Posted by hopefullynow on September 3, 2008, at 22:13:25
In reply to Exercise Making Me More Depressed/Irritable - HELP, posted by Survector on May 27, 2004, at 0:34:19
I'm glad that i'm not the only one with these strange symptoms after workouts.I have to say that I'm struggling with depression and anxiety for almost 10 years.I'm involved in hi-level climbing for 12 years and these symptoms have dragged me in long periods of lethargy.I usually train 4-5 day/week and I obsereved an pattern:after 2-3 days of rest, I can sleep 6-8 hours/night - this is the "normal" stage.After I begin the 2 days workout/1 day rest I feel something cumulative; after workout my metabolism go high (I can feel it - muscle tension, an sense of warm in my face)and I attribute this to stimulation of adrenoreceptors.Also my appetite is inexistent, I feel my stomach shrinked, and I find impossible to eat (maybe forced)for 4-5 hours.This is the the beginning of the bad part - after these few hours I find myself impossible to mellow in a state of relaxation and well being.I begin nervous, eat compulsive (tons of calories), not able to sleep.This is an overreaction of the endocrine system I think, something related to high cortisol levels.The next day I woke up very early (max 5 hours sleep) feel sluggish and hungered, nervous, impulsive, depressed and social phobic.If i need to do something, i have to drink tons of espressos which help with sluggishness but not anxiety and depression.If I continue training the next day, I'm a total mess, inable to concentrate, more nervous and compulsive eater.I sleep less and this lasts if i'm lucky 3-4 days after I totally crash into an deep depression.I eventually found myself into an state that I eat and sleep for a few days, mess my cycardian rhythm and need maybe 1 week to return to my "normality"- which in fact is some sort of dysthymia and anhedonia.The only meds that helped was old school AP but this is not an option bc the next day I feel totally out of order.At least in my case IMHO I think the problem is mainly an hormonal issue.I love so much climbing outdoors (and indoor), training, that i'm not ready to give up ever on training.
Things that tried to break this pattern was AP's, tianeptine, all SSRI's, SNRI's Wellbutrin, antiepileptics, benzos, etc...no chance yet.Sorry to this long post and good luck for all.
poster:hopefullynow
thread:350992
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080903/msgs/850190.html