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After exercise - panic attack

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Posted 12/11/2010 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
okay - i just got on my treadmill - and the last few times i have worked out i have a panic attack in the shower like 1.5 hours later.  why???  this is what i'm doing though - worrying that my recovery  heartrate is not good enough.  taking my bp and heartrate over and over after i exercise.  reading about it online. 

then right before i get in the shower - i get a call from my son's dad saying he needs to rest and have time alone (he just got him yesterday afternoon).  we are separated.  so, now i feel rushed to take a shower, go to the store and get him.  is this why i had the panic attack?  i am hoping it's not the exercise.  i had a treadmill stress test in january of last year because of anxiety.  i passed it no problem. 

i hate this constant worry!  it totally sucks!!!

Posted 12/11/2010 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
I usually have a panic attack after exercising. I suspect it's because my heart-rate is getting up, and my adrenaline is moving. Since these also occur when I'm having a panic attack, I think my mind puts 2 and 2 together and concludes that, anytime I have an elevated heart-rate or a rush of adrenaline, a panic attack must follow.
Posted 12/11/2010 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry to hear you guys think that exercise is causing panic attacks. I've had anxiety/mild panic attacks in the past and exercise and moving around has always helped me.

Is is just cardio exercise? Do you only do cardio? What about lifting weights or some type of resistance training? Do you actually like exercising or do you have to force yourself?

I suppose I'm lucky in the sense that I look forward to going to the gym to escape the drudgery of my day job. Best of luck to you both and keep trying! Maybe try mixing it up a bit.

-Jack
Posted 12/12/2010 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
well i've never had this problem before - not sure why - i was freezing before i got in the shower and thinking about the last time it happened after p90X and maybe that is what brought it on. i know i overdid it with that workout. it never used to do this and while i'm working out - it makes me feel good. like i said i'm concerned about my heartrate recovery - it was still 105 like 35 minutes after exercising - is that normal? i'm just out of shape i guess but it feels like it takes forever to get back to normal.
Posted 12/12/2010 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
Everybody has different triggers. There are some we usually have in common, but not always. It's important not to look at any one thing and generalize that it's going to cause anxiety for you. Even if you do feel exercise was the culprit this time, it could just be an isolated case. Next time, you might not have any anxiety after working-out. Of course, anticipating that you will have anxiety might, in turn, cause some sort of pattern to appear. You have to watch out for negative thinking.

I try not to look back and think, "What caused this particular attack?" I know if I do, I'm just going to start assuming there are some patterns, and trigger my anxiety more often.
Posted 12/12/2010 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Wow Hazel. I hear P90X is pretty intense, so I'm not surprised if that could cause a heart attack, lol. Maybe scale it back a bit, but even moderate exercise helps keep my mind off of stuff usually. It sounds like your ex may have triggered something and you mentioned you're separated. Maybe you should get a punching bag! Seriously :-)
Posted 12/12/2010 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
well i try to look back and say what caused this cause i want to know i'm not having a heart attack, etc. scares me bad! i talked to friend today though who has panic and she said the shower makes her heart race so maybe i was cold and the heat and stress caused it somehow cause when i turned off the shower my heart stopped racing. weird.

but yea jack - i know - p90 was too intense for me. today was just the treadmill for 2 miles - walking really fast. a punching bag would be good! i know! i'll ask him for one for christmas. haha
Posted 12/12/2010 6:53 AM (GMT 0)
You have to remember that these sensations are just sensations. Even if you feel like you're having a heart-attack, part of you needs to recognize that this is just how a panic attack feels. Keep that in mind, and reassure yourself so you don't exacerbate your anxiety when it occurs. The best way to cope is to ride it out, without trying to fight the symptoms. No matter how you go about it, you're going to feel the symptoms in some measure. If you fight the symptoms, it only increases your anxiety, and make them more pronounced. (and / or proliferates the panic attack itself) I've found that my attacks are much less intense when I clear my mind, accept that it's happening, and just welcome it as it passes through my body.

It's not easy at first, but you can learn how to take more control over this. It's important to constantly and consistently rationalize with yourself, and not get swept away with the onset of anxiety as the attack begins to occur.

So, to recap:

- Stop, and recognize what's going on.
- Ignore your instinct that something is seriously wrong, and label your attack for what it is: Just a collection of sensations that can't harm you. Even if the next one feels like "the one," you still have to ignore your initial instincts about it and be rational with yourself.
- Welcome the attack, keep your mind clear of all thoughts, and just let it pass through.

It also helps me a lot to close my eyes. I get dizzy and disoriented during my attacks; so closing my eyes helps me avoid any additional anxiety I would get from looking at my surroundings spinning around.
Posted 12/12/2010 7:00 AM (GMT 0)
well in the shower today i got mad and told myself "stop this!" i guess that is fighting it? haha
Posted 12/12/2010 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
you might consider a mild dose of klonopin.

It has worked wonders against these things in my life.
Posted 3/19/2013 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
This is an ancient thread.... But I would just like to add some stuff, so to assuage the fears of those who stumble upon this site later, looking for hours.

When you work out strenuously, your body produces adrenaline in excess. This adrenaline can continue surging for HOURS after a workout (which is why it is sometimes difficult to sleep after a late-night jog). So, if you suddenly panic, out of nowhere, after a bit of intense exercise, FEAR NOT. This is common for people who have panic attacks. Hopefully it will get better... I have heard that the more physically fit you get, the faster your body's recovery time. So don't give up! Just start slow, and remind yourself that you are okay if you feel a swoopy, heart-racy, light-headed sensation some time after exercise.

:)
Posted 3/19/2013 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the input lohweyleste!

Very good information for our members to keep in mind.

Please feel welcome to post with us anytime.;)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 3/19/2013 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thats good information to know, lohweyleste, thank you!

I'll definitely keep this in mind from now on.
Posted 3/20/2013 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
about the shower, for most of my life a hot shower will make it hard for be to breath, heart will pick up and I have some palps, a Dr once explained to me that the water droplets and oxygen in a hot shower are of a larger molecule and harder to process in lungs, they actually use cold fog for baby’s in hospital with pneumonia.

Larry ***
Posted 3/20/2013 6:55 AM (GMT 0)
Speaking of which, I darn near killed myself last summer when I had bronchial pneumonia, I thought a good hot shower would be good for me, little did I know the danger, I made myself so sick, I sat on the couch right after and didn't move until that night, I was wheezing like never before and seeing spots.

Good info to know for the future, E.R. told me I probably have asthma induced by lung infection/colds etc. which is possible, ever since I was young, when I would get something in my chest I had a terrible time breathing.

-Jessi
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