Muscle Fatigue: Does Anyone Else Have This? How Do You Treat It?!

[anxietysucksbutt]

I asked this in another thread, but I think it was the wrong place to post it, so I figured I'd try again. :) I've had anxiety since I was 20 (now 28 ). It has come and gone, but got a lot worse this past year with a bunch of major life changes. My symptoms change, and are never the same. Lately, I wake up and feel good, only to get hyperactively anxious when going to school. I also have a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. The worst symptom lately, however, is fatigue. I've never been as tired as I have been lately. I'm tired throughout the day, I don't recover from my workouts at the gym. I went from running 4-5 miles without stopping to running 1, and then getting tired. I typically get around 7 hours of sleep a night, so I'm going to try to get 8 or 9. But I'm wondering if other people have the same symptoms? Do you get fatigued easily? Or should I worry that I have Chronic fatigue syndrome, or MS, or ALS, or cancer, or something else weird?! My anxiety was getting better, until I started having this fatigue :/ I'm really hoping to attribute this to anxiety. I know that most likely that's all it is, since it's been a long standing problem, and I'm just slowly wearing my body down. It's just frustrating because it seems like my anxiety symptoms always morph, and give me something new to worry about. I keep telling myself that my body only has so many ways of presenting anxiety...but then it finds something new. :/

[needtogetwell]

I asked this in another thread, but I think it was the wrong place to post it, so I figured I'd try again. :) I've had anxiety since I was 20 (now 28). It has come and gone, but got a lot worse this past year with a bunch of major life changes. My symptoms change, and are never the same. Lately, I wake up and feel good, only to get hyperactively anxious when going to school. I also have a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. The worst symptom lately, however, is fatigue. I've never been as tired as I have been lately. I'm tired throughout the day, I don't recover from my workouts at the gym. I went from running 4-5 miles without stopping to running 1, and then getting tired. I typically get around 7 hours of sleep a night, so I'm going to try to get 8 or 9. But I'm wondering if other people have the same symptoms? Do you get fatigued easily? Or should I worry that I have Chronic fatigue syndrome, or MS, or ALS, or cancer, or something else weird?! My anxiety was getting better, until I started having this fatigue :/ I'm really hoping to attribute this to anxiety. I know that most likely that's all it is, since it's been a long standing problem, and I'm just slowly wearing my body down. It's just frustrating because it seems like my anxiety symptoms always morph, and give me something new to worry about. I keep telling myself that my body only has so many ways of presenting anxiety...but then it finds something new. :/

Welcome to the wonderful world of anxiety.

Your screen name sums it up well! I really like it. And your last sentence above sums it up so well.

Just when you get your mind around what aches, pains etc. are simply anxiety and learn to deal with them, anxiety behaves like a spoiled brat having a temper tantrum and throws something new at you, just to keep you in the game.

Fatigue is very common with anxiety, especially with any added stressors you may have in your life. Your schooling maybe?

You don't likely have anything serious, but if you are worried, go get it checked out. Something simple like an iron deficiency is easy to fix.

In all likeliness your anxiety levels are playing havoc with your sleep cycles and you are not getting quality sleep.

Try not to worry, get some good shut eye, feed your body well. You will get through this!

Cheers!
Pam

[Enduronman]

Your diet sucks ass....Sorry to say. You're not feeding those tired muscles the right foods IMHO....

Work on getting that tightened up...

Enduronman.. :)

[anxietysucksbutt]

Welcome to the wonderful world of anxiety.

Your screen name sums it up well! I really like it. And your last sentence above sums it up so well.

Just when you get your mind around what aches, pains etc. are simply anxiety and learn to deal with them, anxiety behaves like a spoiled brat having a temper tantrum and throws something new at you, just to keep you in the game.

Fatigue is very common with anxiety, especially with any added stressors you may have in your life. Your schooling maybe?

You don't likely have anything serious, but if you are worried, go get it checked out. Something simple like an iron deficiency is easy to fix.

In all likeliness your anxiety levels are playing havoc with your sleep cycles and you are not getting quality sleep.

Try not to worry, get some good shut eye, feed your body well. You will get through this!

