Does anyone else get physical symptoms?

[pazasaurus]

So whenever I become stressed, anxious or get sensory overload, I get a lot of physical symptoms. Some of them are so bad that they are severely disabling - and I am so confused about this and wonder if it is actually related to autism or if it's something else entirely.

I have spoken to my doctor about it, had loads of tests over the past 2 years that all came back normal and I suggested that I might have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Fibromyalgia. But recently my partner has noticed that my symptoms only flare up in response to stressful events or sensory overload, which is not typical for ME or Fibromyalgia. ME is characterised by delayed symptom flare-ups or "crashes" in response to physical or cognitive activity as well as sensory input, and Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that also doesn't tend to flare up in these patterns that I experience.

For example: Whenever I go out shopping I need to use a wheelchair because if it's particularly busy and noisy, the sensory overload can cause me to suddenly collapse and hit the floor. To other people, it looks like I've fainted - my body goes completely limp for anything from a few seconds to several minutes and I appear to be unconscious, even though I'm completely awake. I usually recover enough to stand up again and walk a bit, but sometimes I cannot even stand up again because my legs feel extremely weak and heavy and/or I feel dizzy. I just feel exhausted for several hours after that and usually need to rest in bed. I avoid going out without my wheelchair because of this.

Here's another example: If I'm particularly stressed, have been talking about something serious/stressful or if I get emotionally upset and/or cry, I tend to feel physically nauseous, my gut feels unsettled and gripey and I need to go to the bathroom more frequently. Being stressed also makes me feel extremely physically tired just like sensory overload does. It can also cause physical pain in my muscles and really bad neck pain that can be incapacitating. I sometimes get severe pain in the left side of my neck. Even being mildly stressed can flare up these symptoms so badly that I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and lie in bed for several hours.

The reason why my partner and I are starting to think that I don't have ME or Fibromyalgia after all is because I can hyperfocus on things that take a lot of mental effort for hours without it causing flare-ups, and I can also do some light physical activity in quiet environments (such as going on a walk in a nature park) without it causing any symptoms, which is not typical for these illnesses at all. However, I wasn't always like this - I have had fainting/collapsing episodes throughout my life but they weren't as bad (I've only been a wheelchair user for about 3 months), and most of the symptoms I am describing here have only been happening for the last 2 years. They had a very sudden, acute and extremely severe onset following a period of intense stress and burnout and this kind of onset does happen with ME. But, I have recently been made aware of autistic burnout (until I did some Googling, I didn't know that it even existed) and wonder if that might be what I have been going through.

I used to think that I was having ME crashes after the aforementioned trigger events but after a long discussion with my partner, we now believe that these "crashes" might actually be autistic shutdowns and that the chronic base-line symptoms are the autistic burnout.

But I don't know if that's actually the case because I'm not completely familiar with what shutdowns or autistic burnout looks like, and I don't have clinical confirmation that I am autistic. I was assessed a few years ago and the result was inconclusive. I am trying to get reassessed but I live in the UK and the NHS has a huge backlog of a waiting list because of COVID. I have no idea when the assessment is going to happen.

I am very curious if anyone else experiences these kinds of symptoms (or anything similar) as part of their autism - and if anyone else has experienced a permanent regression in their skills and/or chronic worsening of their symptoms after autistic burnout. And I'd be especially curious to know if there are any autistic people who are wheelchair users (or users of any other physical adaptative equipment) specifically because of their autism.

 

[Luca]

I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have a mild physical disability. I’ve never felt that comfortable talking about that disability but I suppose it’s relevant here. I don’t use a wheelchair but I have a medical service dog.

Fibro can cause a lot of those symptoms. But like you said, it doesn’t sound like that’s exactly what’s going on here.
I’ve never heard of those symptoms being caused by autism but I could be entirely wrong! It sounds to me like maybe panic disorder? Which I’m formally diagnosed with too. But I can’t diagnose you and I won’t try… I don’t have the expertise. I would advise you to maybe bring up anxiety disorders to your doctor though. Anxiety DOES cause debilitating physical symptoms. At least for most people who have it, especially panic attacks!

I didn’t know what Autistic burnout was until recently. So I can’t really give advice on that. I’m still learning a lot about ASD even though I was diagnosed with Aspergers a long time ago. I was never really educated about it which is part of why I joined here

I would get a second opinion from a doctor… ask about panic disorder. I can’t say with certainty that that’s what it is because I am not a therapist. But that’s what causes those symptoms for me. And panic attacks are so scary and crippling that it really feels like a serious disease.

