Exercise/Heart Rate Anxiety - please help!!

Ok, I will just start from the beginning....  

I used to do some hardcore exercising.... I would wear a HR monitor and do intense exercise without a problem at all..... i've done Insanity, P90X, 30 day shred, running, etc..... loved it all and felt great afterwards....

So, a few weeks ago i started having some trouble with anxiety.... my heart rate was elevated for an entire day 100-120.... next day it was lower, but i was still anxious... i hadnt really been exercising lately, so i figure i need to start back.... so i get on the treadmill, walk at a brisk pace... HR stays around 140-150 which i am comfortable with... then all of a sudden a thought hits me " what if my heart rate doesnt go down".... so i stop..... my HR shoots up to 180 (this is after i stopped exercising).... i know it was a panic attack, but it scared the hell out of me..... i paced around totally nervous until it finally went down......

Then, there has been 2 or 3 nights since that episode that i couldnt sleep... at all.... its like i would drift off, then wake up in a panic with my heart racing..... 

i went to the dr about this.... i was totally nervous and panicky the whole visit.... i had an EKG test,  and had my thyroid level checked (it was normal)..... the EKG was normal except for sinus tachychardia(fast HR).... dr gives me some anxiety medicine (buspar)

since then, ive felt better.... no panic attacks but i do still feel constantly "on edge" and afraid that one will come..... but im totally bummed that i am so afraid of exercise now.... afraid to raise my heart rate (because of the treadmill incident).... for the past 3 days i have done a light 10 minute exercise dvd (10 minute solution).... and i feel totally nervous the whole time about it... and feel like i cant do anything longer than 10 minutes...

can anyone help me with this?? does anyone know anything about heart rate anxiety?? i need some reassurance or something that its ok for my heart rate to go up... something... i went from intense one hour workouts to a wimpy 10 minute workout..... this really bothers me because i really really need to lose weight....

Hi Kimmy and welcome! Exercise induced anxiety is fairly common, but not something that is often mentioned in books, or articles. Just talking with others, and reading the posts here however, leads me to believe that a lot of people have experienced this.

It's ironic because one of the best known and prescribed anti-anxiety practice is exercise. It does seem counter-productive though when it induces a p/a!

Many of us with A/P are hyper-sensistive to our body's feelings/sensations. Any change, including heartrate and breathing, can trigger worry. It is of course perfectly normal to have an increase in both while exercising but our anxious brains fixate on the change as something threatening.

I think you and 3-D have the right idea. Start off again slow, gradually increasing your level of activity to a reasonable level once your body and mind adjust. Your anxiety will decrease as you find that exercising is not dangerous for you, but quite the opposite:)

I hope that this will be helpful to you. One other idea to try when your heartrate is bothering you is breathing/relaxation. At the top of our Anxiety and Panic Resources Guide (first post @ top) you will find some great links to these. Practice them every day and you will see an improvement I'm sure.

Take care, welcome again, and post anytime!
Scaredy Cat

Precious Gem,

Why does it say you post in these threads but I can't see'em? Is it me or is it you? loll

I told my dr about the treadmill incident.... how it shot up to 180 after exercise.... he just did the EKG and put me on anti - anxiety meds...... this was the first time ive been to a dr in about 4 years....( i have doctor phobia/anxiety too).... and i just dont think he really gave a ___ about it.... he just said that if i couldnt get my heart rate down by the next day to come back and he was gonna give me beta blockers.....

i was thinking of just getting rid of the HR monitor..... so i cant even see the number... and just go by how i feel..... its just that i am now constantly aware of my heart...and when it beats fast..... and i can almost guess accuratly what the rate is without the monitor now.....

what i want to do is just power through it.... if i get nervous and it shoots up, so be it, and i guess i just need reassurance that im not damaging my heart if it shoots up to 190 or something....

its just so hard, i used to LOVE exercise and it made me feel so great, i need that feeling back again!!!! not this dreadful anxiety feeling UGHHHHH

i have suffered with anxiety for as long as i can remember.... started as a child... and i know that its hereditary because my mom has it..... she takes paxil and its made a world of difference for her..... but i took it and i ended up with WORSE anxiety and higher heart rates...

the only thing that makes me feel normal is taking xanax.... and i try to only take it occasionally but it seems like i need one every day.... and i dont have a doctor that will let me take it every day like that.... if i could, i definitely would.....

Hi Kimmy,
This is exactly what has happened to me. I was going to a fit body boot camp daily from January through August until I suddenly started having bad anxiety. It started with vertigo, turned into headaches, trouble swallowing, numbness in my limbs, etc. The latest physical symptom I've been having has been a super fast heart rate. I would wake up from a deep sleep and it was 140!

After they did an echocardiogram, ekg, holter monitor, etc. my doc said I was fine and gave me beta blockers to take when my heart rate was out of control. I haven't exercised hard since August but I've been walking occasionally. Started seeing a therapist and he told me I need to get on the treadmill and push myself until I'm uncomfortable. A few days ago I walked and jogged for a little bit. I took my HR and it was 170! I got scared and sat down and rested and then tried it again. I got up to 165 and stopped again.

I'm angry because I think running and exercising again will help my anxiety but I'm terrified! I don't want to be on beta blockers for the rest of my life!

I like the suggestion of starting slow. Walking a few times a week for a month or so before adding in anything else. I think I should avoid taking my HR for a while, because it usually makes it race faster.

I'm sorry I can't give you any answers, but it certainly helps me to know that others are going through the same thing. Hopefully you get some comfort from that too. :)

Hi Kimmy! I'm Kimmy too. :) I know what you are talking about because my friend was diagnosed with sinus tachycardia. She had horrible anxiety and her heart rate got over 200. She was put on celexa and a beta blocker. Eventually, she was able to go off celexa and she takes the lowest dose possible of beta blockers and she has no problems anymore! She even enjoys a few drinks every now and then. Do the beta blockers! I was developing anxiety while exercising so I, too, got checked out for that. My EKG was normal and so was my blood work. He said if I wanted to go get a stress test, I could but after the EKG, my exercise anxiety went down and when I run, my normal rate is 170 but I do intervals. Try running for 5 minutes at 4.0-4.5 mph, then walk at 3.5 mph and keep doing this back and forth. It decreases the anxiety and I feel great and relaxed after! If you still have problems, get a stress test where they test your active heart rate. Also do beta blockers and plenty of cold water! Stay away from caffeine cuz it makes anxiety worse. Good luck!!!!

Hey I just ran across this thread again! I'm still alive haha and doing much better! I workout about twice a day now for 30 mins each. I still don't push myself the way I used to but that's ok! I started taking Paxil for my anxiety and I think it's helped a lot!

Hi I just found this thread and OMG this is EXACTLY what happened to me two weeks ago. I also did a lot of workouts such as 22 minute hard corps, P90X, etc and now I'm terrified to work out. Did you ever get any answers?