Why does my husband get sick after working out or from emotionally charged moments?

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us on EnableMe, it sounds like it has been a difficult time for your husband since his stroke 5 months ago. I am also sorry to hear of the difficulties he is having in discussing these concerns with his doctors.

Unfortunately fatigue is very common after stroke, with about half of survivors experiencing it. More research is needed as the cause of post-stroke fatigue is still unclear. The effects of fatigue can be many, and post stroke fatigue is quite different from general tiredness. Fatigue can exacerbate pain, as in your husband's case, and pain can also exacerbate fatigue. Knowing your limitations helps. It might be helpful for your husband to keep a track of his fatigue, his activity tolerance and pain levels. I know you already have tried, but it would also be worth going back to the doctor to look at other possible causes for the headaches. It might be worth considering other factors such as dehydration- is he drinking enough water, diet - is he eating enough prior to his exercise, or blood pressure - what is his blood pressure like during and post exercise.

 It is difficult to put a time frame on how long the fatigue will last, however there are things your husband can do to help manage his fatigue.   It is important to investigate and manage any external factors that may be contributing to his fatigue, these might include sleep problems and possible changes in his mood.  It might also be helpful to ask his doctor (Gp or neurologist) about medications and any possible nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to his fatigue.

When managing fatigue, it is important to balance activity and rest, exercise in moderation (especially following a fairly recent stroke), monitor diet and have a good sleep routine.

There are some great resources on fatigue, including a fact sheet, which you both may find helpful, you can read this here.  EnableMe has some other resources that can help you to better understand fatigue after stroke.  Your husband may also be interested in listening to our fatigue podcast.

Headaches can also occur following a stroke, and they can occur after either an ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, but are more common following a haemorrhagic stroke.  I know your husband has discussed this with his doctors, but it would be a good idea to raise this again with them. We also have a fact sheet regarding pain after stroke which might be of interest to you both. You can read this here. 

You mentioned that your husband becomes extremely sad after a fight with your kids, many stroke survivors experience emotional changes after stroke. If you and your husband haven’t already, I encourage you both to take a look at our fact sheet about emotional and personality changes after stroke. We also have a resource page about emotions , as well as a helpful podcast about emotional changes.

Feeling heightened emotions following an emotional event can be quite normal for stroke survivors. Emotional lability (where emotions seem out of proportion to the event), can also be quite common. It would be good to raise this again with your husband’s GP, or neurologist as your husband might be eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan.  The Mental Health care plan can provide up to 10 sessions of Medicare subsidised psychology visits. A psychology referral can be helpful if your husband is interested in talking to someone about his feelings, and how to manage any changes in his emotions. There is an EnableMe forum post on emotional lability that might also be of interest to you both. You can read this here.

It sounds as if you have reached out to his doctor, if he hasn’t seen his neurologist, it would be a good idea to discuss these issues with them. Your husband is entitled to seek a second opinion if he does not feel his doctors are listening to his concerns. There is a good post on EnableMe regarding getting good healthcare, which gives you suggestions on how to find a new Gp, questions to ask a Gp and tips on healthcare post stroke. You can read this here.

You, or your husband are very welcome to give us a call at StrokeLine, so we can discuss your concerns in more detail. You can contact StrokeLine on Ph. 1800 787 653.

I hope this information has been helpful,

Kind regards

Siobhan (StrokeLine)

Hi there,

Here are some other comments from the community:

Barnes John Vera It has been 3 years since my husbands stroke and he has a lot of issues : some they never told us about like muscle atrophy and nerves dying (that part of the brain that died that controlled those nerves - no where for nerves to send messages to so they died off).... doctors specialist just fobbed us off as I bawled my eyes and heart out pleading for another appointment to see him.
He also gets ‘fatigued’ and when he does he has to lay down... when he tries to remember certain things like photo, or prompting him about something - he gets stressed and an intense headache - as he just can not remember. Sometimes depressed and the cycle continues.
Getting to know and understand your new body, isn’t easy. People would tell me ‘his brain will heal itself’, all well meaning friends.... it just is NOT the case! Learning to accept, and adapt and love - understanding... is all you can do - 1 day at a time.

Rachael Louise Davis Fatigue is a huge side affect from stroke. Your husband is only 5 months post stroke and his brain will only be starting to slowly heal now. It’s been nearly two years since mine and I suffered awful, debilitating headaches that made getting through the day hard. Rest and Panadol was my only options.
Fatigue is still my number 1 effect and I doubt it will ever go away. I cry at the drop of a hat, my emotions are up and down - it’s all very normal considering the trauma our brains have endured.
Find a doctor who can help you out 😁 don’t forget the community here can support you both! We all know what he’s going through xx

Alina Melbourne Yes I am the same. I get very fautiged after physical activity and I get crazy fautiged after anything emotional! It's shocking! It completely wipes me out. Even getting scared or anything like that makes me really tired and makes my head hurt even more.
Unfortunately doctors aren't any help. Over time you just learn how to support yourself when it happens and you learn what is your own "normal"

Wendy Newbert Hi I had my stroke 4 months ago I am 56 with no physical issues, Pre stroke I was into CrossFit competing at a high level, I’ve gone back to CrossFit but I do find I get tired very quickly as well but I think the hardest thing is the anxiety is causes wondering if it’s going to happen again so I can completely understand how emotional it can be especially when you have children. I know I feel extremely sad at times and keep it too myself it’s hard when your reasonably young fit and healthy and you have a stroke. Do they know what caused the stroke? I now know I have Atrial Fibrillation and I’m being monitored 24/7. Give him time to adjust, and get your doctor to refer him to a neurologist, wishing your husband and your family all the very best.

Bonnie Newton I had my stroke going 3 years ago I'm back working full time but yes I still get very tired and my husband said he has never seem anyone laughing there belly out and then go straight into a real sobbing cry. Its part of the bain injury. Just remember you survived this . All the best .

Shelagh Brennand We all feel and/or have felt this and sad the Doctors are not supporting you with advice. Being patient is hard to say but it’s the only way. I’ve got better at managing my fatigue over the past 6.5 years and know that brain fatigue is what makes me worse. Physical not as bad but tired I get! Pow! I could be in bed for days with migraines etc. it’s common and know it DOES get better so just tell your husband to assess things he is going to do and factor in rest beforehand even if not feeling tired. Switching off TV and electronics means there’s no added stimulation.
I wrote a blog a couple of years ago about this and here’s the link...there are others you may also find useful.
Best of luck and hang in there. You have made the first step and reached out for support and the Stroke Foundation and just wonderful. Take care. Shelagh 💚See my blog here.

Brendan King Agree with others here, certainly sounds closely linked to fatigue.
Headaches may also be caused/exacerbated by stress? As well as the brain being in recovery mode from stroke, and becoming more easily overwhelmed by either physical or psychological effort/exertion, there may be an element of him holding stress through neck and shoulders which then contribute to both the headaches and the low mood (both of which then worsen the fatigue!).
Wishing you and your family well on this journey.

Leonie Sweetman Fatigue is a side affect of Stroke, the brain needs to heal. Maybe he should not be exercising so hard and the verbal fights need to be avoided.