Exercise induced anxiety?

[Mouse79]

I have been having strong feelings of heaviness, light headed, tunnel vision, stomach cramping, and feeling the need to throw up but don't. And probably some others but those are the main ones as I write to this community for any suggestions as to how you dealt with this and overcame the possible relationship to adrenaline being raised while working out and then .... The panic or anxiety begins, Ruining your workout, causing public embarrassment, and taking hours for it to return to normal. Sometimes I take .5 Klonopin if I'm physically having problems like pins down my back or the feeling of needing to go to the hospital. If you have heard of this or have experienced it, please, please let me know what helped you! I am trying to get my health in an optimal space, but my brain is the barrier to this goal.
Meds?
Doctor's? (What do I say)
Therapies?
Friends to work out with?
Yoga instead of treadmill?
Give up and just live like I have for the past 18 years.... :(

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey @mouse I have watched this thread to see if anyone had similar experiences and jumped in to help. I'm sorry you are feeling this way.

Please don't stop exercising or trying to get better. :)

I have been having strong feelings of heaviness, light headed, tunnel vision, stomach cramping, and feeling the need to throw up but don't.

^^I only ever feel this way when I have exercised too hard and heart rate has zipped up too high too quickly.

The only remedy I have is to not push myself so hard and drop the heart rate down by 10 bpm. As you become fitter generally you will then be able to push back up to the levels that once made you feel sick. But take it slowly and monitor your heart rate.

**Have you had a complete medical lately? I ask this because your symptoms could be related to a physical illness.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[Mouse79]

@Junebug
I wanted to say thanks first for replying to my post! :)
I had a physical about 4 months ago and nothing came up bad. or even worrisome.

A little backstory. I had a massive panic attack while lane swimming in a pool. It was awful and extremely embarrassing. I was taken out of the water by lifeguards and staff, put in the office area, they called 911, an ambulance showed up, and there was no physical problems. My therapist and P doc both said to exercise. I am in good shape physically, and have been all my life. There is some family history of heart attacks and my father recently passed at 74 from a massive one about a year ago. So, this does concern me that i might have a physical issue, and it also ticks the box to watch out for PTSD relapse. I am going to see my doctor asap to discuss this, but because I do suffer from a mental illness, I also just got setup with a new therapist and p doc. I have spent way too many visits in the ER for chest pressure, not being able to breathe, and especially heart palpitations that turned out to be panic attacks. I have a version of PTSD that is complicated. My doctor team about 4 years ago could not figure out why my left arm was spasming, my left hand was "dead", and i was in level 10 pain almost every day.This went on for 4 years! Physical therapy, antidepressants, anti anxiety meds, pain meds, neurological meds, imaging, and just imagine everything under the sun. I did it to find any answer as to why this is happening. Apparently, some people with PTSD can suffer various pain and muscle issues from the nature of the illness. The person is not able to process stress mentally and naturally, so the brain causes a glitch in the body, causing issues like mine. \
ITS AWFUL!
I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital about a year and a half ago. During that stay, I asked the doctor if I could be put on lamicatal for the convulsions that were now also happening in my neck area. I had said that I chatted with another PTSD warrior that had physical issues that were relieved from lamicatal. 5 days later... I have full function of my arm and i can use my hand again. I quickly climbed back up the ladder of life and have been good. I will admit that i am not cured in any way. Every day i have some type of flashback to one particular trauma that i endured. I have accepted it as part of my life and im special.... i cant care or it will make me sad. EMDR therapy was extremely painful and challenging, but significantly helped!
So, I am wondering if anyone that might have a similar story to share has ever endured this and found a solution?
I am still going to get physically checked out again, but I did cheat and experiment..... my klonopin does help the physical sensations. "Help" is the key word. it doesn't eradicate the problem. it just calms down my mind, that is what i assume to be, wired incorrectly when the heart rate goes up and triggering my wonderful super power of going into an anxiety attack or full on panic.
Also going to discuss asthma, my current meds (singulair, and lamictal) to see if there is any correlation. My googling didnt come up with much other than it is a real thing.... exercise induced anxiety.
for anyone that reads this. You are not alone and I have lots of love to give to any and all! XO :)

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey @Mouse79 -

I had a physical about 4 months ago and nothing came up bad. or even worrisome.

I'm really glad you have had a check up but maybe if you can and only because of your symptoms when exercising and family history get a referral to a Cardiac specialist.