Sorry if this wasn’t helpful. I have no medical background. Lol
I really hope you get your answers soon

 

[Au Naturel]

Uh... you fainted. A faint does not require complete loss of consciousness, just most of it. If you were unconscious for a couple of seconds, you might not even know it.

Fainting is officially known as Syncope.

Before fainting, you might feel:

• Cold and clammy.
• Dizzy.
• Lightheaded.
• Hot and suddenly sweaty.
• Nauseous.
• Stressed out or anxious.
• Weak.

In addition, you may:

• Fall down.
• Get a headache.
• Have vision changes (“white out,” “black out” or “see stars”).
• Hear ringing in your ears.
• Lose control of your muscles.

It sounds like your variety of syncope is Vasovagal syncope. Of the different subtypes of this, it sounds like you have Situational syncope and it is probably caused by a sudden loss of blood to the brain due to:

• Dehydration
• Intense emotional stress
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Pain
• Hunger
• Use of alcohol or drugs
• Hyperventilation (breathing in too much oxygen and getting rid of too much carbon dioxide too quickly)

(Source: Syncope: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments)

Sounds like a high level of stress is dumping cortisol and adrenaline into your system. That would easily cause your stomach distress and muscle spasms and could cause fainting if you couldn't sit down quickly. Earplugs or sound-canceling earphones might help for noise of the supermarket. Maybe some relaxation-type exercises when you go into stressful environments would help. Stretching and massage for the painful muscles. Since it is stress-based, the help you need to keep from fainting in the store may be psychological in nature.

The variety of syncope I have to deal with is caused by orthostatic hypotension. It has been getting worse as I grow older but there are techniques I can use when I feel it coming on.

I am NOT a doctor! Seek out the advice of a medical professional for both the medical aspects and the psychological aspects.

 

[Matthias]

So whenever I become stressed, anxious or get sensory overload, I get a lot of physical symptoms. Some of them are so bad that they are severely disabling - and I am so confused about this and wonder if it is actually related to autism or if it's something else entirely...

It is well known that stress can cause a long list of physical symptoms. Since stress affects the immune system, it can worsen any condition caused by an overactive immune system such as autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies found that over 50% of autistic people have autoantibodies which means their immune system is producing antibodies that attack their brain or body.

Here's what one review found about autoantibodies in people with ASD:
76% of autistic people had Folate receptor α autoantibody (FRAA)
63% of autistic people had anti-MAG antibody
58% of autistic people had anti-myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) antibody
58% of autistic people had anti-ribosomal P protein antibody
25% of autistic people had antinuclear antibody (ANA)

Source: Autoantibody and autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review - ScienceDirect

 

[Raggamuffin]

Since 2012 I've had daily aches and pains all over the body. They can last hours, days, weeks or months. Depends how much I convince myself it isn't stress. Years of Dr, GP, hospital visits etc. all came back with negative test results for anything that could've bee "physically wrong".

It's tiring, and it comes in waves that peak and trough. Right now I'm at high anxiety so it's daily chest tightness, discomfort, stomach aches, muscle aches (often shoulders, neck, back or legs). Headaches and dizziness are other common symptoms I get.

I push on through though. It's all you can do at the end of the day. Oh, and try and reduce stress and improve lifestyle habits of course. Hydration, diet and exercise/fresh air. Can be hard with new routines, or sticking with routines and self-care in general. So, whilst I have every intention to continue with what I know might help - it's a real challenge.

Ed

 

[Aneka]

So whenever I become stressed, anxious or get sensory overload, I get a lot of physical symptoms. Some of them are so bad that they are severely disabling - and I am so confused about this and wonder if it is actually related to autism or if it's something else entirely.

I have spoken to my doctor about it, had loads of tests over the past 2 years that all came back normal and I suggested that I might have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Fibromyalgia. But recently my partner has noticed that my symptoms only flare up in response to stressful events or sensory overload, which is not typical for ME or Fibromyalgia. ME is characterised by delayed symptom flare-ups or "crashes" in response to physical or cognitive activity as well as sensory input, and Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that also doesn't tend to flare up in these patterns that I experience.