Cheers!
Pam



Thanks for the king words, it helped cheer me up and made my day! I'm going to the doctor next week (I've had anxiety issues for a long time without seeing a doctor) in order to reassure myself it's only anxiety. I didn't think about it, but my anxiety does sometimes affect the quality of my sleep! Anyway, thanks for the help :)

[anzy]

Hi you might just be tired do to stress or over working out , but it's always good to rule out the problem you should stop training & get blood work done test for Mono(mononucleosis ) & if you feel sleepy during the day verify for sleep apnea, good luck

[anxietysucksbutt]

Hi you might just be tired do to stress or over working out , but it's always good to rule out the problem you should stop training & get blood work done test for Mono(mononucleosis ) & if you feel sleepy during the day verify for sleep apnea, good luck

Thanks! I have done blood work once before (about 6 months ago) and it all came out normal. I will probably do it again, but I really don't expect it to be abnormal.

[vanessa2010]

Yes ! I get this i get fatigue and leg fatigue like times my legs feel like their not mine and their real tired or heavy ... I also feel you on the whole school i actually find that school causes a lot of my anxiety just thinking about waking up and having to do it all over again and i weight train and there is definatley a difference i get tired quickly and i used to go to the gym a lot but i eventually stopped I'm trying to better myself again in hopes of being were i once was you know :/ good luck anxiety really just is something else everyday for me and its like my eyes don't concentrate .

[anxietysucksbutt]

Yes ! I get this i get fatigue and leg fatigue like times my legs feel like their not mine and their real tired or heavy ... I also feel you on the whole school i actually find that school causes a lot of my anxiety just thinking about waking up and having to do it all over again and i weight train and there is definatley a difference i get tired quickly and i used to go to the gym a lot but i eventually stopped I'm trying to better myself again in hopes of being were i once was you know :/ good luck anxiety really just is something else everyday for me and its like my eyes don't concentrate .

Bummer :/, sorry to hear you have this too! I feel a little bit better knowing it's not just me though. I know that eventually I will cure my anxiety, and I'm pretty sure grad school is what's wearing me down. Hopefully when I'm through it and can just get back to working, I'll start to feel better!

Hopefully you start feeling better soon! Do you try to sleep enough and eat properly?

[vanessa2010]

Yes i recently started like 4 days ago going on a whole new diet away from all the junk i got myself use to eating again and sleeping early and achieving the 8-9 hour recommendation i want to see how it goes maybe ill get back to how i was once hbu ?

[anxietysucksbutt]

Yes i recently started like 4 days ago going on a whole new diet away from all the junk i got myself use to eating again and sleeping early and achieving the 8-9 hour recommendation i want to see how it goes maybe ill get back to how i was once hbu ? I literally just started the same thing! I've gotten 8 hours the last two nights, and have added in more fruits and veggies. I also think I'm getting enough protein. I've also added in a multivitamin and 250mg of magnesium.

I was kind of frustrated/down today because my legs still are so dang tired! I can't even work out hard anymore! It makes me frustrated to see my friends do triathlon, love working out, etc, and I can barely even maintain what I used to love doing! It's also frustrating to be so tired and not have as much focus as I want for school! Oh we'll, I did feel pretty good two weeks ago, so I know it can get better! Just felt kind of tired and frustrated today!k

[vanessa2010]

Yeah about your legs have you taken and break days ? Or anything and well your body may be cleansing itself causing your fatigue or anything like that to actually worsen & i understand you about school today i was just extremely tired and kept trying focus but anxiety isnt hard to ignore especially with all the symptoms & my friends workout as well and i feel like shit about how i cant do what i use to love to do without any worries you should try a green juice rest your legs and the fatigue should slowly go away its worked before for me though when my anxiety goes up so does my symptoms of leg fatigue

[anxietysucksbutt]

Yeah about your legs have you taken and break days ? Or anything and well your body may be cleansing itself causing your fatigue or anything like that to actually worsen & i understand you about school today i was just extremely tired and kept trying focus but anxiety isnt hard to ignore especially with all the symptoms & my friends workout as well and i feel like shit about how i cant do what i use to love to do without any worries you should try a green juice rest your legs and the fatigue should slowly go away its worked before for me though when my anxiety goes up so does my symptoms of leg fatigue

We'll my rest days end up being the days that I just feel so bad that I can't workout. I also had guests in town this weekend, and I basically slept like 4 hours a night by we were up doing stuff, etc. I probably should just take a week or two off, but I feel like I have already backed off enough! I might go back to swimming, just to give my legs a break while still being active.

