Does anyone ever feel physically ill with the stress?

[siblingrivalry]

Hi
Apologies that I haven't been around much to offer support etc -I've spent the whole summer doing the bloody DLA renewal. Today, it's ready to be posted

However, for the past few days I have been feeling incredibly stressed and it seems to be making me ill.
I'm trying to deal with all of the admin and therapy stuff that had to take a back seat while I was sorting the DLA form. DD1 (AS) is dreading going back to school and is having nightmares and is unable to sleep. She is also going through an awful time with regard to her body image and I'm really worried about her -think I will have to sort out some kind of help for her.

DD2 (NT) is picking up on dd2's worries and is now in a real state about going into her new class next week.

The housework has had to slide, with all the other stuff going on, and I feel like I'm way behind in everything.
The result is, I'm finding it really hard to sleep (when dd1 isn't waking me up through the night) and I keep waking up. I seem to have a constant, dull headache and I feel exhausted and drained.

Is it a coincidence, or do other people go through this too?

Yup yup yup and yup.

The drained look, headache, can't sleep.... all part of the SN mums'/parents' world, I reckon.

I'm going to make a real effort for some real exercise - something to knacker me out so I can stop the stupid sleep cycle thing. It's not helping

Yes.. Is the short answer.

Migraines , ibs and I get colds a lot.. Plus the dull head feeling exhausted a lot of the time.

Dc's are all at school now so I'm having a rest day.. Monday I'll start running again.. I think it was Indigobell who suggested Epsom salts ( for ds2 actually).. But I now use them and lavender too.

I went to the gp a while back because I couldn't shift feeling rubbish. Bloods came back and I was low on a couple of things.
So I also take a multi vit now and make sure I'm eating better.

it's really important to remember to look after you as well... So your ready for the next bout.

oh - a runner?

I did London Marathon back in April.

Trying very hard to relocate running mojo at the moment.

bad headaches/migraines here too. Epsom salts batghs I've found good also, plus long walks in the park, whenever possible. Physical exercise seems to relieve the stress of the mind. Just seen a thread on here about "I'm sad because my child's school doesn't have a school uniform". I don't mean to denigrate anyone , but would that were the biggest of my problems on going back to school day!

I ended up in the cardiac unit with suspected heart problems but it was all stress induced symptoms and not an actual heart attack. Oddly, I was filling in the DLA form at the time....

List of some of the symptoms

Are you able to get some time to yourself? Even a quiet half hour can help.

Yep, i'll join the club. Headaches and migraines that won't go away, ibs, drained look, puffy eyes ... i sound so appealing!

I seem to live off paracetamol.

It can't be healthy.

I would class myself more as a wheezy plodded rather than a runner :o

bit envious you ran the marathon ( well done btw).. I put a bid in but didn't get a place.. Then offered my running to PHAB kids.. But they never got back to me.
( they probably had spies out watching my pathetic attempts at training).

:o

Yes migraines poor sleep and when the LA are particularly horrid chest pains and my jaw clicks from clenching it all night!

The admin stuff is horrendous. I didn't get the form for DLA filled for months and it was sitting on a shelf eyeing me nastily every time I came in the room.
I don't get headaches, I feel the stress in my tummy. Cramps in abdomen and upset stomach from the stress of doing/not doing whatever. And the 'Foot on the brake' thing from woad's link (withdrawn,shut down, spaced out)
Yup, that's me. I call it the zombie effect!

Oh god yes - ds was diagnosed just after dd2 was born. I developed the most horrendous IBS which I have never had before & still get bouts of now - I lost 30kg in 2 months - I just couldn't eat. On Tuesday we had a real set back with ds (thought we were about to lose half our ABA team) and all the IBS symptoms & the nausea came back immediately.

I get migranes too - the stress is horrendous :(

I say that this process has shortened my life & I absolutely believe it.

Oh,wow, didn't expect so many responses so quickly -thanks everyone.

I think I might have hit on something for you all and I feel really sad that so many of us are going through this and our health is suffering . It sounds all too common and I wish I had some useful advice.

Woad, thanks a lot for the link. I will have a good look tonight, when the dc are (hopefully) asleep. I saw the 'foot on the brake' thing and,like sweetgrapes, it certainly rang a bell. I feel totally spaced and withdrawn.

The kids are at their Grandma's at the moment, but I've had to use the time to pay bills and deal with the really pressing stuff, cos I was worrying about it all and it was making the stress worse.

I am going to take your tips about exercise and try to go for a walk every day when the girls go back to school.

I am low on iron, but taking supplements. My GP actually told me recently (in a nice way) that stress and feeling run down is par for the course with the life I have (DH is also very likely AS and can be harder work then dd1 at times!)

I am sending all of you a virtual cuppa and some posh choccies - look after yourselves.x

Arsenic - snap - also a wheezy plodder.

Getting round the marathon took me a very long time. I ran for the NAS.

Exercise is the key to the sanity, for me but at the moment I'm struggling to get my trainers on.

I'm putting the kettle on...

