Disclaimer: This blog post is about my own strategies. They are not posted to and do not constitute any form of medical advice.
What Is An MEcfs Crash?
MEcfs ‘crashes’ are horrible.
Basically, your body loses all strength very quickly (what one had of it in the first place). And if you don’t lie down promptly, you will collapse on the spot. If you are already lying down, it feels like you are sinking further and further into whatever it is you are lying on. Be that the floor, the ground outside, a bed, a sofa, a park bench etc. You get the picture
Do You Get Any Warning?
You tend to get a little bit of pre-warning, (but not much). Which I am not always that good at acknowledging anyway, being a recovering starter/finisher. Then the descent happens. Akin to going down a flume by accident. Unfortunately, the flume can feel endless, until you hit the bottom. Your muscles may start burning during the rest/recovery period. Which can take anything from one hour onwards.
Why Do Crashes Happen?
*Not an exhaustive list.
- Trying to do a thing at the wrong time, for too long, or a thing you don’t have capacity for at any time.
- Perfectionism. Starter/Finisher. People pleasing.
- Pushing beyond your safe parameters.
- Not pacing your activity.
- Are you attempting to do whilst already recovering from Post Extertional Malaise – PEM?
- Trying to complete a task in one go, instead of breaking it up into manageable steps – aka starter/finisher.
- Being subject to unexpected stress, which activates adrenaline, which in turn activates the desire to be rid of said adrenaline instead of using relaxation.
- Not knowing when to stop, and ignoring your body’s signals.
- Not enough rest.
- Doing whilst in a setback or relapse.
- Not enough hydration.
- Not enough food.
How To Avoid Them
- Consider all of the above.
- Build in regular rest and relaxation to every day.
- Just because you could do a thing yesterday, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can do a thing today. This includes both physical and cognitive activity.
- Take care when raising your heart rate. Many MEcfs peeps can over time work out their safe limits. Which might help avoid experiencing a crash.
- Try to identify the intensity of every activity, and how much it impacts you. And how much of your energy it will use. I use the term ‘energy‘ reservedly. As for MEcfs sufferers, it is an unreliable resource.
- I have a labelling system. Compiled with the assistance of a Specialist Occupational Therapist some years ago.
- Here’s my labelling system.
- 🟢 At Rest
- 🟡 Low
- 🟠 Medium
- 🔴 High
- 🔴🔴 Super High
- ⛔️⛔️ Radioactive
- So you would avoid putting more than one high or super high together in the same day, week or month. Depending on your own capacity. I did at one time annotate this, to help my brain grasp the concept. I find colour coding very helpful.
- This categorising does vary a little depending on if I am already in a setback or relapse. But mostly, they stay the same. So for example, going within or beyond my safe travel capacity of between two and seven miles at a time where I am not adequately rested in preparation, have already had a high, or super high in recent days would make it:
- ⛔️⛔️ Radioactive!
- This obviously can’t always be avoided, as was the case last year when in a really bad relapse and needing to attend hospital alot. The relapse deepened.
- Once you have recovered. Try to work out what the build up and trigger was. And most importantly, don’t beat yourself up.
How To Recover From Them?
- Lye down immediately, in a safe, comfortable, quiet place, with pillows for support if available. Sitting may not offer the same rest quality. But it is of course an individual thing. If sitting is the preferred or only option, do it, with legs supported if possible.
- Rest. For as long as you feel you need to and to feel stable again. With blankets if you need them. You might feel a bit chilly. Use layers.
- Breath in a relaxed way. And don’t panic. It will pass.
- Always have fluids on hand.
- If you can. Try to take on some fluids. Either just cool water, juice (unsweetened/diluted), or an isotonic drink if that is your preference and can tolerate them. Maybe a calming herbal tea, which is cool or cooled. You would obviously need someone to make that for you. As you don’t want to be trying to handle a kettle or boiling water during a crash.
- Avoid stimulants. Such as tea, coffee, chocolate, very sugary foods or peppermint tea.
- Rest until it has completely passed, if you can.
- If you feel up to eating food, eat something, slowly. Choose something your body can digest easily. But don’t embark on a sugar load. It will be a short lived burst, and possibly make you feel more unwell.