[vanessa2010]

Any advice for me ? Im going to the gym this again and i honestly get anxiety when i workout or feel i might pass out or like i cant be how i was anymore how do u cope ? & yeah just try a week or 2 that should let your body recover but i heard working out actually fights fatigue

[anxietysucksbutt]

Any advice for me ? Im going to the gym this again and i honestly get anxiety when i workout or feel i might pass out or like i cant be how i was anymore how do u cope ? & yeah just try a week or 2 that should let your body recover but i heard working out actually fights fatigue

Coping for me has been kind of...well...a unique experience. I've never intentionally avoided anything. For some reason, I've always known it would be detrimental for me. I've had a number of panic attacks in the gym, but I basically just tell myself that they can't hurt me. Sometimes I've had to leave mid workout, but I always make sure I go back, and most of the time I do pretty well. So I guess my best advice is to just know that it might be scary, but you HAVE to do it! You can't live life to the fullest if you avoid it :)

As far as not being how you used to be in the gym, well, I struggle with this. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE working out (it's why I picked my undergrad and grad degree). I still love it when I feel good, but that happens so few and far between nowadays. I've basically just had to lower my expectations, mostly because my body just doesn't recover well anymore (probably lack of sleep, stress, etc.). It definitely gets me down, but I just have to ignore it and try to look at other positives. "This too shall pass" :)/.

The truth is, though, is that being happy and being happy with yourself is all about expectations. If you can "dare to be average" (something I picked up from a Dr. Burns book), you can actually learn to be happy! Honestly, when I actually succeed at not comparing myself to others and worry about being better/perfect/above average, I feel SO much happier!

Anyway, hope that made sense. It's kind of late, and I'm rambling!

[needtogetwell]

Coping for me has been kind of...well...a unique experience. I've never intentionally avoided anything. For some reason, I've always known it would be detrimental for me. I've had a number of panic attacks in the gym, but I basically just tell myself that they can't hurt me. Sometimes I've had to leave mid workout, but I always make sure I go back, and most of the time I do pretty well. So I guess my best advice is to just know that it might be scary, but you HAVE to do it! You can't live life to the fullest if you avoid it :) As far as not being how you used to be in the gym, well, I struggle with this. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE working out (it's why I picked my undergrad and grad degree). I still love it when I feel good, but that happens so few and far between nowadays. I've basically just had to lower my expectations, mostly because my body just doesn't recover well anymore (probably lack of sleep, stress, etc.). It definitely gets me down, but I just have to ignore it and try to look at other positives. "This too shall pass" :)/. The truth is, though, is that being happy and being happy with yourself is all about expectations. If you can "dare to be average" (something I picked up from a Dr. Burns book), you can actually learn to be happy! Honestly, when I actually succeed at not comparing myself to others and worry about being better/perfect/above average, I feel SO much happier! Anyway, hope that made sense. It's kind of late, and I'm rambling!

Good morning!

You have such a good handle on things! And you will get through this !

In one of your other posts you mentioned the stress of grad school, I'm dying to ask, what are you studying? And how much longer do you lave to go? Is this masters program or doctorate?

Have a great day!
Pam

[vanessa2010]

This really just made me feel so much better you have no idea , Thank you so much i honestly hope i can just continue with a workout at the gym and honestly think about being happy as my overall goal and i think i am traumatized because the last time i went to the gym i went on the treadmill for 30-40 mins and didnt warm up or cool down and when i got off the treadmill i felt so dizzy and off balance i walked to the restroom and had like a panic attack but than i headed back out to the gym and continued but still feeling like i would pass out or weak like still in it idk if that was also because when i was in the treadmill i was focusing to much on my breathing like having to try and yawn to get air because i was anxious .. I remember literally wanting to cry thinking ill never be how i was and thats part of the reason im scared to go back and kind of what set my anxiety above the bar now :/

[anxietyslayer]

As a long time gym member, I noticed first hand how my anxiety and panic condition was affecting me at the gym. I remember not being able to life the weight I usually did, and being tired a lot sooner. To the point where I had to quit the gym for 2 years because any bit of physical exertion would trigger a panic attack. I can tell you that your fatigue can 100% be attributed to anxiety, I'm sure you've heard of the phrase "the mind is stronger than the body" When your mind gets fatigued, your body will soon follow. Condition your mind, and your body will work wonders for you. I am now back at the gym, and lifting all I can :-) Wish you lots of luck, and remember, mental stress puts a strain on physical states.