I say this because a number of my relatives also have had heart attacks but prior they were deemed to be fine in every way.

A Cardiac specialist can see and hear subtle but critical nuances that gp's don't.

I'm not knocking gp's because they have a huge foundation of knowledge and are great at picking up acute symptoms but your's may be exercise induced cardiac symptoms too. (aside from ptsd symptoms).

It sounds like you are doing an excellent job in terms of your physical and mental health.

When I was hospitalised with ptsd - a long time ago. They also diagnosed Fibromyalgia :wtf: The professor who saw me said that it's quite common to be diagnosed with both. So, I have no doubt that what you say is correct.

Take care :)

 

[HealingInProcess]

Yes I have also had this issue (intermittently) when I exercise. I can only speak from my experience and say that I think that some contributing factors were/are: lack of sleep, dehydration and poor nutrition (in the days before and day of the exercise).

I also theorize that the quick boost in serotonin from exercise may do some funky stuff. I really have no idea though and this is just my theory and I am not a doctor or any type of medical professional so please do not take this as medical advice.

When my body or mind just says no I cease exercising and I don't push myself. I personally try and exercise for the benefits to the brain more than the body. If I can't exercise I at least try and do some dynamic stretching to get things moving and for stress relief. There are a lot of different things you could do like puzzles or art for the neurological benefits instead of exercise. Also just walking around more or walking up the stairs is a way to get things moving.

 

[Mouse79]

@blackemerald1 (dope name!)
I really appreciate your replies! And I'm sorry I didn't tag you and tagged a person that liked the original post. It was a mistake!
I am now going to mention the cardiac specialist to my doc on my next visit. This does seem good to do anyways considering the family history and current physical issues.
I am just so tired with feeling heavy symptoms in these past 18 or so years and it being part of my illness. Never a real physical issue.
Interesting about fibromyalgia... I know 2 people that took care of a man that had brain cancer. It was my friend's dad and his mom. They both developed fibromyalgia shortly after his death. And from the stories I have been told... It sounded atrocious to deal with. Especially for a teenage boy who watched his father turn into a child again.
Do you mind if I ask what helped you with the fibromyalgia diagnosis?
I know there is documentation about PTSD and even bipolar people having issues with pain syndromes. It's just unbelievable to me what people like us have to deal with every day while others are humming along.

@HealingInProcess
You are so right!!!!!
I am an artist and musician. Music making and especially playing is my cathartic release. When I couldn't use my left hand for years, it was the saddest thing to take away my secret weapon that can remove myself from the world and travel to far off places.
I started playing again this past year and have had some extreme relief after belting out songs while in private. I've played a couple special songs for friends that have been there for me. Giving back and seeing smiles of thanks felt like home again. I plan to start recording once I can get my mind to concentrate like it used to.
I will continue to do my walking and art, but I am going to stop the heavy lifting and possible exertion because this is really scary. I was doing well for a little over a year, so I'm naturally a little stressed that this is a thing in my life.
Thanks k you for your reply.

I wish you both the best as I always will!

 

[HealingInProcess]

@blackemerald1 (dope name!)
I really appreciate your replies! And I'm sorry I didn't tag you and tagged a person that liked the original post. It was a mistake!
I am now going to mention the cardiac specialist to my doc on my next visit. This does seem good to do anyways considering the family history and current physical issues.
I am just so tired with feeling heavy symptoms in these past 18 or so years and it being part of my illness. Never a real physical issue.
Interesting about fibromyalgia... I know 2 people that took care of a man that had brain cancer. It was my friend's dad and his mom. They both developed fibromyalgia shortly after his death. And from the stories I have been told... It sounded atrocious to deal with. Especially for a teenage boy who watched his father turn into a child again.
Do you mind if I ask what helped you with the fibromyalgia diagnosis?
I know there is documentation about PTSD and even bipolar people having issues with pain syndromes. It's just unbelievable to me what people like us have to deal with every day while others are humming along.

@HealingInProcess
You are so right!!!!!
I am an artist and musician. Music making and especially playing is my cathartic release. When I couldn't use my left hand for years, it was the saddest thing to take away my secret weapon that can remove myself from the world and travel to far off places.
I started playing again this past year and have had some extreme relief after belting out songs while in private. I've played a couple special songs for friends that have been there for me. Giving back and seeing smiles of thanks felt like home again. I plan to start recording once I can get my mind to concentrate like it used to.
I will continue to do my walking and art, but I am going to stop the heavy lifting and possible exertion because this is really scary. I was doing well for a little over a year, so I'm naturally a little stressed that this is a thing in my life.
Thanks k you for your reply.

