I don't care. Not in a depressed hate the world sort of way.
More like if I drove off a cliff I would saay oh dear, well thats unfortunate.
Does lyme mess up your adrenaline?
I did a full 360 donut driving in the snow the other day and nothing. Maybe a whoopsies.
Any body else notice that?
The fight or flight response is taking a nap.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Sorry to hear you didn't jump for joy while doing the 360.
Anti-depressents act that way on some folks. Could it be meds causing it?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
You might not care, your adrenaline may not be working right, but your humor is in tact!
I had a little of what you're describing. I was kind of mentally detached from reality .... only a Lymie would understand that comment, LOL.
Posted by tailz (Member # 10014) on :
Many times people would honk at me because I did something really stupid in traffic, and I would just look at them, put my arms up and shrug my shoulders and think - blame my doctors - you try driving after infusing with Rocephin.
I've stepped on the gas when the light turned green for opposing traffic and attempted to turn left on red.
I sat in the left hand lane, under a "no left turn" sign no less, waiting to make a left turn. I kind of thought it was taking an extra long time to turn.
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
I am exactly the opposite of you. I over react to the slightest little thing to the point where I am mostly a prisoner in my house. I can't drive at all, and even riding in a car is like someone repeatedly banging a gong near my head...it sets off fight or flight, big time.
If someone just sneaks up behind me and says "boo", I will have tachycardia, nausea, will pee out about a gallon, and outrageously high blood pressure for at least 1 and 1/2 hrs., even with tons of meds I take for this problem, ie. clonidine, xanax and verapamil. Sometimes it will escalate into PSVT, a scary abnormal heart rhythm that can cause black-outs.
So, yes, I would guess it is the Lyme. I sure wasn't like this before Lyme.
Klutzo
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
I agree with klutzo. I freak out when someone is in the room and happens to sneeze or cough, I jump a mile out of my seat.
I've noticed that it has gotten a bit better though since treatment.
Posted by LisaS (Member # 10581) on :
Yeah Im the opposite, I live in the flight or flight response. Im not sure which would be worse, to have no reactin o rto overreact to everything, which is what I do.
But hope you feel better soon! Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Tailz, that was funny. I hadn't thought of shrugging my shoulders at people that drive behind me and either speed around me or honk their horn and cuss me out going around me.
It's been happening to me alot lately. One lady traveling behind me on a country road going to sit for my grandson one afternoon...was in such a big hurry, she finally got ticked off and zoomed around me.
I had put my brakes on again making sure I went around a country road curve at an appropiate speed. What she didn't know is....there was a dog crossing the road in front of my car and I was slowing down for the dog.
She zoomed around me and almost hit the dog and all this evil person could do as I laid on my horn to try to warn her, was put her car windown down and give the middle finger for the next 1/2 of country road.
She obvisously is one of those people that doesn't care what the "safe speed limit" is on this country road. I prefer to arrive at my grandson's house without doing stupid.
It's a shame we have to live in the same world as these people that are is such a hurry in their lives that they miss and could careless about whether they wreck, run over a dog, or cause another person to have an accident.
This group of idiots don't care about their lives, why should they care of yours and mine.
Pam
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
I would look into adrenal fatigue or a problem with your autonomic nervous system. Most Lymies end up in a permanent state of flight or fight. But I wonder, if you are in that as a permanent state, then your adrenaline won't kick up when it needs to because your body is overworked.
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
It's "apathy" and yes it's a symptom. I feel that way sometimes. There are other times when I get the anxiety(etc...), as well.
This is such a screwed up disease! Posted by mtree (Member # 14305) on :
ok with the risk of sounding really stupid......
what is ..... flight or fight...... can anyone explain........
...and yes Je I have had that feeling...... sometimes I think its depression......like if i just disappeared.....that would be ok......
Algi....maybe that is apathy......???
also I'm very laid back when out and about with crazy people..
