Post Panic symptoms

[Beckybecks]

Does anyone get after effects of a panic attacks or a bout of anxiety?

Once I experience the relief of recovering from the attack I'm then brought down with what I can only explain as a flu-ish feeling.

Thick head, dizziness, headache. Just generally unwell. But it doesn't develop into anything. Stays for something between a few days to two weeks sometimes.

Doctors aren't interested. But I'm getting tired of feeling ill.

[GingerFish]

I have this after every severe panic attack and I am currently still going through it after a bad attack 2 days ago. I call it the anxiety hangover. I feel like my body 'drank' too much panic and now its dealing with the 'hangover'. I feel quite disconnected, run down, highly anxious yet numb, sore everywhere, no appetite and generally quite down. It can last a day or 2 or up to a fortnight. I gradually get better day by day but can take a while to feel 'normal' again, well as normal as you can feel when you have severe panic disorder and OCD! I have noticed when I start to get better again, my anxiety gets higher. Its like my mind can't cope with me being happy and it makes it worry more but if I continued to feel worse, that would make me worry too, you can't win!

[Fishmanpa]

What Gingerfish said... an anxiety hangover. It makes perfect physiological sense when you think about it. The body being in an extreme state of alert for an extended period of time, excess adrenaline pumping through your body, your mind in overdrive etc. It's like running a marathon sitting still. I know I feel like I've been run over by a truck after a particularly long stressful period.

Even in short term stressful situation like a close call in a car, that 10-15 minutes afterward after the initial shock wears off, you feel like you've been slapped upside the head.

As difficult as it is, getting out, going for a walk and such can help.

Positive thoughts

[misslove]

I usually get bad migraines after a very anxious time.Tight back and shoulders. Generally just exhausted.

[Beckybecks]

Thank you Gingerfish, that's a very good description especially where you explain about the period where you feel better and then experience anxiety just because you feel better! For me the relief causes a strange elation which fast becomes anxiety........
Because I have HA the hangover part always worries me, i imagining what it could be.
So it's nice to hear that other people have the same symptoms.

[Movielife]

I've definitely experienced this!

[Beckybecks]

I had a bout of anxiety for about a week followed by a bad panic attack. When I recovered and started to feel relieved, the very next day I came down with this mystery illness. Tired and achey, flu-ish feeling and fuzzy head. I tried to relax about it all and today the mystery illness has disappeared! But I honestly didn't imagine it. It Must be due to the panic. Strange what it does to the body.