Near-complete remission followed by the same "fun"

[Aaron]

Saturday morning, I got up and had an Ensure Plus for breakfast. I walked to a nearby yardsale- no problems walking, no social anxiety, no trouble staying focused, no thinking about anxiety. I came back, played some video games (a very low-stress game, I might add). At this point, I was thinking to myself...I'm as good as cured. Then I started surfing the Net around ~11:30 when....BAM. "Good LORD I'm hungry." I thought to myself, whatever, it's not even noon yet. So, I put off making a sandwich for a few mins.

Apparently that was a mistake.

I got up, got light-headed. That was my first not-good sign. I made a sandwich, and was eating it when IT hit. A panic attack. I could feel is creeping up FAST. I said, no, fck the panic. I had had almost 2 weeks w/o a panic attack. I had been exercising everyday, especially when I was getting anxious, so I said, let's do that. I go for a walk around the block.

Mistake #2.

I start getting even more lightheaded, dizzy, having trouble focusing, and then the problems I complained about when I first came here starting coming back: my legs and arms starting feeling TIGHT and CRAMPED and simultaneously FULL OF WATER. I got back to my apartment, took a cold shower. That brought me back down to Earth, but I still felt tight, dizzy, and confused. I then took a 2 hour nap, because this exhausted me greatly.

There's some good news. I recognized the attack coming within minutes of it hitting (usually I start feeling bad for about 30-60 mins and then it finally breaks); it peaked in 10 or so minutes (usually, the panic itself is much more violent and long-lasting); and it made me realize that panic attacks can and are caused by bouts of hypoglycemia. In fact, the two worst panic attacks I've had I remember happening after I had missed a meal by an hour or two and usually peaked right after I had decided to "correct" the situation by eating.

The bad news is that my legs and arms still feel...tight and full of water, especially when I move them. I can't walk more than a few feet without my legs getting this feeling. It makes me wonder deeply about whether this is purely anxiety or something seriously wrong with my body (e.g., serious blood sugar problems).

I read online yesterday that hypoglycemic episodes can result in muscle tension that lasts even after blood sugar is corrected (panic attacks work to equalize glucose levels in the blood so that your organs get the sugar they need during crucial moments by dumping adrenalin into your system), but I'm still wondering...why, 24-hours later, after I've been eating well over the last day without any panic, do I have this problem?

Has anyone have any experiences like this?

[ifigureditout]

You wrote that you were on the computer. I've come to realize that my computer time has a lot to do with my anxiety. I get bored so I get on the Net. But something happens in the process, I don't usually realize it, but I get ansy. I don't know why it makes me ansy but I am beginning to notice that even though I'm getting ansy I sort of force myself to stay on. Surfing the net gives me temporary relief because it keeps my mind busy but overall it's making things worse.

I too have found walking helps a great deal.

See a doctor if you feel compelled but remember Anxiety fools us all into thinking we have other physical illnesses.

[gadinmad]

I have to be careful of this too. When I get anxious/depressed, I tend to go "off my feed," and either not eat, or not eat very well. Sometimes just eating a proper meal of good food reduces my symptoms.

Have you been to your doctor and had a physical exam? Every reliable panic/anxiety resource I've ever read has strongly recommended it. That will rule out physiological causes that might be causing or contributing to your symptoms.

Also, did you kind of tense up when you felt the attack coming on? Claire Weekes ("Hope and Help for your Nerves") years ago explained how this very natural reaction can work against you. She talked about "floating" as a good mental posture when a panic attack is coming on. I think of it as leaning into a wave, and just letting it roll past, remembering to breathe slowly and deeply.

I hope this helps you.

[northstar]

hi aaron, i recently posted up an article on hypoglycemia and how it can be controlled with eating correctly, you might like to take a read: http://www.anxietyforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3750

i had the same problem with hypoglycemia and it took me a long time to realise what it was. i thought i was just going crazy, and so did my doctor lol. when i discovered the hypoglycemia connection i think it literally saved my life, i was in a very very bad place when i figured it out. i was in an almost constant state of panic, and not eating much at all so i'm really not surprised i was feeling bad!

when you've been suffering with it it can take a while to recover, so i'm not surprised that you're still feeling achy and bad. i used to get chest pains for days, i'd feel on edge and shaky and just terrible. the best way to combat it is just to eat on a regular basis - kind of like 6 meals a day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. that way you're stabilising your blood sugars and keeping your body happy. making sure you're eating the right foods is also essential. you'll read all about it in that article :)

it's almost a year now since things got really bad for me and my life has really changed! i'm so much better. i still have to watch what i eat and make sure i eat regularly or else i start to feel bad again. but it's really easily managed and a much healthier way to live! i hope this article helps, i don't want to rave too much about it here but if you have any questions i'll gladly answer them.

this link on nutrition for anxiety may also give you an idea of how and what you should be eating: http://www.anxietypanic.com/nutrition.html

[Robbed]

Here's something else to remember: anxiety disorder is just plain unpredicable. You might actually feel like you have gotten SO much better in the past few weeks to the point of feeling normal again. But for no reason, anxiety disorder can come back and hit you again quite hard out of nowhere. This is just the way it is: setbacks are inevitable. So when they come, just try to look at them as a part of recovery. And try your best not to react to them with fear. Also, don't try to search for 'reasons' why the setback happened. It just did. And looking for reasons will just cause you more stress, and make the situation worse. Just accept it.