For example: Whenever I go out shopping I need to use a wheelchair because if it's particularly busy and noisy, the sensory overload can cause me to suddenly collapse and hit the floor. To other people, it looks like I've fainted - my body goes completely limp for anything from a few seconds to several minutes and I appear to be unconscious, even though I'm completely awake. I usually recover enough to stand up again and walk a bit, but sometimes I cannot even stand up again because my legs feel extremely weak and heavy and/or I feel dizzy. I just feel exhausted for several hours after that and usually need to rest in bed. I avoid going out without my wheelchair because of this.

Here's another example: If I'm particularly stressed, have been talking about something serious/stressful or if I get emotionally upset and/or cry, I tend to feel physically nauseous, my gut feels unsettled and gripey and I need to go to the bathroom more frequently. Being stressed also makes me feel extremely physically tired just like sensory overload does. It can also cause physical pain in my muscles and really bad neck pain that can be incapacitating. I sometimes get severe pain in the left side of my neck. Even being mildly stressed can flare up these symptoms so badly that I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and lie in bed for several hours.

The reason why my partner and I are starting to think that I don't have ME or Fibromyalgia after all is because I can hyperfocus on things that take a lot of mental effort for hours without it causing flare-ups, and I can also do some light physical activity in quiet environments (such as going on a walk in a nature park) without it causing any symptoms, which is not typical for these illnesses at all. However, I wasn't always like this - I have had fainting/collapsing episodes throughout my life but they weren't as bad (I've only been a wheelchair user for about 3 months), and most of the symptoms I am describing here have only been happening for the last 2 years. They had a very sudden, acute and extremely severe onset following a period of intense stress and burnout and this kind of onset does happen with ME. But, I have recently been made aware of autistic burnout (until I did some Googling, I didn't know that it even existed) and wonder if that might be what I have been going through.

I used to think that I was having ME crashes after the aforementioned trigger events but after a long discussion with my partner, we now believe that these "crashes" might actually be autistic shutdowns and that the chronic base-line symptoms are the autistic burnout.

But I don't know if that's actually the case because I'm not completely familiar with what shutdowns or autistic burnout looks like, and I don't have clinical confirmation that I am autistic. I was assessed a few years ago and the result was inconclusive. I am trying to get reassessed but I live in the UK and the NHS has a huge backlog of a waiting list because of COVID. I have no idea when the assessment is going to happen.

I am very curious if anyone else experiences these kinds of symptoms (or anything similar) as part of their autism - and if anyone else has experienced a permanent regression in their skills and/or chronic worsening of their symptoms after autistic burnout. And I'd be especially curious to know if there are any autistic people who are wheelchair users (or users of any other physical adaptative equipment) specifically because of their autism.

Your fainting spells could be a case of catalepsy. Catalepsy is linked to narcolepsy. There are differences in severity. Some people only lose control of their muscles, falling to the floor when laughing, others faint when startled. Go to a neurologist and visit a sleep laboratory.

 

[Progster]

If I'm particularly stressed, have been talking about something serious/stressful or if I get emotionally upset and/or cry, I tend to feel physically nauseous, my gut feels unsettled and gripey and I need to go to the bathroom more frequently.

I have these symptoms as the result of intense or prolonged stress, whether it is related to sensory overload or not. I also get migraines. These can make me more sensitive and therefore more susceptible to sensory overload, a well as making me feel tired and nauseous.

Not much I can do except plenty of rest - lie down for a while, take medicine for the nausea and migraine, make sure I drink water even though I feel sick. I take valerian root once a day and that seems to help against anxiety, I also take melatonin to help make sure I get enough sleep.

 

[Raggamuffin]

@Progster have you ever tried Triptan medication for migraines? Back when I used to get migraines they were the only thing that worked. Took away ~80% of the pain within 30 mins of taking them.

Haven't had one since I quit drinking - touch wood.

Ed

 

[Progster]

@Progster have you ever tried Triptan medication for migraines? Back when I used to get migraines they were the only thing that worked. Took away ~80% of the pain within 30 mins of taking them.

Haven't had one since I quit drinking - touch wood.

Ed

I don't know this one, and I can't recall seeing it in the local chemist's. I'll ask. Thanks for suggesting it.
It seems to be related to stress - it comes frequently after a stressful event. I get them regardless whether I drink or not.

 

[pazasaurus]

I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have a mild physical disability. I’ve never felt that comfortable talking about that disability but I suppose it’s relevant here. I don’t use a wheelchair but I have a medical service dog.

