Is it possible that Anxiety/Depression could cause Exercise Intolerance?

[ZenAlex]

Over the last 9 years or so, I've noticed the need to avoid certain activities because they just started to make me depressed and amplifying my anxiety symptoms. Like any stimulating activity such as Video games, television, stimulating music - Not because I was anxious to do the activities, but because they instead of making me feel happy like they used to, just stimulated my depression and anxiety.

I started to spend more time outdoors, hiking, walking because these activities made me feel peaceful, it's like my mind was becoming DE-stimulated and calmed down.

But over the last 6 months, I've noticed that exercise of any kind, even just WALKING is making me feel worse.

I've been thinking I must have some sort of deficiency or some physical problem as I don't even have to do high intensity exercise, literally any amount of physical activity is making me feel more depressed and anxious.

I've not been able to do much exercise because of it, and the last time I went out on a hike I had my first ever panic attack.

It makes no sense, because I wasn't initially afraid to do any of these activities because of all the positive feelings associated with them, I was looking forward to my hiking.

I eventually noticed that even going for short walks, although sometimes they would calm me down, I noticed as I walked and walked further I would feel worse and worse. At times I've just tried to power through it because I don't want to become sedentary, but I noticed my mood was altogether worse.

The more exercise I do, the worse I feel, and even just going for a walk down the park I notice I feel worse, and the symptoms arising as the time goes on.

I think it may be a deficiency, but could it just be a side effect of mental health problems?

[undeather]

Yes - I would even argue that problems like these are mostly due to mental health problems. 
But you mentioned in a previous post that you have extremely low blood pressure as well (as low as 90/60). This could play into this dynamic as well. We know that people with extremely low blood pressure tend to experience more symtpoms of anxiety and depression.

This would make even more sense in your case cause blood pressure tends to get lower after exercise. (which is when you experinece your symptoms)

This is just a hypothesis, but maybe something you want to look at.

[ZenAlex]

11 minutes ago, undeather said:

Yes - I would even argue that problems like these are mostly due to mental health problems. 
But you mentioned in a previous post that you have extremely low blood pressure as well (as low as 90/60). This could play into this dynamic as well. We know that people with extremely low blood pressure tend to experience more symtpoms of anxiety and depression.

This would make even more sense in your case cause blood pressure tends to get lower after exercise. (which is when you experinece your symptoms)

This is just a hypothesis, but maybe something you want to look at.

My BP isn't always this, I had it done at the docs and it was 119/78, but sometimes It can go as low as this.

This fucking sucks though. I've had depression/anxiety for years but hiking always made me feel better, but now I've suddenly developed an intolerance for any exercise. It sucks because I still want to at least walk to maintain health and fitness but I notice myself at times noticing positives from getting outside and clearing my mind, but negatives from the physical activity.

I don't understand I've never lived a healthier lifestyle, but myself are getting worse. 

I've taken my blood pressure, and it's actually higher after physical activity - 120-125/75-80, but as I rest and sit down, it drops after 10-20 mins to around 95/65 or there abouts on average. My BP is fluctuating.

I'm still not ruling out b12 deficiency, I'm going for my methylmalonic acid test next week, and will then take b12 supps to see if it makes a difference.

I hope I'm able to resolve these symptoms, because regardless of my efforts I was never able to completely resolve my anxiety/depression, but I felt I had it under control, but it's gotten worse.

It feels like being physically capable and disabled at the same time

If this is what life is going to be like from now on I'm not remaining alive. I accepted a diminshed quality of life at one point because I could manage it and find some peace, but I struggle to do that now. I look after myself but these issues have gotten worse.

I don't know why they are getting worse. The NHS referred me for therapy but the waiting list is 18 months, for a service I've already accessed previously.

I don't drink alcohol regularly, no smoking, no drugs, minimal junk food. 

I admit I have taken breaks from exercise, but I don't think that explains the severity of these symptoms. Literally just 30-60 mins of walking can cause me to feel really bad.

[undeather]

Do your symptoms occur before your blood pressure drops?

[ZenAlex]

1 hour ago, undeather said:

Do your symptoms occur before your blood pressure drops?

My symptoms occur during exercise mainly, but the after effect remains throughout the day.

My BP fluctuates but actually seems to be higher 120/80 just after exercise, then it works it's way down to 95/60ish after a short while. After I walked to the doctors, my doc said it was 119/78. So whenever my doc took in office it was normal.

My doctor put me on a 24hr bp monitor and said at times it was quite low but thought that it might be down to me being healthy. The lowest I ever scored on a BP monitor was about 95/58, but that was only once, my DIA has never gone below 60 since.

She put me on a 24 hr ecg but that wont be back for a few weeks yet.

I'm getting another blood test done because I've been having issues with sore stomachs and diorreah regularly, and noticed blackness in my poo, so she's testing again for b12 and celiac issues potentially.

I have no idea what to think. My anxiety doesn't feel that severe, and sometimes I get the light-headedness even when I'm not anxious.

Physical activity is just exacerbating depression/anxiety symptoms. I feel emotionally bad after any exercise. 

[undeather]

10 minutes ago, ZenAlex said:

My symptoms occur during exercise mainly, but the after effect remains throughout the day.

My BP fluctuates but actually seems to be higher 120/80 just after exercise, then it works it's way down to 95/60ish after a short while. After I walked to the doctors, my doc said it was 119/78. So whenever my doc took in office it was normal.

My doctor put me on a 24hr bp monitor and said at times it was quite low but thought that it might be down to me being healthy. The lowest I ever scored on a BP monitor was about 95/58, but that was only once, my DIA has never gone below 60 since.

She put me on a 24 hr ecg but that wont be back for a few weeks yet.

I'm getting another blood test done because I've been having issues with sore stomachs and diorreah regularly, and noticed blackness in my poo, so she's testing again for b12 and celiac issues potentially.

I have no idea what to think. My anxiety doesn't feel that severe, and sometimes I get the light-headedness even when I'm not anxious.

Physical activity is just exacerbating depression/anxiety symptoms. I feel emotionally bad after any exercise. 

Hmmm - did you test your blood right after exercising or was it drawn in the morning with no relation to those symptoms?

[ZenAlex]

17 hours ago, undeather said:

Hmmm - did you test your blood right after exercising or was it drawn in the morning with no relation to those symptoms?

I tested for potential hypoglycaemia with a BGM, and my tests always showed between 4.0-5.0 or there abouts, within normal ranges

I even walked on an empty stomach once in the morning to test all this out, and my blood sugars were still fine.