I wish you both the best as I always will!

I'm glad you have the gift of music to help you along in this journey! In terms of this unexpected twist I can only tell you from my experience these random losses of ability (some of which I have found to be temporary) are normal. I don't know why it happens but recovery is a very complex thing and does not follow a smooth trajectory; there are many dips.

 

[blackemerald1]

It was a mistake!

Of course it was, I understood that so not a problem at all. :)

Do you mind if I ask what helped you with the fibromyalgia diagnosis?

Well I had terrible chest pain, had all the tests necessary to determine it wasn't a heart lung condition (but I still believed it was and continued to harass my specialists about the unbearable pain).

I was told my brain was causing the pain and there was no treatment. Nobody has ever provided any real treatment for it. Not even analgesia worked.

I considered cutting nerves to my chest but of course this wasn't a guarantee that I would stop feeling the pain (phantom pain occurs too often). Oh and also they didn't really know if it would even work because there are so many pathways for pain to divert to. So cut one and it heads down another.

They gave me no hope but I have got hope now. I know it will ease off if I behave myself and look after myself. It ebbs and flows along with my ptsd.

every day while others are humming along.

Yeah.. 'they' don't know how lucky they are and to be honest, neither did I until I acquired to Fibromyalgia and ptsd. I lived in blissful ignorance lol...

If I overdo it and become a stressed out budgie.. it comes back like a monstrous pain. I've ended up in many ER's because it has incapacitated me quite suddenly.

I sort of dance around how much I can do and cannot do and I find out real dam quick when I've done too much. It's sort of my physical barometer but it hurts so I do avoid anything that even appears too much and that can be very limiting in some ways.

I'm swimming a lot at the moment. I also have a couple of relatively minor but painful conditions. I was walking a huge amount each day but my exercise physio advised me to stop and swap over to swimming. It's done me the world of good. I feel so much better and it's all but resolved my pain. I dread the Fibro coming back because I don't think I would be able to swim in that much pain.

I studied classical piano for 9 years. I love music too but I can no longer play or enjoy it. (Disability). It's a fantastic way of making the mind focus and stopping the stupid usual cycle of random, intrusive thoughts. I suppose it's similar to meditation but in a more active way. I'm glad you have that to do too.

Take care, :hug:

 

[Lori0122]

I have been having strong feelings of heaviness, light headed, tunnel vision, stomach cramping, and feeling the need to throw up but don't. And probably some others but those are the main ones as I write to this community for any suggestions as to how you dealt with this and overcame the possible relationship to adrenaline being raised while working out and then .... The panic or anxiety begins, Ruining your workout, causing public embarrassment, and taking hours for it to return to normal. Sometimes I take .5 Klonopin if I'm physically having problems like pins down my back or the feeling of needing to go to the hospital. If you have heard of this or have experienced it, please, please let me know what helped you! I am trying to get my health in an optimal space, but my brain is the barrier to this goal.
Meds?
Doctor's? (What do I say)
Therapies?
Friends to work out with?
Yoga instead of treadmill?
Give up and just live like I have for the past 18 years.... :(

I have this EXACT issue and have for a while. I’ve been doing CrossFit for a few years and I’ve had to step outside to cry and have had full on panic attacks. I was embarrassed to have to deal with it and then would wait too long and push it too far and then end up not being able to get out of it. I hope my reply is helpful because I know how awful this is. Here’s what I’ve learned: I need to slowly warm up so that my heartrate doesn’t jump from normal to high too fast. I need to catch it and deal with it before it goes to the point of no return. I need to tell my trainer what’s going on so that I’m not too embarrassed to step out if I need it and so she knows I’ll be back in when I’m ready. I’m often already maxed out and my body can’t take anymore stress so it goes right into panic...so I need to try to deal with it before I exercise...that usually means I need a good cry before hand.
I’m finally on the other side of this issue and just need to manage it now but it took a lot of help to get here. And it took help from others.