Fibro can cause a lot of those symptoms. But like you said, it doesn’t sound like that’s exactly what’s going on here.
I’ve never heard of those symptoms being caused by autism but I could be entirely wrong! It sounds to me like maybe panic disorder? Which I’m formally diagnosed with too. But I can’t diagnose you and I won’t try… I don’t have the expertise. I would advise you to maybe bring up anxiety disorders to your doctor though. Anxiety DOES cause debilitating physical symptoms. At least for most people who have it, especially panic attacks!

I didn’t know what Autistic burnout was until recently. So I can’t really give advice on that. I’m still learning a lot about ASD even though I was diagnosed with Aspergers a long time ago. I was never really educated about it which is part of why I joined here

I would get a second opinion from a doctor… ask about panic disorder. I can’t say with certainty that that’s what it is because I am not a therapist. But that’s what causes those symptoms for me. And panic attacks are so scary and crippling that it really feels like a serious disease.

Sorry if this wasn’t helpful. I have no medical background. Lol
I really hope you get your answers soon

Thank you for your response.

I'm not asking anyone to attempt to diagnose me, I'm just simply curious about what other people's experiences might be.

It's interesting that you mention anxiety - as a teen, I suffered from anxiety and occasionally panic attacks (I am 23 now) and I am still a slightly anxious person but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. So I doubt that what I am experiencing here is directly anxiety related.

Someone else said that I might be experiencing vasovagal syncope related to situational anxiety but I am almost certain that is not the case as I stated in my OP - I do not faint as I do not lose consciousness at all, not even partially - I remain completely awake throughout the entire ordeal.

Your response is helpful as you stated you do use a physical aid even if not a wheelchair - this is one of the main things I wanted to know about in other autistic people.

 

[pazasaurus]

Since 2012 I've had daily aches and pains all over the body. They can last hours, days, weeks or months. Depends how much I convince myself it isn't stress. Years of Dr, GP, hospital visits etc. all came back with negative test results for anything that could've bee "physically wrong".

It's tiring, and it comes in waves that peak and trough. Right now I'm at high anxiety so it's daily chest tightness, discomfort, stomach aches, muscle aches (often shoulders, neck, back or legs). Headaches and dizziness are other common symptoms I get.

I push on through though. It's all you can do at the end of the day. Oh, and try and reduce stress and improve lifestyle habits of course. Hydration, diet and exercise/fresh air. Can be hard with new routines, or sticking with routines and self-care in general. So, whilst I have every intention to continue with what I know might help - it's a real challenge.

Ed

Thank you for your response.

The pain symptoms you are describing sound very similar to my own. I experience mild base-line chronic pain in the same places on my body and it can be greatly exacerbated by stress.

Do you often experience sensory overload or have shutdowns? If so, how does it affect you?

 

[pazasaurus]

I have these symptoms as the result of intense or prolonged stress, whether it is related to sensory overload or not. I also get migraines. These can make me more sensitive and therefore more susceptible to sensory overload, a well as making me feel tired and nauseous.

Not much I can do except plenty of rest - lie down for a while, take medicine for the nausea and migraine, make sure I drink water even though I feel sick. I take valerian root once a day and that seems to help against anxiety, I also take melatonin to help make sure I get enough sleep.

Thank you for your response. It is very helpful.

Do you ever experience shutdowns? If so, how do they affect you? What does it look/feel like for you?

 

[Au Naturel]

Since 2012 I've had daily aches and pains all over the body. They can last hours, days, weeks or months. Depends how much I convince myself it isn't stress. Years of Dr, GP, hospital visits etc. all came back with negative test results for anything that could've bee "physically wrong".

It's tiring, and it comes in waves that peak and trough. Right now I'm at high anxiety so it's daily chest tightness, discomfort, stomach aches, muscle aches (often shoulders, neck, back or legs). Headaches and dizziness are other common symptoms I get.

I push on through though. It's all you can do at the end of the day. Oh, and try and reduce stress and improve lifestyle habits of course. Hydration, diet and exercise/fresh air. Can be hard with new routines, or sticking with routines and self-care in general. So, whilst I have every intention to continue with what I know might help - it's a real challenge.

Ed

Why are you trying to convince yourself it isn't stress? Stress can be worked on. Therapy, philosophy, recreation, or learning not to care about what is stressing you. Most serious physical problems are yours for the duration. They don't have a cure.

