Sensory Overload thought to be a little known symptom of Fibromyalgia

Sensory overload: Fibromyalgia symptoms

Sensory overload can happen when your brain feels there is too much information hitting it all at once. It happens even when your Fibromyalgia symptoms are in remission. Sensory overload is one of the more common symptoms of Fibromyalgia. It often gets missed because it's a symptom that's hard to connect to the pain that Fibromyalgia presents.

Sensory overload can be wrongly diagnosed as anxiety, but is a totally different disease.

Sensory overload symptoms occur when your in an environment that is too busy or too loud. It can happen when there are too many people around you. It can also happen when your environment is loud with the Television, music, talking etc. happening all at once. Your brain, being a Fibromyalgia brain, can't handle that much activity, so it goes into a panic mode.

When there is sensory overload, your brain  goes into a panic mode. The symptoms of a panicked brain include: increased anxiety, the inability to participate in a conversation, word search problems, excessive sweating, heart feels like it's pounding in your chest, feeling as if you are going to faint, the inability to think rationally and racing thoughts...it's a scary problem for those of us who suffer from it.

I have a problem with sensory overload in my own house. There are 6 people in my house and when they are all in the living room, trying to carry on several different conversations, I have to actually leave the room. I hide out in my quiet bedroom with my dog, Alvin. A pet can be a God-sent when it comes to dealing with not just Sensory Overload, but with Fibromyalgia in general. Pets can be good therapy. But that's another article :0)

Getting out of the situation causing the sensory overload, and getting into a quiet environment will help decrease the sensory overload symptoms..

I also have a problem with sensory overload when I go to my youngest sons “gigs”. It is always loud...although this hadn't bothered me in the past, I have noticed a problem with Sensory Overload within the last few years. I have progressive Fibromyalgia, which I believe is why I didn't have this problem a few years back.

I use to go to every show he had. Now I can't go unless he is playing outside or in a very large venue. I can't handle the loudness anymore and I used to be a concert goer!

I can't go into any grocery store without having an episode caused by Sensory Overload. Even if there aren't a lot of people in the store, the amount of items in the store cause increased anxiety, sometimes so bad I have to leave the store.

I immediately start sweating, shaking and I feel very weak all of a sudden. I have to leave most of the time and I never go anywhere alone anymore.

I think the best way to deal with sensory overload is to make sure you know what kind of environment your going into and to know if it is an environment that's conductive for sensory overload. Say, if you are invited to a party, find out how many people are going to be there. Ask where the party will be located. It makes a difference whether it's outside, inside, in a large space or small space. Ask what kind of party it is. Are they going to have loud music or watch a football game? How many people will be there?

Find out everything you can before going to a place that may cause sensory overload. Then you can make an educated decision on whether you want to participate and risk sensory overload.

Have any of you experience this symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia?

If so, how did you deal with it?

Thanks to those of you who have stayed with me this far. I know I write very sporadically, but it's because of the Fibromyalgia and other diseases I have. So, I just wanted to say Thank you for sticking with me this far. I hope I have a better year in 2014...not so much pain.

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