Those 4th of July fireworks are great and all, but the BOOM they make isn't fun when you're easily startled, especially when being startled can cause myriad nasty symptoms.
That's the case with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It's not that we're "emotionally sensitive" - it's a physical response.
We have dysfunction in the stress-response system, which is made up 2 areas of the brain (the hypothalamus and pituitary) and glands that sit on top of your kidneys (the adrenals.) It's called the HPA axis, and it controls how your body deals with stress on the physiological level. The dysfunction means that we don't handle it well at all. In fact, those little bursts of adrenaline from being startled can lead to pain shooting through your body, dizziness, headache, nausea, disorientation, panic, and, soon thereafter, crushing fatigue.
On top of that, our central nervous systems are believed to be hypersensitive to stimuli (called central sensitization), meaning it's easier for us to be startled.
So that beautiful fireworks display can be an ordeal for us that leaves us feeling horrible for days afterward. It doesn't help that you often have to deal with crowds and horrendous traffic to go watch them.
Private fireworks are an even bigger problem for me than the big displays. When the neighbor's kids shoot off fire crackers at random times for the 2 weeks around the 4th, it's like I'm being assaulted in my own home.
I find that increasing certain calming supplements (theanine) and adding others in (DHEA, inositol) helps me through this time of year, as do deep-breathing exercises. I'm also more likely to keep my windows closed in the evening, and use the air conditioning more, to help deaden the sound. Some nights, I'll move to the opposite end of the house as well.
As for the big shows, a couple of times we've gone up on a mountain, away from the crowds, to watch them at a distance. It's a much better experience for me.
Does the BOOM of fireworks bother you? Have you found anything that helps? Leave your comments below!
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Hi that’s very interesting , could this also explain why I have problems with my bladder especially when I become stressed ? Sorry to air this in public but it does concern me greatly . Thanks
Julia,
You may want to look into a bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. It’s common in us. Here’s a place to start: Interstitial Cystitis in Fibromyalgia.
~Adrienne
Strangely enough fireworks don’t bother me so much but instead the sound of a slamming door puts me right out of sorts.
I live very close to Disneyland – so I am somewhat immune now to that sound. The fireworks go off every night here. But I agree with another responder – doors slamming, or my annoying “stealth” husband suddenly appearing close by are an out of body experience!
I never fully understood why I did not enjoy fireworks like other individuals around me. After reading this article, it makes total sense. Too bad my kids won’t be reading this. Maybe they could understand better why I was the way I was during that time of the year. Thank you for such enlightening articles.
Interesting. I had no idea this was an issue for some with fibro. Personally, I love fireworks — always have. I may not be able to see them tomorrow (because of the heat not the noise) and I’m rather disappointed.
WOW thought it was just me.. and loud TV can trigger all kinds of issues for me! Stay safe and quiet this 4th of July my fellow FibroFighters
I have the same response to others, slamming doors, barking dogs, power tools etc all set me on an unwanted adrenaline rush, it’s this rush that needlessly tires me, I’ve found that ‘drowning out’ sounds helps, hope my deaf neighbours don’t mind.
Fireworks don’t usually bother me but other apart loud noises get me. Dog barking, door slamming, I don’t get startled but every nerve and muscle in my body reacts to the noise. Its a weird feeling.
It certainly does the same to me. Also, bright, blinking lights are HORRIBLE to have to deal with. Like at a conference or concert. Made me so sick and dizzy, my daughters had to help me out of it cuz I could’t even walk on my own!
None of the comment’s sound strange to me. I have ME/CFS/FM. My sister came by to visit the other day and she slammed the front door behind her. I did get a little short with her by saying “We don’t slam door’s around here”. I think she was unhappy with my comment but I know she doesn’t understand why it was a problem for me.