It has been so beneficial having a fridge and basic pantry in our bedroom. Its been in place for over a year now. And I wish we had done it years ago. I have everything to hand upstairs, if no one is home to help.
Closing Thoughts
Despite all this advice. I crashed today. Even though I am still in an ongoing relapse. Live the majority of my life in my bedroom. And use a stairlift to get up and down the stairs in our home. But for some unknown reason, I decided it would be a good idea to attempt to hoover the bathroom of cobwebs and dog biscuit on the landing. Hoovering or any housework for me is a Super High activity. Hence, I very rarely do it and have a lovely home help who does it for me every week. Will I ever learn, just being is fine and very productive? I hope so! I’m not perfect.
But hey ho, I made a mistake. And gave myself material for a blog post while waiting for my legs to regain some strength. My doggo is keeping me company while I do. So that’s a bonus. Not always advisable to be active cognitively during a crash, as that will delay recovery or not be possible at all. And is not then resting completely. But do whatever works best for you, we’re all different.
Unavoidable, is the fact that we are trying to move home. A feat in itself.
So, what were my triggers? Apart from deciding to activate NooNoo. Watching television 24hours earlier. I watch very little television. It feels like a guilt pleasure these days, and I find it exhausting. Maybe eating some foods recently that I don’t eat often. Tenuous maybe. Along with having dinner downstairs yesterday evening. Not having adequate wind down upstairs in the evening and going to sleep later than I normally do now. Such fun this MEcfs thang!!
Thanks for stopping by. Please scroll down to the Leave a Reply box, and post a comment on my latest post!
Have a blessed day⚘
Disclaimer: This blog post is about my own strategies. They are not posted to and do not constitute any form of medical advice.
Addendum: I should qualify that there are types of crash.
- The hopefully short lived crash lasting an hour or a few hours. Which I am referring to in this post.
- The Crash crash, which is more intense, and can last days or weeks. This would be termed PEM or Post Exertional Malaise.
- The mid-setback and mid-relapse crash. Setback or relapse is PEM which goes on for more than a few weeks and develops into a setback or relapse. These are crashes which happen when you attempt something generally manageable when not in relapse or setback, but when in setback or relapse it is clearly too soon to try.
A few of my latest posts…
- May – ME Awareness Month
- Thoughts of Family on the 80th Anniversary of VE Day
- Light Changes Everything
- Comparison – the Thief of Joy
- Happy Easter
Hope found in M.E. 
This is an apt description. I usually know when I’m pushing too hard and will pay for it, but you’re right: sometimes it comes at you out of nowhere. I find myself tracing through everything I’ve done to figure out which thing (or things) pushed me too far. Sometimes there’s no answer. The hard thing is the unpredictability, like you said. Energy is an unreliable resource to begin with. The flares and crashes sometimes come unexpectedly. And I’m never sure whether the crash will last for a few hours, a few days, or even weeks or months. I try to keep very strict parameters, and as long as I live within them, I can usually manage. But, man, when you step outside… I hope you recover quickly from this crash and are able to get the rest that you need!
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Thank you so much. It really is an unknown quantity isn’t it. Unfortunately I’m having to push my parameters more than I ever would risk, because we are trying to find a new home. But I will only risk a little. Viewings have recommenced following a 3 week crash. Today was my body giving me a big warning ‘do that again & I won’t tolerate it’. I must listen. I admire you for keeping strict parameters. I have definitely greatly improved in that, and feel no guilt now as I did for years. But as you rightly say, they can come out of nowhere.
And I probably should have qualifed ‘crash’ as having more than one interpretation. The warning crash (hopefully short lived, ie hours), the crash crash, and the mid-PEM or mid-relapse crash. Too many varieties one wishes never to experience, but very likely has. Thanks again for taking time to read and comment. I really appreciate it . Here’s to a crash free life!
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Moving is so stressful –physically, mentally, and emotionally. Here’s to a quick, crash-less process! (And, sadly, you’re only too right about the different types of crashes … 😞)
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Thank you. Kind of you.
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