Just when I get back into the swing of exercising regularly, my panic attacks start flaring up. I know they are related to exercise, because when I don't exercise I don't get them. Its a trend I just recently linked together. When I was exercising consistently last year on a different diet, they also flared up. They always happen when I'm laying down, trying to go to sleep, not during exercise. I'm wondering why this happens though. Its frustrating, because I'll have to quit working out for a couple weeks until they pass again.

This makes me so sad and frustrated because I know exercise is key to losing fat and reshaping our bodies, and I don't mind it at all. I've lost 22 pounds but not an inch and all my clothes still fit the same. I'm afraid that if I don't exercise, I'll stay static forever. But I also don't like being jolted out of sleep feeling like I'm going to die every night. I know its not my heart. I've had six EKG's done in the last year from going to the ER when the panic attacks happen and they're always normal. Sigh...So what can I do to keep losing if I'm not exercising??

Some people can have anaphylactic reactions to exercise (literally they are allergic to it). Does your throat close? Any other symptoms?

I'm just wondering, what kind of exercise are you doing? I've heard of people's panic attacks abating with strength training, but I've never heard of them causing attacks. :\ ?

Maybe you should see the doctor. Perhaps you're getting irregular heartbeats when you exercise.

I agree with Nancy. Are you having palpitations? I don't know how old you are but perimenopausal women get palps. I had them but kept exercising and after 6 months had a resting heartrate of 56. I did exercise for at least 1.5 hours every single day tho.

Google depression and exercise - there are some interesting message boards of people experiencing higher levels of depression, etc, with exercise. I always wondered about it - I had to cut back on the amount of cardio I was doing because I just wasn't feeling right.

Don't exercise if it hurts you mentally or physically. Weight loss is mostly due to your food choices.

Hi pinkmonkey,

I don't know whether you're still looking at this thread but, if you do, then please read this!!!

The link between your panic attacks and exercise is most likely to be magnesium.

During strenuous exercise we use up a lot of magnesium. Our bodies interpret our increased movement as stress: we wouldn't be having such a high heart rate if we weren't involved in some fight-or-flight situation, is one explanation. Plus, when our heart rate goes up and we need more energy, our adrenal glands kick into gear and help us release glycogen from our livers, make extra energy if necessary via ketosis and gluconeogenesis.

All of this taxes our adrenal glands. In order to work properly and to respond correctly to stress - i.e. to perceive what is real stress and what isn't - our adrenal glands need plenty of magnesium.

I would hazard a guess and say that the reason that your panic attacks come on when you are getting ready to sleep is that our bodies shift into a different energy mode during the night. During the day there is food coming in, whereas at night the brain needs to be fuelled by glucose supplied by the body itself, not by food. For this to happen, the adrenal glands are once again called into action. If your adrenal glands are then already somewhat exhausted due to exercise during the day, plus, if you have used up your glycogen stores whilst exercising and not replenished them due to eating a very low carb diet, then your adrenals will have to again step in to send alarm signals out that your brain doesn't have enough glucose. They are then forced to switch on the fight-or-flight mechanism to make emergency glucose; this could be what is causing your night-time panic attacks.

In my humble opinion, you might be better off adding in a few more carbs to your daily diet, especially on days when you exercise, so that you don't deplete your glycogen supplies completely, and add in some magnesium supplements to help out those adrenals and to ward off panic attacks.

Magnesium has been proven to help with anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I personally can testify that, although I have rarely had anything like a panic attack, I feel a lot calmer since getting some good-quality magnesium into my system. I am less prone to fly off the handle if I am annoyed by life and people and less prone to weepiness before TOM arrives.

This is the supplement I have used successfully for over a year now:

http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-...lets/16567?at=0

If you haven't ordered from iherb.com before, make sure you use this referral code ~~~~~~ to get a $5 discount off your first order.

This is an interesting article on magnesium:

http://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of...-magnesium.html

I hope this helps!

amanda

Hi
I can relate to you...I have lived up to now with anxiety attacks even when I was slimmer...I'm no Expert but I Think That maybe Your so eager to lose weight etc That may be causing The panic Attacks?
It would be so easier to resolve in yourself This Is too much hard work so I 'm gonna let myself go and you end up gaining more weight which eventually would make you feel low.
Ive been There...I let myself go with food...overindulged and to this very day I'm still paying for it by the weight I gained.
I really Feel for you But don't know what to say to help you?
Just Try not to worry about your weight too much...remember...NO ONE SAYS YOU HAVE TO BE PERFECT.
If I knew you personally I wouldn't stop talking to you just because you gained weight...no more Than I would If you lost weight...Oh if only a virtual hug could make you better, I would send one everyday Till you feel better in yourself again.

please Try not to worry.
warm regards (hugs ; )

You have posted you are taking a large dose of l carnetine-this can be a contributing factor. Maybe stop the l carnetine for a couple of weeks and see how things go?

Actually I started taking the L-Carnitine way after I posted this, so the two aren't related. Thanks though.