 

[Matthias]

It is well known that stress can cause a long list of physical symptoms. Since stress affects the immune system, it can worsen any condition caused by an overactive immune system such as autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies found that over 50% of autistic people have autoantibodies which means their immune system is producing antibodies that attack their brain or body.

Here's what one review found about autoantibodies in people with ASD:
76% of autistic people had Folate receptor α autoantibody (FRAA)
63% of autistic people had anti-MAG antibody
58% of autistic people had anti-myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) antibody
58% of autistic people had anti-ribosomal P protein antibody
25% of autistic people had antinuclear antibody (ANA)

Source: Autoantibody and autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review - ScienceDirect

Studying these autoantibodies and what can cause them is very interesting.

The Folate receptor α autoantibody (FRAA) explains why folinic acid, which is another form of folic acid and a popular biomedical intervention that parents use to treat their autistic children, reduces some symptoms of ASD.
Source: Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial - PubMed

Anti-MAG antibodies are found in people with autoimmune peripheral neuropathy
Source: Quest Diagnostics: Test Directory

Anti-myelin basic protein antibodies attack the myelin sheath in the brain and may contribute to symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis.
Source: Myelin basic protein - Wikipedia

Anti-ribosomal P protein antibody is found in 45-90% of patients with severe depression or psychosis due to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Source: 520123: Anti-Ribosomal P Protein Ab (RDL) | Labcorp

ANA is a screening test used to evaluate people for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune disorders
Source: ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test

Here is a scientific paper that explains what can cause autoimmunity in general in people with a genetic susceptibility: Vaccines, adjuvants and autoimmunity

 

[Progster]

Do you ever experience shutdowns? If so, how do they affect you? What does it look/feel like for you?

I'm not sure if this is a shutdown or not, but if I have a lot of stress or a lot of stimulation coming from multiple sources - especially sudden stimulation, I can feel physically very tired and I slow down - physically and mentally. It's like my brain got stuck - and my body might just be repeating one movement without my having any awareness of it. I just stop processing and can't maintain focus. I stutter, or stop talking altogether.

 

[SusanLR]

I've had fibromyalgia for many years and with me it IS worse when under worry and stress.
I also have increased ringing in my ears when stressed and more fatigue. Vertigo for days too.
Also, when out in a crowded place with people walking around me, my movements slow and
then I can't walk very fast or think quickly.
I guess that is a type of shut down.
I can suddenly "space out" as I call it and everything seems unreal.
The doctors call it derealization. A form of dissociative disorder that is trying to protect my
brain from overload.

I find the auto-antibodies interesting also.
Starting eight years ago, I started getting small nerve neuropathy. It started getting progessively
worse after a trauma I have not gotten over.
I have started needing a cane to walk in stores and have balance problems walking outdoors on
uneven terrain. My legs tire very easily and a neurologist found I have sensory and axonal
degeneration in the large nerves of my legs.
They have not found the reason why. That just started earlier this year.
Perhaps years of PTSD and anxiety does upset the immune system which will turn on your own
body.
So anxiety and stress after a long period of time may have taken it's toll.
I am going to a neuropathy institute to try and find the reason this has happened.

You might want to see a neurologist on the subject to define psychological and anxiety
from physical.

 

[watersprite]

If I get very stressed combined with even a slight lack of calories I faint. Once I was at a restaurant & felt it coming. Excused myself and went to the ladies room since usually being alone & quiet will settle me. It didn’t, so I thought the best thing would be to walk back to our hotel room.
Next thing I knew, I was dreaming I was back in my room at home, then I opened my eyes and remembered I was in Hawaii.
i saw sky & palm trees, and about 5 paramedics staring at me. Then I saw my dad, who said I’d fallen on my back on the pathway, turned dead blue and that they couldn’t wake me up for a few minutes.

So now I am more careful about stress, calories, hydration, & electrolytes, especially on days with long workouts.

 

[Gracey]

There's a (debatable) condition known as adrenal fatigue.

Overtaxed adrenal function can have a mild burn out effect.
High levels of cortisol over lengthy periods (stress & anxiety) can be followed by a dip in cortisol - not enough to maintain normal function.
This can feel like a burn out.


Not directly connected to ASD but certainly to anxiety & stress ( co morbids)

 

[Gift2humanity]

So whenever I become stressed, anxious or get sensory overload, I get a lot of physical symptoms. Some of them are so bad that they are severely disabling - and I am so confused about this and wonder if it is actually related to autism or if it's something else entirely.

