Can stress make you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus?

[Cetra638]

I’ve had a really stressful week culminating in DH being interviewed under caution by the police yesterday. It’s all been resolved thankfully. I feel absolutely awful today, I’m aching all over, I’m shivery, I can’t string a sentence together. Can stress make you feel like that? I feel like I’ve got the flu.

It can do all manner of things to your body - cortisol (the stress hormone) can flood your body at difficult times and the resulting in things like fatigue, higher blood pressure, headaches and all kind of issues. Your adrenal gland produces cortisol as a way of increasing your fight/flight capabilities when your body recognises danger.

You might have also picked up a bug through the week, or have had an underlying virus, so take it easy for a few days and recover - pushing yourself and not recuperating fully will leave you feeling more exhausted and more susceptible to other illnesses, so listen to your body rather than trying to fight it.

Stress can give non epileptic seizures, let shingles re-occur, give you mirgranes etc. So yes it could, BUT if you feel that bad, go and get checked. Seriously, if you can't even string a sentence together for the effort, you need medical help.

Maybe get tested for CV if you feel that awful?

I would be concerned if you literally can't string a sentence together? Otherwise I would see how I felt after a decent sleep.

yes it can lower your immune system making you more susceptible to infections etc and induce all sorts of physical symptoms - chest pain, numb arms / legs, etc etc. I would get a CV test though

Stress can break your heart, literally. Give you a stroke, or a seizure. It can make you go temporarily deaf or blind. It can make you hallucinate, or become catatonic or dissociate. It can cause autoimmune diseases and cause the perfect conditions for cancer to grow.

For me? I just feel like I've been hit by a bus

I’ve got tingly hands too and a headache too. I can speak, I’m just struggling to have the energy to say more than a few words. I’m going to rest all weekend. Thanks for the replies.

I'm going through a stressful time and I said this the other day, I feel like I've been physically beaten up. It literally hurts.

It can but I'd only expect that with long term chronic stress where you're approaching adrenal fatigue TBH.

Has it just been this week or have you been stressed for a while?

Once you hit 'burnout' levels of stress the levels of adrenaline and cortisol can have a serious impact on all sort of aspects of health.

That would include short term memory issues, physical shaking, insomnia, serious fatigue, feeling like you can't string a sentence together.

The best thing if you're in this level of stress is to do everything you can to calm down your nervous system.

This means:

• Removing yourself from the sources of stress where possible (appreciate this is easier said than done but its not really possible to recover if the stress triggers are ongoing)

• Lots of calming activities: naps, early nights, baths, massages, calming music, calming TV, walking, yoga, guided meditation (try a free app)

• Avoid stimulants: coffee, fast music, loud music or noises, etc

• Make sure you have a healthy, nutritious diet (I'm not talking about calories or anything here but making sure you have wholesome food) including plenty of vitamin C, complex carbs like wholegrain foods.

• Consider taking Omega3, vitamin C and magnesium supplements

• There is evidence that chamomile, passionflower and barley teas can all help

• Consider some hypnotherapy.

...it's also worth saying that anyone on this thread that has this level of stress should take it very seriously.

Once you get to this stage of stress if you don't take steps to deal with it, it can very quickly lead to mental health issues or into chronic fatigue syndrome all of which can be incredibly hard to recover from and potentially life changing.

Please get a covid test

I once worked with someone senior to me, when I was young and brand new to a job, who was a terrible communicator and bad at their job. It was so stressful I was almost suicidal and I developed pneumonia pretty much out of no where. Took a few weeks off work. On my return I spoke to a few colleagues who all said that happened to them with the same senior colleague. It made them all ill too. My illness was in no way psychosomatic but I do think stress makes you susceptible to picking up bugs and being overwhelmed by them.

I got into a terrible state recently with abusive family member. But you do recover pretty fast, I was pleased yesterday that my new neighbour said I looked so much better than when I moved in last week.

If you have a good GP might be worth talking to them, or someone that you trust. Hope you can relax a bit and take care of yourself.

Thanks for all the replies. I went to bed really early last night (well it was later afternoon really!) and slept right through. I think I was just completely exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally.

I’m going to get a load of fruit and veg in for the week-eat well, sleep well and try and relax.

Glad you are feeling a bit better, a good nights sleep is such a boost.

You've probably had a huge crash in adrenaline, makes me feel exhausted.

But stress can have so many effects so it probably is that.