Can I Beat This...Alone? (Question about Exercise Induced Anxiety)

[lyneth]

Age: 33

Sex: Male

Weight: 236

Height: 6'3''

Hey everyone - I just wanted to get some thoughts on exercise induced anxiety from those of you have maybe experienced it at some point or another. First, a little background to set up my question.

Its been almost a year now that I discovered I had Hyperthyroidism. I went a long time not knowing I had this issue so I couldn't explain why It was getting harder and harder for me to exercise. You can read all about what Hyperthyroidism is and what it does to a person if you'd like, but when I attempted to exercise, I would feel like I was going to die. When you have this condition and you try to exercise, you basically overheat your body. This is dangerous because Hyperthyroidism causes your heart rate to be elevated even when you're resting. So, you can imagine what it does when you're being active.

Long story short, I am currently on treatment and my last visit with my Endo (back in March 2019) went well. My thyroid levels were normal. However, I explained to him that sometimes I still get small anxiety attacks here and there, and also get them when I try to exercise. He said it couldn't be my Thyroid...cos it was normal...and that It wouldn't hurt to see a Cardiologist if I thought I needed to.

Dealing with this condition has made me lose the ability to differentiate between being plain ol' tired during/after a good exercise session and having a full blown anxiety attack. I hold back and sometimes don't want to exercise because I don't want to feel all those unpleasant feelings - it reminds me of some of the worst episodes I had before discovering there was a problem with my Thyroid.

Q #1: Can anyone here relate to my story?

Q #2: Has anyone here dealt with exercise induced anxiety?

 

[kletoskletos]

@lyneth I can relate, and we're similarly sized even (male, 6'3", 254 lbs, 34yo) I have panic attacks for other reasons than my thyroid, so my experiences my not match up, but I'll tell you what works for me.

I've found I cannot do caffeine of any kind for hours before exercise, like a surprisingly large number of hours, depending on how strong the caffeine or sugar/other stimulant is. If it's a cup of coffee I used to have one after lunch and that would VASTLY increase my chances of having a panic attack (more than 50%) six hours later or so in the gym.

I found if I drank an energy drink of any kind (monster, red bull, whatever) or used a pre-workout, I'd frequently have panic attacks while working out from that for up to 24-30 hours later.

This came as a surprise to me, as I used to think I was relatively caffeine impervious. I can still drink a pot of coffee and go to bed and sleep through the night 15 minutes later, but that's just how it affects me.

I'm not telling you what to do, and obviously ask your doctor:

- First, if you're using pre workout or other caffeine sources, maybe try without for a while, and see if that helps.

- Think about your other stimulants and if they affect you, there are a surprising number of these and they're everywhere, for example I've no idea what you're taking for your thyroid, maybe ask your doctor if it's possible there is a stimulant in it to help metabolism of the drug.

- Again, ask your doctor, but it may be worth trying to maybe adjust your medication schedule so it's as far as practical from your workout session, and see how that works for you.

I'm glad your thyroid is doing better, and I hope you find a solution to being a happier healthier calmer you.

 

[lyneth]

@kletoskletos Its very interesting reading about your experience with caffeine because I've wondered more than once if I might have something to do with my anxiety. I drink a cup between 5-7 AM everyday, and usually have one later around 11 AM-1 PM. There are times when I'll have a cup in the evening usually between 6 PM - 8 PM. So, in total its 3 cups a day, never more than that. The thing is I've always thought I was letting enough time pass before my next cup. I thought the effects of caffeine lasted for about 3 hours or so, but to read that you were feeling them many hours later has really got me thinking.

I've only had one cup this morning because I wanted to see if it made a difference. I guess there might be more to it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I'm currently taking Methimazole for my thyroid, by the way.

 

[frozenn]

@lyneth Caffeine can ABSOLUTELY contribute to anxiety, especially if you have preexisting conditions or a history of anxiety. I quit caffeine completely about six months ago after decades of daily use, and my anxiety is about 5-10% of what it was before. Caffeine led to sort of a downward spiral for me.

The half life of caffeine is 5-6 hours on average. For some people it can be less, and for others it can be way longer. This means if you have a cup of coffee at 8pm, you’ll still have most of it in your system by 10 or 11.

Disclaimer: I’ve become a hardcore skeptic of caffeine use and read r/decaf waaaay more than is normal or helpful. Reading thousands of anecdotal accounts has led me to believe that caffeine is MUCH more harmful to many people than it’s generally given credit for. Many people are fine with it, but I suspect there’s a substantial population who don’t realize that caffeine is strongly contributing to issues including fatigue, anxiety, depression, skin problems, etc.

 

[dawn16]

@lyneth Why do it alone? Does your insurance not cover a mental health professional?

What are your fitness goals?

Is there a reason you can’t do less intense exercise or is this brought on with any level, like even a walk or yoga?

Do you know what your trigger is? Like is it heart rate, sweat, time, actual activity, burning in the muscles?

 

[lyneth]

@dawn16 Currently do not have insurance. My fitness goals are to lose 40 lbs and regain mobility. I have a job where I sit most of the day and its taken its toll on me. I have a lot of hip pain and tightness. I guess I need to accept that I can't push it too much, at least not right now, and just get to doing some light activities.

 

[dawn16]

@lyneth Well good news! Weight loss is waaayy more about nutrition than working out, so you can maybe still work on that.

