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Why everyday stress can make MS symptoms worse

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    #1

    Why everyday stress can make MS symptoms worse

    When actor Christina Applegate recently told her followers on Instagram that her legs were “busted” because stress makes her multiple sclerosis (MS) worse, many people with the condition immediately recognised the feeling.

    Her comment summed up something researchers have been studying for decades and people with Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... have been describing for even longer: stress, even from everyday situations, can trigger symptoms or make existing ones flare.

    Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...
    Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
    the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.
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    #2
    Interesting article--thank you for finding and posting this!

    If you have MS long enough or if you happen to start out with a progressive form of it, you might no longer have relapses as such. Instead you have constant symptoms that come and go on a daily basis. How much or how often these symptoms turn up seems to depend on your general health, whether you've had enough sleep, the temperature of your environment, and how much stress you're putting up with.

    If I don't have too much to do, I can pay attention to the way I do ordinary things like pick something up or find the words for something I want to say--or even put one foot in front of the other without tripping. All of the ordinary things a person does take more concentration with MS because they're trickier. You can't really depend on any part of your body to function as it's meant to do.

    With stress added in, you're probably having to concentrate more on getting something done, maybe in a hurry, and so you fail to give as much attention to those ordinary activities. When I'm under stress, I'm more apt to fall, drop things, make huge mistakes, be forgetful, have slurred speech, and so on.

    The trick is to make absolutely sure I'm not ever under too much stress and that is a tall order.
    SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

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      #3
      Tim, I'm going to help myself to the article you posted and repost it on my little MS Speaks site, which was a message board at one time (about 19 years ago actually) but in recent years has consisted of my daily posts, mostly about MS.
      SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

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        #4
        Agate, that's a good idea. I'm a strong believer in the sharing of information to help people.
        Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
        the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

        Comment

          #5
          I should have added to my whine about stress that a person also has to keep the "spoon theory" in mind-.-and you've probably heard entirely too much about it already as it has often been discussed on BrainTalk if I remember right.

          Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...
          SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

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            #6
            I've always struggled with that theory. As my mind goes into 'How do you know precisely how many spoons you have, and how many a task will need?' mode.
            Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
            the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

            Comment

              #7
              I have that problem with it too. I can't ever predict just when I'm going to give out on any task. Sometimes I'm really surprised at how much I can get away with. Other times I just have to give up. If I start vacuuming this place, I might have plans to move a lot of furniture around in the process, but when I get into it, I realize I'm not up to all of that and just make do with "a lick and a promise" as the saying goes--I just run the vacuum around the heavy traffic areas.

              It's tricky because I often forget that getting the vacuuming done is one thing but cleaning out the vacuum and putting it away also takes energy, and should be done at the end of the vacuuming. Nowadays I've just let the vacuum sit out until I'm ready to do the rest of the task. Then of course it's in the way and I might trip over it but at least I've got rid of some furniture in recent years and so there's more room to stash the vacuum.

              It might strike some people as silly to fuss about such little details but when your body isn't working right and can't be counted on, you find you almost have to concern yourself with how you do each "activity of daily living."

              The eldercare industry or maybe it's the caregiving industry in general even uses an abbreviation, ADL, for "activities of daily living," I've noticed. There is concern about how people who might need care accomplish ordinary tasks like bathing, toothbrushing, dressing, meal preparation, cleaning, etc.
              SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

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                #8
                I start getting level 6-7 pain after about 10 minutes of being upright, standing still or moving about. Luckily my granddaughters clean the fllat for me. I have a shower and a shower stool. It's much easier and safer than the bath I had at my last place.
                Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
                the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

                Comment

                  #9
                  I'm trying to do showers instead of baths but my main problem seems to be getting in and out of the bathtub. Some people here have had their bathtubs cut away to ease that maneuver but there were problems with that modification. I've been opting for more exercise to limber up my legs but it may be a while before I notice an improvement.
                  SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    I definitely should exercise more. Even if it's just walking around the flat with the stroller. It was suggested to do so for 5 minutes every hour. My legs are willing, but my arms holding onto the stroller aren't. I had the 'bright?' idea to do 3 minutes every half hour, but so far I've forgotten to do so-got engrossed with articles etc online.
                    Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
                    the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Maybe cut it down to 3 minutes every hour or two? I'd find it hard to do 3 minutes every half hour. In fact, I know I just wouldn't do it.
                      SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Good advice. Not the best of days. Found out that a forum I've been a member of since 1998 is closing down.
                        Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
                        the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Too bad about that forum closing, Tim. It's hard not to take it personally when a message board shuts down or just dwindles away. Sometimes I feel like shouting, "Hey, I've been here for you guys all along--why are you ditching this place?"

                          But it's the way of the world. The torch passes, or something. People move on to the next exciting thing, and they'll be dropping that soon enough.

                          Being aware of that probably doesn't make it any easier.
                          SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            I remember that when I first used forums in 1997/1998 they were much more active than they are now. Over the years the number of forums I'm on has got much less. I use social media quite a lot = general posts, mental health/illness,politics, genealogy,autism, Facebook high IQ community.
                            Yet inside there is this perpetual nagging doubt;
                            the feeling we are possessed by a 'subtle lack of togetherness''.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              A person can get addicted to social media apparently. The big news yesterday was that in Australia they're prohibiting anyone under age 16 from using the social media.

                              SPMS diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2006-2009. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate = Copaxone) 12/20 - 3/19/24.

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