Thursday 25 April 2019

Sense and Sensitivity

I feel better.  A short statement, but one of particular gravity, considering the appalling, medical, roller-coaster ride I have been treated to for the last two years.  (Beginning with the sudden and catastrophic onset of chronic migraine, followed by a complete inability to sleep without chemical intervention, and a whole raft of other neurological issues.)  Yesterday, I finally relinquished my huge collection of half-finished prescription medicines amassed during 30 months of 'trial and error' strategies designed to treat my unusual symptoms.

So what has brought about this miraculous change?  What class of physician was able to identify and treat such severe and lasting symptoms, and how did they discover the cause?

Well, in actual fact, it was me.  As Aspies are wont to do, I researched; but 'Looking it up on the NHS site' or 'Googling it' doesn't quite cover it.  I had made the connection with my age, early in proceedings, concluding that this was likely something to do with hormonal changes (plenty  of evidence exists regarding how migraines become more frequent in women during and after menopause).  This was never pursued by my GP or neurologist, however.  They seemed much more concerned with the next migraine killing prescription or offering me counselling due to the effect of sleep deprivation.

Eventually, after reading countless papers on the subject of the role of oestrogen in the nervous system, and the effects of menopause, it became clear that Hormone replacement treatment might be a solution.  I broached the subject with my GP, who immediately agreed.  I was somewhat put out by this.  After all, if this was a likely candidate, why hadn't it been offered two years ago?  Anyway - long story - short...  Here I am, 8 weeks in, migraine free and sleeping like a baby again.  One could become quite bitter as to the reasons why this solution was not offered by medical practitioners, but that would be a waste of time.  It did, however, get me thinking about why I had had such a rough time of it if my symptoms were 'merely' menopausal.

When we discuss Autism, we talk a great deal about 'sensory sensitivity'.  It is well known that people on the spectrum can experience sensory inputs (sound, sight, touch, smell, taste) in a hypersensitive  way.  (Some can be hyposensitive, but hypersensitivity is more associated with autism for it's ability to cause an overwhelming sensory impact.)  Sensitivities vary enormously from individual to individual, and the mechanics of it are poorly understood, but more evidence of what these sensory difference are is mounting up every year.

Although I would class myself as 'sensitive to noise' and smells, and have trouble processing fast moving images (driving on the motorway has been an issue for years, especially as a passenger), I would not say that I am particularly 'hypersensitive' in the usual sense.  I have always, however, been hypersensitive to chemicals (everything from detergents and perfumes to medicines).  I avoid medicines unless they are absolutely necessary, and will almost always suffer side effects - some quite severe.  I did wonder, for some time, whether this might be psychological, so I experimented to see if this was the case. (I avoided reading the listed side effects prior to taking them - only checking them against a list of symptoms I experienced later.)  I also noticed that I only required the minimum dosage before feeling the effects of any drug.  Needless to say - I have had a lot of practice in the last few years.

Perhaps it is this hypersensitivity that has led to my catastrophic reaction to a drop in oestrogen levels.  (Oestrogen is crucial for the healthy functioning of nerves and plays an important part in regulating seratonin for healthy sleep, which is why menopausal women can suffer sleep disturbances.) Perhaps my hypersensitivity was responsible of the sudden and chronic inability to sleep, the migraines and the shock-like disturbances through the night.  Not your average night sweats and hot flashes; so I suppose my GP and neurologist could be forgiven for not realising this was hormonal.  (If it was indeed an oversight, and not a reluctance to offer this as a possible cause.) Perhaps I will never know whether my sensory sensitivity and sensory processing have had any part in this, but there is some interesting work being done to demystify the subject.  Have fun reading about it!


References:
Sensory Processing in Autism: A Review of Neurophysiologic Findings
Elysa Jill Marco, Leighton Barett Nicholas Hinkley, Susanna Shan Hill, and Srikantan Subramanian Nagarajan   
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3086654/

Sensory perception in autism

Caroline E. Robertson1,2,3* and Simon Baron-Cohen4 
http://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2017_Robertson_Sensory-perception-in-autism.pdf

Autism As a Disorder of High Intelligence

Bernard J. Crespi*  
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927579/


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