[anxietysucksbutt]

This really just made me feel so much better you have no idea , Thank you so much i honestly hope i can just continue with a workout at the gym and honestly think about being happy as my overall goal and i think i am traumatized because the last time i went to the gym i went on the treadmill for 30-40 mins and didnt warm up or cool down and when i got off the treadmill i felt so dizzy and off balance i walked to the restroom and had like a panic attack but than i headed back out to the gym and continued but still feeling like i would pass out or weak like still in it idk if that was also because when i was in the treadmill i was focusing to much on my breathing like having to try and yawn to get air because i was anxious .. I remember literally wanting to cry thinking ill never be how i was and thats part of the reason im scared to go back and kind of what set my anxiety above the bar now :/

Yikes! I've definitely felt like that on a treadmill, mostly because they give you time to think about how you're breathing, feeling, etc. On your first day going back, you should almost expect to not feel great. The only thing that's primed in your mind is your last experience! If you can just hang in there and take the blows, it will eventually get better, and you'll stop thinking about it! That's basically what I've had to do, even if it sucks some times!

Also, do you eat enough before working out, and are you hydrated? Just want to make sure there is no obvious cause as to why this is happening to you! Also, how long does it take for your panic attack to go away? Do you feel better when you leave the gym?

Anyway, glad to hear that I could make someone feel better! I often feel very alone with anxiety, and trick myself into believing that I won't enjoy life because of it. Of course, that's just stupid negative thinking, which is what got me here in the first place! :)

[anxietysucksbutt]

As a long time gym member, I noticed first hand how my anxiety and panic condition was affecting me at the gym. I remember not being able to life the weight I usually did, and being tired a lot sooner. To the point where I had to quit the gym for 2 years because any bit of physical exertion would trigger a panic attack. I can tell you that your fatigue can 100% be attributed to anxiety, I'm sure you've heard of the phrase "the mind is stronger than the body" When your mind gets fatigued, your body will soon follow. Condition your mind, and your body will work wonders for you. I am now back at the gym, and lifting all I can :-) Wish you lots of luck, and remember, mental stress puts a strain on physical states.

Thanks so much man! My sister has pretty bad anxiety too, but she still works out fairly normally, and was making me feel odd for being so fatigued with workouts! This really helps me feel better! I'll keep at it for sure, and hopefully when I get my mind right, my body will follow!

[anxietysucksbutt]

Good morning!

You have such a good handle on things! And you will get through this !

In one of your other posts you mentioned the stress of grad school, I'm dying to ask, what are you studying? And how much longer do you lave to go? Is this masters program or doctorate?

Have a great day!
Pam

I'm going for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I love it! But of course practicals, lots of tests, etc are stressful and detrimental to my sleep pattern/psyche. This semester has been a lot better than the first though, mostly because I've realized (after having it happen every time!) that I can still pull off A's and B's, even though I have a panic attack on tests. Basically, I can still function normally, even though inside my head is swirling!

[vanessa2010]

Yikes! I've definitely felt like that on a treadmill, mostly because they give you time to think about how you're breathing, feeling, etc. On your first day going back, you should almost expect to not feel great. The only thing that's primed in your mind is your last experience! If you can just hang in there and take the blows, it will eventually get better, and you'll stop thinking about it! That's basically what I've had to do, even if it sucks some times! Also, do you eat enough before working out, and are you hydrated? Just want to make sure there is no obvious cause as to why this is happening to you! Also, how long does it take for your panic attack to go away? Do you feel better when you leave the gym? Anyway, glad to hear that I could make someone feel better! I often feel very alone with anxiety, and trick myself into believing that I won't enjoy life because of it. Of course, that's just stupid negative thinking, which is what got me here in the first place! :) The last thing i remember eating was a apple and water idk maybe it could've been bad diet or just bad intake or water , after i got out of the gym i felt good again i even went to trader joes aha but i was just in shock and gave myself a panic attack , ive looked into it as well and many people had the same issue but you know what I'll keep trying to only shorten time on treadmill or try to avoid it for a while but before i go back im going to try and do at home exercises to get my body use to it (:

[crmac50]

I definitely get fatigue and muscle weakness that affects my ability to work out at the gym. I also get the shakes. It sucks in a huge way!