I find this to be true too. I don’t like loud noises and music sometimes irritates me?? Especially loud music. Yes I agree it is like nerves and muscles are on edge or raw
I have had these kind of problems and all kinds of symptoms all my life and diagnosed in 1994. Any kind of unexpected or flashing lights, any sudden noise and yes, even the t.v. I’ve been unable to work since 1995 because of fibro and several other health problems. I also was just diagnosed in remission from lung cancer that I have been fighting. Things have been a lot worse since. Sometimes I feel guilty for not being able to tolerate not only my grown children around sometimes but my preciouse granddaughter. You just keep going, dealing with whatever comes up the best you can. Everybody keep laughing whenever you can; it really does help things.
Yes, someone coming behind…”Boo” is so painful. I am very sensitive to loud noises, doors slamming, yelling.etc…whole body pain, takes mt breath away. Thanks for bringing this issue up.
A lot of sounds bother me but most are scanners at groceries. I even cover my ears at the counter on occasion. As well as doors slamming,
My startle response has gotten worse in the last couple of years. I have had CFS/FM for over 30 years. I have had adrenaline rushes that caused migraine headaches. It can be from any sudden noise or even a sudden unexpected movement. If my husband and I are watching tv and he suddenly laughs or reacts, I will jump and then later may develop a bad headache from the rush. Also if he enters the room and I didn’t see him or calls to me from another room.
I have also begun to have the same expericne if I get upset when someone says someting harsh to me. Recently, one of my grown daughters was angry with me about something in connection with my illness and she was talking loud and wouldn’t stop to let me explain. I ended up in the ER a couple of days later with what seems to have been an ocular migraine. I don’t know that this caused it, but I’d never had one before. Two days later, I had another attack. I’m still getting tests to see if there may be another cause.
I don’t know how to protect myself from these things. I can’t live in a box. lol
How do we stay calm in the real world where people do normal things. I don’t expect them to understand how much physical pain this kind of tension can cause me. They would think it’s emotionally based, but I know it’s physical. I feel it go through me like a sharp pain, an electrical shock sensation.especially in my head.and neck area. Any suggestions?
Is this why I jump out of my skin at the slightest noises that I am not expecting or someone who comes up behind me without my knowledge???
Yes! I have had to tell my adult children that I won’t join them for fireworks outside. Even inside is not good. I have explained to them, that for me, the sounds are painful. And they really are!!
Thank goodness I live in the country, and this year had fun during the day with family, and no fireworks at night!
The last few years I have become sooo easy to startle and react so violently it’s a wonder I haven’t had a heart attack. Now I know why. Thank you. Another Fibro go along.
Strangely fireworks don’t bother me at all. There are other noises that I just can’t tolerate. I use earphones and good music to mask noises. I can’t stand the hum of machinery, a car running for a long time, boombox cars are the worst. Where we live now is almost heaven. There are some noise problems but nothing like our previous home. There we had noise all day and all night. I used to belong to a group who lived, existed is probably more to the point, with noise of cars alarms, honking horns, garage bands who practice at night. I now know that a lot of people in that group are probably Fibro folks. Its too bad the group disbanded.
I experience it with all kinds of noises. If I am startled it is bad but even sometimes people eating and rubbing their fork on their plate or teeth or even breathing heavy can send my nerves into a tailspin. It is so hard, no one understands. How can you explain to your love one that you can not sit next to them because of the noise of their breathing feels like nails on a chalkboard to my system. Struggling for support from family and friends just because I can’t go and do as much, now the noise sensitivity is getting so bad it is truly going to keep me totally away from people.
I’ve had Fibromyalgia for years and never connected it with how sensitive my startle reflex has become. ANY kind of loud noise or the sudden apperarance of someone coming around a corner causes my whole body to really react. Even when I’m in the car and my husband is driving, I get startled by other drivers who seem to be too close to us. I react so badly it rattles my husbands composure as well and I start to appologize all over the place.
