Stress=extreme fatigue and flu like symptoms

Hi All,

I'm about to start a new job next week. A little background: I have severe PTSD from my previous job due to a verbally abusive administrator and I have not been able to work full time in several years.  I've been thinking about it and worrying about the new job and I'm so stressed that I now have what I call a "stress cold". My "stress colds" basically consist of a horrible headache, stomach trouble, and extreme fatigue that lasts for several days. It's horrible because no one seems to understand what I'm talking about when I try to explain it to them. I guess what I'm wondering is has anyone else had things like this several years out of taper when faced with extreme stress?

Thanks for the support 

Brittany

Hi Brittany. Firstly i hope that your new job turns out to be a keeper & much less stressful

 

My main symptoms in acute were extreme fatigue & benzo flu. Since then, i have continued to have some waves with identical symptoms hit after experiencing major stress or sometimes too much exercise.

 

I have not had much success describing the fatigue to anyone including doctors, i think partly because everyone feels tired in this hyped up life we have & people think that you can just push through it like they do. I try to tell them that with withdrawal fatigue in waves, its a struggle to shuffle to the bathroom even though in a window a week before, i might have hiked 30kms with no problems.

 

A new job is up there on the stress scale for people even without benzo withdrawal. I hope your wave passes soon.

Hello Ihope,

Thanks for responding. I agree that it's difficult to explain this condition to doctors. I'm sorry you have gone through waves of this when stressed as well. Unfortunately, I have been in this wave since Saturday. I am still completing what I need to but I'm so exhausted and my head is killing me. I didn't end up taking the job because I got too anxious and now I'm feeling ashamed. I'm meeting with my therapist today to discuss this.

I just don't think I'm ready to work full time right now,

Thanks again for the support,

Brittany

I understand the guilt. I have been desperate to get back to full time work & have made a number of attempts in the hope that momentum would take over & allow me to push through.

 

It was very demoralising when it didn’t work out but there is truly no shame in investing in whatever time it takes to heal enough

I've had this as well, Catlady! Haven't had it recently, but in the past when I've gone through stressful situation that spike up my anxiety, I would experience headaches, fatigue, burning skin (usually in my knee caps, for some reason), and I think GI upset, but I would bounce back relatively quickly-- I think within a few days I was back to normal.

 

New jobs are stressful, but also exciting! You get to meet new awesome coworkers (hopefully) and you get to make your mark at the work place. Hope everything works out, and hope you start to feel better

I get this from time to time and I’m actually experiencing it now.  Whenever it sets in I’m never really sure what it is, I think maybe I’ve taken something that doesn’t agree with me but eventually I realize that it’s a stress reaction. I wish I knew how to avoid it though because it’s completely debilitating.  I try to explain to people and of course they think I’m crazy.  I literally feel like I am trying to survive and hope that it lifts soon.

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I appreciate the support.

 

I've decided that I am not going to work full time, at least not right now. I am trying to be thankful for the little happy things in life and not focus so much on the stress of life.

 

I hope everyone is doing well