I have spoken to my doctor about it, had loads of tests over the past 2 years that all came back normal and I suggested that I might have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Fibromyalgia. But recently my partner has noticed that my symptoms only flare up in response to stressful events or sensory overload, which is not typical for ME or Fibromyalgia. ME is characterised by delayed symptom flare-ups or "crashes" in response to physical or cognitive activity as well as sensory input, and Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that also doesn't tend to flare up in these patterns that I experience.

For example: Whenever I go out shopping I need to use a wheelchair because if it's particularly busy and noisy, the sensory overload can cause me to suddenly collapse and hit the floor. To other people, it looks like I've fainted - my body goes completely limp for anything from a few seconds to several minutes and I appear to be unconscious, even though I'm completely awake. I usually recover enough to stand up again and walk a bit, but sometimes I cannot even stand up again because my legs feel extremely weak and heavy and/or I feel dizzy. I just feel exhausted for several hours after that and usually need to rest in bed. I avoid going out without my wheelchair because of this.

Here's another example: If I'm particularly stressed, have been talking about something serious/stressful or if I get emotionally upset and/or cry, I tend to feel physically nauseous, my gut feels unsettled and gripey and I need to go to the bathroom more frequently. Being stressed also makes me feel extremely physically tired just like sensory overload does. It can also cause physical pain in my muscles and really bad neck pain that can be incapacitating. I sometimes get severe pain in the left side of my neck. Even being mildly stressed can flare up these symptoms so badly that I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and lie in bed for several hours.

The reason why my partner and I are starting to think that I don't have ME or Fibromyalgia after all is because I can hyperfocus on things that take a lot of mental effort for hours without it causing flare-ups, and I can also do some light physical activity in quiet environments (such as going on a walk in a nature park) without it causing any symptoms, which is not typical for these illnesses at all. However, I wasn't always like this - I have had fainting/collapsing episodes throughout my life but they weren't as bad (I've only been a wheelchair user for about 3 months), and most of the symptoms I am describing here have only been happening for the last 2 years. They had a very sudden, acute and extremely severe onset following a period of intense stress and burnout and this kind of onset does happen with ME. But, I have recently been made aware of autistic burnout (until I did some Googling, I didn't know that it even existed) and wonder if that might be what I have been going through.

I used to think that I was having ME crashes after the aforementioned trigger events but after a long discussion with my partner, we now believe that these "crashes" might actually be autistic shutdowns and that the chronic base-line symptoms are the autistic burnout.

But I don't know if that's actually the case because I'm not completely familiar with what shutdowns or autistic burnout looks like, and I don't have clinical confirmation that I am autistic. I was assessed a few years ago and the result was inconclusive. I am trying to get reassessed but I live in the UK and the NHS has a huge backlog of a waiting list because of COVID. I have no idea when the assessment is going to happen.

I am very curious if anyone else experiences these kinds of symptoms (or anything similar) as part of their autism - and if anyone else has experienced a permanent regression in their skills and/or chronic worsening of their symptoms after autistic burnout. And I'd be especially curious to know if there are any autistic people who are wheelchair users (or users of any other physical adaptative equipment) specifically because of their autism.

I get bad guts and nausea from stress.
I have borderline personality disorder which is intense and draining.
I believe all physical ailments are rooted in MH issues.

I got a big bill and had to wait over a week for the issuer of the bill to call me, during that time, I got IBS which went as soon as the matter was resolved.

My BPD has been playing up, yesterday, I lost my appetite and felt slightly queasy which I hate, luckily my promethazine from my psychiatrist has anti-emetic properties.

It sounds like your physical symptoms are extreme.

I felt like I was going to faint once when told off at work.

My guts get affected by stress, stress is responsible for so much.
Stress can rob us of energy.

I'd never heard of autistic burnout until I read this post.
I am under a lot of stress, and it does make me feel physically ill but not as bad as you though.

Blooming COVID, I am so sick of it, it's disrupted loads of stuff, I am uk too. It's good you are on a waiting list to be assessed for autism though.

I suspect my physical symptoms come from my borderline personality disorder and my manic thinking, but being Asperger's may mean the BPD stuff drains me or makes me feel sick etc.

I used to paint and draw, and stopped for over 20years, I am getting back into it now.