[anxietysucksbutt]

The last thing i remember eating was a apple and water idk maybe it could've been bad diet or just bad intake or water , after i got out of the gym i felt good again i even went to trader joes aha but i was just in shock and gave myself a panic attack , ive looked into it as well and many people had the same issue but you know what I'll keep trying to only shorten time on treadmill or try to avoid it for a while but before i go back im going to try and do at home exercises to get my body use to it (:

Ok, just making sure because I know that when I'm hungry or haven't eaten properly before working out, I'm definitely more "panicky". It sounds like you have a good plan of attack! Just build yourself into it, and see how you feel! Just keep trying, and eventually you will get there!!!

I always knew that mine was anxiety because the minute I left the gym, I would feel better. It was always so frustrating, but it also meant that I knew it was anxiety, which made me way less afraid to stay in the gym and just roll with the punches as best as I could.

[anxietysucksbutt]

I definitely get fatigue and muscle weakness that affects my ability to work out at the gym. I also get the shakes. It sucks in a huge way!

Yeah, it totally sucks mega bad! Every time I start to get super frustrated, I try to remind myself that at least anxiety is treatable. There are many other conditions that you can't treat, or treat well. That would suck more :/

[needtogetwell]

I'm going for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I love it! But of course practicals, lots of tests, etc are stressful and detrimental to my sleep pattern/psyche. This semester has been a lot better than the first though, mostly because I've realized (after having it happen every time!) that I can still pull off A's and B's, even though I have a panic attack on tests. Basically, I can still function normally, even though inside my head is swirling!

Wow! That's great! You are obviously going to to be overqualified to just be a therapist!

What are you planning to do? Teach? Maybe incorporating how pain from muscle or skeletal issues can be a trigger to anxiety and panic! I know they are some of my triggers and physical therapy helps a lot!

[anxietysucksbutt]

Wow! That's great! You are obviously going to to be overqualified to just be a therapist! What are you planning to do? Teach? Maybe incorporating how pain from muscle or skeletal issues can be a trigger to anxiety and panic! I know they are some of my triggers and physical therapy helps a lot!

Thanks! I'm planning to practice here in Arizona. I think my experience with anxiety will help me understand the anxieties of the patients I treat a little better. After all, if you think it's scary to be scared of symptoms caused by thought patterns (anxiety), imagine being scared when you really have something serious!

[anxietysucksbutt]

My physio knows about my anxiety. All my muscles kind of gave me away lol. She reads a thought for the day from the psychological association and always shares it with me. I really appreciate the extra effort she goes to in making me feel as calm as possible during treatments.

That's awesome and a good idea! I may have to borrow that!

[anxietysucksbutt]

Yes i recently started like 4 days ago going on a whole new diet away from all the junk i got myself use to eating again and sleeping early and achieving the 8-9 hour recommendation i want to see how it goes maybe ill get back to how i was once hbu ?

How have you been doing with the new diet? Has it been helping? I went to the doctor today, and they are going to run the basic blood tests. I tried working out this past few days and just feel awful today! I have been researching overtraining syndrome, and I really think that's whats going on. I'll probably just try good old sleep, diet, and rest!

[vanessa2010]

I havent been doing so bad .. But i do have high anxiety right now and currently am expierencing muscle fatigue than again i weight train everyday idk if that affects me though because i had a anxiety attack and suddenly my legs felt drained and like heavy and today they started feeling heavy on their own and i still squatted 135 pounds so idk if it made it worse or not :(

[anxietysucksbutt]

I havent been doing so bad .. But i do have high anxiety right now and currently am expierencing muscle fatigue than again i weight train everyday idk if that affects me though because i had a anxiety attack and suddenly my legs felt drained and like heavy and today they started feeling heavy on their own and i still squatted 135 pounds so idk if it made it worse or not :(

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm having a hard time correlating my anxiety to my muscle fatigue, mostly because I just have anxiety all the time, haha. You and crmac50 are like the only people I know of that have this too, so it sucks. I told my mom about this the other day, and she was just like "that worries me, you should see a doctor". It's super frustrating, because all my blood work comes back fine! I'm not really sure what to do about it, other than to just lower my expectations of what I'm going to be able to do while I have high anxiety.

Anyway, thanks for the update! 135lb squat is awesome!