Neurological symptoms and uncontrollable crying

wonkydaze

I cry really easily especially if I'm tired or hungry. My body is really hyper sensitive to stress and I feel embarrassed by the tears. I honestly don't know how to stop it. I'm not sobbing I just have a constant stream of tears. I have just started an adult education course and it's already become a major obstacle to concentrating. I messed up and didn't eat before the lesson and then got over hungry which made me tired and really weepy. I started the course because I wanted to do something out of the house but it's so difficult to manage. I don't think I'm depressed I think it's a symptom of my neurological condition. If I've eaten it goes away. My mother was diabetic and she used to get really depressed when her blood sugar was low, I think it's something similar to that but heightened because of the damage to my nervous system. I am generally going through a lot of stress at the moment which is another reason I wanted something else to do which would be a break from my day to day worries but I don't know if I'm just fooling myself over what I'm capable of.

Zipz

Could it be pseudobulbar affect ? It is sometimes seen in MS patients.

wonkydaze

I do have MS, I have spoken to someone with a form of dementia who also explained that they experience overwhelming emotions and uncontrollable crying, which has a huge impact on him socially. I really don't know. It almost feels like I'm not sad just overwhelmed and being overwhelmed makes me cry. Also my father in law has become very weepy since having a stroke but I think he's desperately unhappy. I don't know if I'd be able to find anyone who could distinguish between what happens to me and the pseudobulbar affect. I just find whatever it is quite difficult to cope with.

Zipz

Could you not report this possible symptom of MS to your neurologist?

wonkydaze

I don't have a very good rapport with my neurologist, one of my ms nurses is great but I think she has put my weepiness down to depression/menopause and suggested a talking therapy like CBT. I might do that because the last time I was on a DMT I was in a total state pretty much constantly and it was due to the drug stopping my appetite to such an extreme that I was barely eating, so I guess that does prove that it's a physical effect of low blood sugar rather than PBE. I'd forgotten about that! I'd blanked it out because it was such a miserable time, I did try to explain that to my neurologist at the time but they didn't really care and just suggested another DMT. Even the therapist realised that I was a different person when I came off the drug and started eating properly. Before that she diagnosed me with all sorts first GAD then something else, I kept telling her it was the side effects of not eating because of the DMT. Then when I stopped taking it I was a rational human being and she said to ignore everything that we'd done before and do a reset. I just need to make sure my blood sugar doesn't drop by eating small amounts regularly. I can't be the only one though? Thanks for sticking with my rambling.

kc1978

I think you have a lot going on, and the brain and body react in ways we wish they wouldn't.

I think people see depression as black and white.

However you mention, wanting to get out, a new course, getting tired not eating to name a few. By the way congratulations on starting a new challenge. You should be proud!

Unintentionally your body , brain are probably trying to cope but are a little overwhelmed. The worry of what is happening just compounding it, fear of it happening and what people may think.

I have been there, I thought I was actually doing ok. But if you stop , breath and look at everything, I certainly wasn't ok, and yeah tears flowed like Niagara falls out of nowhere. I like a cry it's a great way to force us to stop and reset and review sometimes.

I hope whatever the cause, you get to deal with it, and you smash that course.

MS is always a separate or complimentary cause.