You can check out Tim Anderson with Original Strength to work on mobility. It’s great, but that’s just one suggestion. Probably should address the hip pain and tightness for a bit before getting into an intense routine anyway.

How do you do with many short exercise breaks throughout the day rather than a long workout? If it works that would probably help with your goals more than classic workouts anyway and will make you more productive at your job.

I’m sorry about the insurance. That sucks. If you live near a university they may have reduced price for thereby students or there are a lot of people who work on a sliding scale.

I have more suggestions, but I think that’s enough unsolicited advice for a single post. Good luck!!

 

[888_apologetics]

@lyneth I'm at work now but I've had exercise induced anxiety and gotten over it. I'll send you a message when I get home and can write more out.

 

[lyneth]

@888_apologetics look forward to hearing more from you!

 

[caleb84]

@lyneth Assuming your doctor has ruled out physical causes for exercise induced anxiety, it sounds like you’ve classically conditioned yourself to panic in response to exercising. I’ve built triggers for panic attacks in my own life, and it’s possible you can do some mitigation yourself. Your two approaches are desensitization (this scary thing happened but it was fine x100) and counter-conditioning (this scary thing happened and I got a cookie x100).

Step one is to identify the first triggers that cause anxiety and remove them if possible. This could be caffeine, simple carbs (if they give you a sugar rush like me), a certain gym or jogging route, your usual workout clothes, etc.

Step two is to either remove those triggers or to desensitize/counter condition yourself to them. Eg, if putting on your gym shorts makes your heart race a bit, you could get new gym shorts. Or you could wear them for a few minutes while good non-exercise things happen, and repeat that process until they don’t make your heart race anymore.

Step three, once you can approach exercising in a calm state, is to slowly build lots of positive associations with exercising. So, get dressed for a workout, go to the gym, walk briskly for five minutes, leave, and treat yo self. If that’s too much, break it down further. Just step on the treadmill and leave, or just go to the gym parking lot and leave. It’s crucial to stop before you feel any kind of anxiety. Gradually escalate the amount of exercising you do over time until you’ve reached a place you’re happy with. Don’t be surprised if you desensitize yourself to one type of exercise like running and you have to back up a little bit and do it again for another kind like lifting.

I am not a doctor, but I think medication can be helpful if even very small steps give you anxiety or if you can’t progress at all without panicking. If your diy efforts don’t work it might be time to see a professional therapist or consider medication. Good luck!

 

[meriposa]

@lyneth I deal with it (panic disorder), and I avoid heavy cardio. Body weight and toning exercise along with light cardio and yoga keep me in shape enough that I’m satisfied. I will never be a marathon runner.

 

[lyneth]

@meriposa I keep hearing about Yoga but never attempt it. Any recommendations on where/how to start?

 

[stargazingpilgrim]

@lyneth YouTube is a great place to start. Yoga is a great option, and maybe a decade ago pro athletes discovered it's benefits and many adopted it into their workout regimen. Primarily yoga is great for increasing muscle stamina without necessarily increasing muscle mass. It uses your own body weight and stretching to elongate and increase the strength of a variety of muscle groups. It's definitely worth exploring.

 

[joejoe58]

@lyneth This is actually pretty common, and it's probably not a heart/medical issue (but definitely that from your doctor, not me) so please know that you're not alone. It comes up often on /r/eood

The best advice is to ease into exercise slowly, aware that you're going to be experiencing issues afterward, and using mindfulness, work through it incrementally. Many people find it easiest to just properly meditate after exercising or do self-talk exercises contextualizing what you're feeling--that you know their origin and that they'll pass, that you're becoming stronger and healing, etc.

I get anxiety after exercising probably because the sensations in my body mimic sensations experienced during a medically traumatic time-period (never happened before that) and my brain freaks out. I know this is what's happening though, and I get through it. Good luck!

 

[blackpack]

@lyneth I have chronic depression and anxiety, exercise is my saving grace and works oppositley for me, if I died in the squat rack, I would have died doing what I love.

A clean diet will also do wonders for many maladies, including hormonal issues.

 

[codymarshall]

@lyneth I have panic and anxiety disorders that center around always worrying my heart is going to explode, so I can relate.

What you're describing sounds very familiar, but obviously I'm not a doctor. That said, anxiety/panic disorders respond extremely well to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. If this is affecting your life and your health, I recommend finding a CBT therapist near you to work on this stuff.

Meet with them and discuss a treatment plan (this kind of therapy should focus on an "end goal," and is not really a "lie on the couch and talk about your day" type of therapy).

It's also okay if you don't jive with the first therapist you meet. Ask for recommendations. Shop around. Look for clinics or universities near you that offer sliding scale treatments to fit your budget.

The extremely simplified, this-is-not-therapy-so-don't-take-it-as-such explanation I can give is that CBT teaches you to recognize your panic/anxiety coming on and to sort of clinically approach it: "Oh shit, my heart is racing. Well, is there a reason it's doing that? Of course, I'm exercising. That's the goal. Did I die the last time this happened? No. I'm probably fine now." You build your ability to self-manage and "talk yourself down" when you feel this stuff coming on.

A therapist might second the recommendation to see a cardiologist. Go for a stress test and, worst case scenario, you find out there IS something going on and you can start treating it. But you could also gain some ammunition to convince your brain that you're not actually dying.