at the University of Michigan found that pain levels of people with Fibromyalgia were directly linked to their sensory systems. The more sensory symptoms, the higher the pain score. and the capacity is reduced. Turns out, people with Fibromyalgia are not faking.
Allodynia and pain
Touch sensitivity (called allodynia) is also a big part of Fibromyalgia pain and contributes to why wearing clothes hurts, sheets can irritate our skin, socks are a nightmare, massages are hell, or when even the lightest touch can echo in our bodies for hours.
A study found that pain levels of people with Fibromyalgia were directly linked to their sensory systems. The more sensory symptoms, the higher the pain score. Turns out, people with Fibromyalgia are not faking. Click To TweetThis explains to me so much of what I experience. Massages for example are a great way to loosen painful muscles, but I can’t stand them. They are basically torture sessions unless I can find a masseuse who knows what they are doing. I also hate wearing clothing because it hurts. Of course, clothing isn’t much of choice, so I choose the loosest clothing I can find so it doesn’t hurt as much. Jeans and socks went by the wayside a long time ago.
Handling over-stimulation and sensory overload
As much as possible, avoid situations that you know will cause sensory overload. If you are in a store like in my experience, try to remove yourself from the situation. If that’s not possible it’s best to close your eyes and take a few breaths to calm your mind. Generally, it’s a good idea to:
- Wear loose-fitting clothing
- Consider migraine glasses to block out the bright lights
- Consider ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones
- Have boundaries set up so your friends and family know your needs
- create a safe place where you can go when you feel overstimulated
Sometimes my reaction to sensory overload is to retreat into my home and hide from the world. I don’t suggest this as a coping mechanism. Instead, recognize that this will involve some trial and error and find what works best for you.
I wish people understood how painful allodynia is. Mine is on my knees, so it’s loose and soft clothing all the way otherwise I’m in pain all day.
People really seem to have a hard time getting it. It sounds strange that clothing can hurt!
The sensory overload piece is a big one for me and it pretty much never stops; it only worsens sometimes.
It’s like having “SpideySense.” I can hear and feel and smell everything, sometimes from across the house. Taste even becomes involved sometimes.
You mention some great tricks and coping mechanisms here. But I most like how you said you need to find whatever works for you. It really is about trial and error and learning to live with it. Or to know what to do if you can’t manage it, like in the store.
I very rarely go anywhere alone anymore. It’s too overwhelming to know that at any moment an entire range of symptoms will hit and leave me incapacitated. But…..that’s my work around. I always have someone with me.
Great post!
Thanks
Stacey
(fightingwithfibro.com)
My husband thinks I’m crazy sometimes because I can smell things way before he can. It has helped us a few times when I smelled a burning smell.
I’ve never heard of Dr. Scott Strassels, but I will be sure to check him out now that I’ve seen you and Brainless Blogger mention him. I’ve tried for years to explain that pain comes with side effects that are very similar to med side effects. No one really gets it aside from those of us who live with pain day in and day out. I can relate to every point you’ve made here. I get so overloaded, I eventually just fade out and crash. Allodynia is really bad for me. It’s everywhere, but especially my arms and shoulders. The sense of smell thing also confuses my husband!
Sensory overload is something I think many healthy people underestimate. It can feel like you’re going insane. Thanks for these especially helpful tips for coping in relation with fibromyalgia.