My issue right now is, how do I get a judge to realize that I cannot work to support myself? I am going thru a divorce and have been totally dependant on my husband and our internet business to support me. We were just able to take a pay check from our business this year so we are in major debt from getting it built up. Then my husband proceeds to tell me he is divorcing me to do ministry w/another woman. That is crazy right? Well, now I don’t know how I am going to live financially. My husband is the brains behind our business and I was the one who kept everything else going. Now I have to much pain to work outside the home and I havn’t been able to for 10 years. The fibro pain and all the brain fog from the opiods I am on leaves me looking at working from home, but the only skills I have is office work. Physically I can’t stand to long or sit to long at a time, that’s why working from home has been my only options, at least I can take breaks and don’t have to go thru the energy and aggervation of pain to get showered and dress to go to work some place. My lawyer says that since I was denied disability that a judge will not grant me money from my husband to live on. And, I can’t reapply for disability until I have worked outside the home for five years again. I’m really in a mess. I don’t have alot of options. Any advice?
Finally some validation! I have tried to tell my non-fibro friends that being startles literally HURTS! They think its just anxiety that causes me to be cranky any time I am startled by anything. Its not. Its a throbbing physical pain that courses thru my body and can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, hours, or even days. Thank you for writing this. I am sending the link to as many people as I can. Maybe they’ll think about it a little more, now.
I have had many interesting discussions with my physician about the fact that this is a condition that involves many body systems not just one, because there are such a wide variety of symptoms involving many body sytems.
My physician is convinced that further research will find the neurological system, immune system, cognitive system, musculoskeletal system and others to be involved. He uses my symptoms and those of his other patients to come to his conclusions.
I am most fortunate to have a physician who listens, understands and works with me to improve my quality of life. It has not been easy for him but working together we do have some successes even if they are short lived.
Our son began to show signs of being unwell in the second half of 2009 – he was just 14. Tests confirmed he suffered with reflux, a fatty liver, enlarged spleen and glucose intolerance. But despite that he also had no energy, fatigue that made school extremely difficult and problems with sleep – not able toget to sleep, stay asleep or feel any better for it. By mid 2010 I was really worried. I spoke to his doctor and mentioned Chronic fatigue and how research on the internet matched his symptoms. His response was in no way useful – flat out denial children DO NOT get chronic fatigue! When I repeated that the list of symptoms I found on the internet matched, I was stunned by a response of “well sorry I didn’t get my degree on the internet!!!!!!” I was glad my husband was with me to confirm I heard him right. Needless to say, we left his room fairly quickly and will NEVER see him for anything again. It took some months before we were able to find a doctor to say the magic words – so many just said it was not their field of expertise and could not make the diagnosis…. All the good doctors that handle CFS were no longer able to accept new patients but eventually we found a doctor who has come out of retirement a couple days a week who could confirm all that we knew by then to be true. Since then we are still doing it tough as there is no set path to take and he keeps overdoing (ie just trying to attend the odd movie, family gathering or help around the house) and setting himself behind again. He is now 16, almost 17 and has not been able to attend or even do work from home – his brainfog and the dyslexia he had before all this anyway, make long periods of concentration difficult. His days are mostly spent on his own, often in his room watching things on his computer. Some days I think we all struggle with him ever getting better. But I keep researching on the internet, looking for any ideas we haven’t tried yet which might be a key in his recovery…
I have been doing so much research, and am finding a commonality between my symptoms. I have startled easy all of my life. I’ve explained to people that I feel like I’m being shocked with a cattle prod. it is actually painful to me, and most people think that it is funny to scare ppl who are jumpy! So, not to me! In the last few years, I have developed an electrical shock sound inside of me…when I turn my eyes, take a step, it goes…zzzzup, zzzup, zzzup, I can actually hear it. I also have flu like symptoms, the severe aches, and it hurts to touch or be touched or turn your head, without having the flu. Plus, going through menopause. which to most woment, the common complain is the sweats and hot flashes, but, not to me. My main meno complaint is aches and hurting like I have the flu, restless legs and resltess sleep. The doc says fibromyalgia. It just seems to me, that there is a relationship between all of these, and it all seems to be connected through the nervous system somehow. Does anyone else have these same symptoms? Startle easy, being shocked, flu symptoms
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