..they get all worked up over stupid things....I look at them like THEY are CRAZY!!! they get even more mad with my calmness......
mtree
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
I can relate quite well to the attitude you are describing Je. I think I've become somewhat fatalistic.
Although with our recent bout of icy roads I chose to stay recliner bound.
Not because I was afraid I was going to die slip sliding-but because I don't have the money for some stupid fender bender.
Let's stand outside during the next electrical storm and see who gets hit first! Posted by trish4 (Member # 14156) on :
It is a response your body makes after being "threatened or stressed." You will either fight it or "flight" (do nothing about it; run away)
It is similar to a reflex. During this reaction, hormones, like adrenaline are released causing rapid heart rate, sweating, slowing digestion and other nervous functions which give the person a burst of energy.
It is the ability for us to physically fight or run away when in danger. Our mind cannot control it; it is an automatic response which is why it can be considered a reflex
Kind of reminds me of when I watch a horror movie and scream at the people who dont run away from there killers, and instead stand there in shock. I now realize that There body just wont let them run out of shear terror so instead they use the "fight response."
Hope this makes sense
Posted by trish4 (Member # 14156) on :
I can defenitely relate to all of these posts. I get startled from the slightest thing and feel as though my emotions/personality have diminished. My extremely close grandmother passed away a weekago and I didn't even shed a tear. It seems as if I cannot be sad, happy or have any other type of feeling for that matter. Hopefully this will all subside, as it only started a couple of months ago after starting tx.
Posted by canbravelyme (Member # 9785) on :
Hi Je,
I'm wondering the same thing as TC.
Before I "knew" I had Lyme, I saw a Chinese doctor who prescribed herbs. One question he asked was, "how about something to relax".
I agreed, bc I figured he knew what he was talking about.
Fortunately for me, I'm a pretty chilled out type A personality. But when I took these Chinese herbs, I had the same reaction as Je. If I went through a traffic light, oh well.
I quit the herbs right away, and: coherent responses restored.
Best wishes,
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
apathy = inability to feel emotion
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
Actually when in danger there are three 3 responses-Flight Fight or Freeze(as in deer in the headlights).
The "oh well" response seems to be a disconnection.
Posted by mtree (Member # 14305) on :
thanks for the explainations.....
Algi...thats what my husband says a lot....(he does not have Lyme)..
..but when asked how he is doing sometimes he'll say..."i'm just numb...." I guess that's apathy.....
thanks for the fight or flight .......thats what I thought but thought maybe i was missing something.... mtree
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
I have had both extremes. I've almost been in accidents and a little while later it hits me and I say "oh that wasn't good".
Also, when at my worst, I was trying to nap during the day with ear plugs in and I wasn't asleep yet but my husband came in and touched me and I freaked out for an hour with racing heart and being unable to calm down. I knew it was an unnecessary reaction but I wasn't doing it, my body was.
Guess that was the whole flight part of "fight or flight". I was also on promethazine at the time for nausea which can make that MUCH worse.
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
laura j brought up a very important point. Antihistamines are heart stimulants,so if you are stuck in low level fight or flight all the time, you should avoid them.
Promethezine (Phenergan) caused me to have a PSVT attack every time I took it, until I figured out the connection and asked my Cardiologist, who confirmed the connection. Now I don't even take Benadryl unless I absolutely must.
Klutzo
Posted by Radha (Member # 8464) on :
this is a major major problem for me, the fight or flight, its so so exaggerated and makes my life just miserable, no one can just suddenly start talking to me because i jump out of my skin and get too too hyper and heart pounds and even start sweating so fast! so i cannot even have a normal conversation with anyone, and any tiny noise anything makes me get this reaction, i hate it so much, but its nice to know i am not alone! radha
Posted by laura miller (Member # 12703) on :
What a blessing this site is: there is always someone who has the same weird symptoms I do...
I have experienced both..always wondered what was wrong with me.
Now if I could just stop typing and talking backwards...
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mtree
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