Is It Normal To Feel This Way After Shopping All Day?

[artluvr09]

Ok. Mom and I went out shopping at 11 am yesterday and didn't get home until 730ish pm. Here is how our day looked:

Went to pharmacy to get moms prescription. Went to family dollar to get pen pal gifts. Went to moms doctor to get labs. Went to petsmart to get neighbors dogs bone and my dogs gifts. Went to ollies to look around. Went to best buy to shop.

All three stores were packed. In ollies I got trapped in a couple isles because I had a cart and the isles were small. I get major anxiety in crowded stores so that wasted some of my energy. then after a while we went to best buy to get me a tablet for Christmas and it was hot in there and crowded the two worst combinations for me and we were there for 3 hrs. there are too many tablets. then I was so hujngyr so we stopped at chick fila drive through and had to wait 5 minutes.

I had a few fries and a soda but my anxiety was so high from the whole day and I was super exhausted because I never sat down once the whole day except on the way to other stores. I was so overwhelmed and it was hard for me to eat. I had a few freis and a soda but my stomach started to hurt idk what from either the anxiety or exhaustion or both and so I didn't eat my chicken sandwhich which is odd because I always eat. then an hour later I went to eat half a donut and a glass of milk so I don get hungry in the middle of the night and I had to force myself to eat the donut because my stomach started hurting again when I ate. I was so overtired and exhausted but anxious so I did not get to sleep until 1 am.

Today I feel like crap. I am sweaty, I still don't have my appetite which scares me, I am wiped out, my body feels like jello, it's hard to stay awake but I can't take a nap or I wont sleep at night. I am clammy, very very tired. and I lost 2 pounds just shopping yesterday. the day before yesterday I was 134.6 and today I checked my weight and I am 132.4.

can shopping make dysautonomia worse? could the symptoms I am feeling be dysautonomia? it is scaring me the way I am feeling. do any of you feel like this ? I just hope nothing is wrong. I just hope its dysautonomia.

[E Soskis]

I have discovered the joys of on-line shopping! Never again will I have to fight the crowds at the mall. I cannot walk around very long and I sure can't stand in line for more than a couple of minutes. "Shop 'til you drop" is supposed to indicate shopping is fun.....it has a whole different meaning for those of us with dysautonomia.

[MomtoGiuliana]

Yes definitely all of that stimulation can exacerbate symptoms. I found in nearly impossible to shop, particularly in large stores, when my symptoms were more severe. Even now that I am better, I still avoid long shopping experiences, especially this time of year--the fluorescent lighting, crowds, standing in long lines are not enjoyable for me!

I also wonder if some of the things you were eating could be exacerbating your symptoms. For example, if the soda contained caffeine or a sugar substitute, or sugar, these things COULD exacerbate POTS. I know for me, I feel best on a low-ish carb diet, rich in vegetables. A lot of sugary or starchy foods can make me feel worse. Also caffeine can be a trigger, for me, particularly for palpitations.

As far as the weight loss, perhaps you are dehydrated. A difference that large in one day is likely related to fluid loss, in my opinion.

[JenniferInOhio]

Just reading your post makes me Potsy. The standing without rest and lack of food/drink would have made me miserable at the end of the day and I'm pretty functional with my POTS.

[khaarina]

These are very typical dysautonomia symptoms. I don't know if physical activity can make dysautonomia worse, but it is typical for the symptoms to persist for up to a few days, especially after a day like you described. I have to use a wheelchair when I shop for more than 5 or 10 minutes. I keep one in my trunk, but I have found that most stores have wheelchairs or scooters for customer use, which is a bonus because pulling my wheelchair out of the trunk is kind of a pain. I would advise anyone with dysautonomia to try using a wheelchair when shopping or doing anything that requires a lot of walking or standing. Also, if you have difficulty with flourescent lighting, such as in wal-mart, sunglasses help. There are certain colors of sunglasses that work best against flourescents, but I am not sure what they are.

[vinylowl]

Agreeing with everyone else. I swear I got palpitations just from reading your post. I've gotten to the point where I can't go on long shopping trips without assistance. One of the malls in my area has really awesome motor scooters for use, but I still get exhausted.

[Dustbunni]

I'm chiming in agreement as well. Yes, dysautonomia can make shopping feel like a long-distance triathlon race. I consider myself improved with daily IV saline, but reading about your day of shopping made me want to cringe and just curl up in the fetal position for you. I still can't manage more than a couple hours of shopping and I do longer trips with my scooter or wheelchair. Add in the stress, commotion, and noise of holiday shopping and...no. Just no, I won't do it. Amazon has been my best holiday friend for years now. LOL.

I'm afraid you're going to have to rest a bit until you recover. Try to stay calm and not overly fret about how bad you feel. The added emotional stress you place on yourself may only prolong the recovery in my experience. Of course, this is much easier said than done when you feel like a toddler was given control of your body's switchboard. Personally, I find mindfulness meditation to be a big help in getting through rough patches.

[artluvr09]

Thanks guys. I feel much better. and yes sunglasses do help me with the florescent lights but my paretns wont let me use them in stores. they think its weird. I have been dehydrate yes. I feel thirsty a lot and water doesn't quench my thirst. I increase my salt intake like im supposed to but I drink maybe 5 water bottles a day or more. my skin is dry all around my lips. So I drink Gatorade and that helps some. I hope you all have a great holiday!!