Yes, quite often, i'm ill today (poorly tummy) which i think is down to stress (dd2 starting school and moving house).

Make time for yourself, do something you like doing (no house work etc..).

Being low on iron makes you feel like sh*t, make sure you eat well.

The thing is we are not under normal parenting stress levels ( for want of a better way of putting it).

I'm sure if we were just dealing with the issues our dc's have.. It wouldn't be quite so bad.
But we don't.. We deal with schools, leas, numerous other professions and a system the isn't overly coherrent... Transport issues, dla forms, social services and lack of understanding , willingness to help and budgets...extra financial strain.. Always being four steps ahead with not only a plan 'B' but plans right down to 'Z' .. and the list goes on and on and doesn't stop.
( let alone parties and just silly things like having a friend, or having a child that can brush their own teeth).

It's not suprising that we feel ill and show physical signs of stress.

I suppose the pay off is for very very small achievements in the NT world.. That to us feel huge.
( had a friend call last night over the moon, because the transport driver this year already knows her ds).

and I tell you what 100% of us on here a smile on our faces and count our blessings with a big silver lining.
( we don't have the luxury of mental time to be in angst over what goes in a lunchbox .. That's not being mean because before ds2 came about... I worried about lunchboxes! :))

Great post, Arsenic -the bit about your friend really made me smile cos I can imagine her relief.

Be back later, dc are coming home now.

I am low on iron too,not been eating well and it really has made me feel awful, I ahve been on iron tablets almost a month and still got ulcers in my mouth and scabby skin(whch were the reasons I went for blood tests in the first place). Struggling with not being allowed to drink tea wit the iron!

I also have been doing then waiting for dla award-we got high care rate again though fo two years so a big relief.

I am going to get epsoms salts for me and dd, cant remember what they do but remember a thread about how good they are!

Yes me too. Ended up in ICU with pneumonia and am still recovering 18 months later. I think my immune system has gone bonkers, destroying whatever it fancies! I know the physical and emotional stress were/are causative factors. The DLA forms were the last thing I did - after years of drs, fighting for educational support and finally an autism/MLD dx prior to that. It has taught me I must look after myself it has top take priority because I cannot meet ds needs if ill or worse.
Well done at getting the DLA done! Now once the dds are back at school time to think and plan how to look after YOU!

Hope they have had a good day.. Dh has gone to pick the dc's up today( mother hen:o).. And I'm expecting all he'll let loose when they get in!

Oh yeah, I seem to have permanent headaches and joint pains and when DS1 is constantly yelling at everyone, every single flaming day, my bowel becomes positively bad tempered. The last one tends to be the price I pay for a therapeutic glass of wine in the evening, though. I can't even treat myself to a medicinal quantity of dark chocolate anymore, for the same reason.

Definitely. I feel so tired and drained by the end of the day that my eyes feel like they will fall out.

Migraines were here with a vengeance. I am getting some control now, but it has taken twice daily metoprolol, daily aspirin, amitriptyline at night, Motifene and Maxalt when I get a migraine.

I should be taking diazepam when my neck goes into spasm during a migraine, but the leaflet says you need 7 hours uninterrupted sleep, and there is no way that will happen, so I can't take them.

I did DD1's DLA form for hours per day over a one week period while my DH had AL. It was thoroughly depressing and I had a permanent migraine.

Stress headaches are my main problem, they seem to come on whenever we go out. My DS doesnt shout when he is upset, he just cries and its just as draining. I also have mouth ulcers all the time, and I have a stye atm too.

Lack of sleep doesnt help, that and the fact that I am a natural born worrier, so I worry about something all the time.

Last week I had what I can onlly describe as lighting bolts on leftside of head with the sensation of warm blood flowing from the severe pain....I was having to stop and hold my head every few minutes I thought I wasnt going to wake up on the tuesday morning hence to frightened to go to sleep...I had a bad ear infection and told rundown/high blood pressure by gp.

But funny (not) seeing this post today I met my mum today and I told her since last Monday I have been feeling I am going to keel over....weird feeling just really unwell not in a sick/vomit way but in a 'weird/times up way' so I am staying calm etc

2 years ago the ecg said I had LQT after a few waking up gasping to breath in night..this is SAD(sudden adult death syndrome) so for 10 months whilst waiting for cardiologist appointment I was worried I was going to drop dead ...bloody ecg machine was wrong (thankfully).

Someone posted thread on here other week for newspapper article....asd parents seem to be most stressed out of all parents of sn dc.

Wonder if it high level of stress hormones whilst pregnant has anything to do with it?

My mum keeps saying 'stop worrying' easier said than done....wish ds could even go to school at lunchtime never mind what sandwiches he wanted

Yes - can't really sleep. Funy but towards the end of the holiday, I was sleeping better but the thought of school and resuming the fight is not helping my sleep or stress level.

However, when I feel bad, I just look at my ds and how since he was told school is starting again, has been getting up in the middle of the night, telling me he does not want to go to school, that they are mean to him etc. He has limited speech. His ezcema has started again. :( And I realize I have to continue fighting.