 

[IceQueencop]

@Mouse79 - I’m sorry you are going through this. I deal with it too. My ptsd is pretty specifically related to a shooting. After my diagnosis I started going to an old lady workout group because my anxiety was pretty high generally, this was a group that I thought I could be okay with. The first couple times I went I was okay. I had to engage my brain and think about the moves and really pay attention to what was going on. In other words, I had to be mindful to learn the routines. Once the routines became routine for me, my brain was able to check out. My heart rate was up, we were doing neck stretches, and suddenly, flashback, I was behind a long gun.
Pieces of my trauma played out like a movie in my head every time I exercised. Most of the time I was able to figure out which piece was being played, but each piece brought anxiety. I could definitely see panic attacks following. When I ran I saw images of a gun blowing my head off. At first I thought these were thoughts of suicide. I now realize they were parts of my trauma. I began to have physical problems with my hips and thighs. Needless to say, I avoided running for quite awhile.

What helped? Being mindful, not letting my brain escape. I did this by running on a treadmill and watching tv, keeping my brain focused on the story. No tv programs that related to my trauma in any way.

Working out with a friend was helpful. That way I knew I had, “back up.” I was able to relax a bit more than I otherwise could have. I knew that if my brain got into trouble, I had someone there I trusted. But it was sometimes hard to coordinate.
Maybe when you start to feel more in control of your situation you could start a non-profit aimed at pairing people with PTSD for workouts. ?

I have also done physical therapy to understand which muscles I need to engage to build strength and counter the physical pain. This really helped me with the brain-body connection.

The issue really boils down to disrupting the connection your brain has made between sh*t hitting the fan and your elevated heart rate. Intervals or sprints might be another approach to take where you get your heart rate up, then stop, remind yourself you are safe and then start again.
Give yourself time, be patient with your brain and body while your brain re-learns safety.

You’ve got this.

Best,
IQC

 

[Mouse79]

@blackemerald1 I don't know if this helps, but figure to say anyway. Lyrica has helped my friend and his mom. the downside i would have to say is this.... I have seen both of them be almost addicted to it. so, you have been warned and I would be cautious if you talk to a doc about it. I was on it, but it did not help me in any way. an anti convulsant names lamotrigine is what really helped me. I dont have to take pain meds anymore!! I sincerely wish you away from any pain from this point on til forever!

@Lori0122 I opened up to a friend that has issues with general anxiety. She is trying to lose weight, so we decided to go for a hike. we did have to stop 3 times, collect myself, and I purposefully made jokes to dismiss the attention my mind was obsessing over with the sensations i was feeling. also, deep slow exhales. the past few days it appears to be happening when i have to leave the house. like a weird form of agoraphobia. GREAT! more fun for me to learn about. The problem with all of this is I crave isolation. like a drug. i know this is completely wrong, and I used to be quite a charming lad with an extrovert mindset. The reversal is the illness. so I do try to reverse it back, but I swear my illness wants me to stay away from the world. I will keep trying. Thnak you for sharing your story with me. im glad you can go to a gym and have a relationship with a trainer! GO ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!!! :)

@IceQueencop after reading your entry i had a memory to a hot yoga class that i had a groupon for. I thought this would be perfect cos i could sweat it all out and visualize the pain leaking from my body. I went down on the ground during the class and I came back to in the waiting room. The instructor seemed irritated at me for what had happened, and I told her I am using the class to deal with trauma. She told me to see a therapist instead of coming back for my classes..... Im aware of how heartless the functioning world is, but give a dude a break!
Over the weekend. I thought about phsycial activities that haven't created the storm ive been dealing with much more recently. a stationary bike is at home and I absolutely love extremely complicated music, so i blast that while i watch scenic videos of coastlines on youtube. Im going to give this work out another chance. I live with my mom as of now due to my father passing and me not feeling ok with her being alone. It helps us both out honestly.
I really like the idea of working out with older peeps. im 39, but maybe there is a place where i can call and ask if they would allow it for a person that is dealing with PTSD and needs gentle places to recover.
I also really like the idea of people working out with people with PTSD as a sort of buddy system!
i am sorry to hear about your trauma. Without going into detail, i understand. hugs. you are not alone!

THANK YOU ALL,
im going to see my regular doctor on Tuesday to discuss the physical worries of my heart, and my new therapist and p doc on Monday to start it all up again and make sure im at least communicating that a possible relapse is brewing.

 

[IceQueencop]

@Mouse79 - I’m sorry about your yoga experience. Both in terms of your body’s reaction and because of the instructor’s reaction.
The stationary bike sounds like a good option. Take it slow, and mindful, though, you are disconnected the anxiety from the physical act of exercise and increasing your heart rate.
Best,
IQC