Shaking after panic attacks

[Eltwins]

Hi, quite new here. I have health anxiety and panic attacks. The other night I had a particularly bad panic attack, caused by my heart beating faster...and so on...!

The question I have though is about afterwards. When I am calming down and all vitals are going back to normal (!) my muscles start to shake uncontrollably, especially in my legs and they get really stiff and it would be difficult to bend them to go upstairs for instance. So i get this shaking in my muscles and they go stiff and also my jaw will kind of lock. This will last for about 10 minutes or so. Is this normal?

Just I was watching a medical drama last night (!) and someone there did it, not after a panic attack though, and they said it was something wrong with his heart and shocked him! Something else to freak about!

[Anna78]

Hi

Dont worry about it my leg muscles twitch after an attack. The Doc has advised me that it is because you take too much oxygen in due to breathing fast which in turn effects the muscles

Hope this helps

Anna x

[kimmy]

when u have a panic attack/anxiety your adrenaline in your body is so hard that ur body gets rid of it by shaking etc, its the flight or fight!!! Dont flight and just accept it will pass and youll be fine and its the first stage to recovery

[noworriesnocries]

You shake because of the adrenaline that needs to be absorbed by your blood, and also because of the hyperventilation during the attack, where you have too much oxygen in you.

When you feel a little more calm, breath in for 4 counts, hold breath for 4 counts, breath out for 4 counts. Don't do the routine for more than 4 times. Go back to normal breathing for a while and try it again. It may help to regulate your oxgyen levels...

You can also take a paperbag and breath in an out from it, again don't overdo it. Have a little kit... A paperbag, something too keep you busy, like a little squeeze ball...A friend whom you can call and talk, not about the attack but something silly like the TV show you watched last night, so you can distract yourself... Play with your pets (I highly recommend having pets around)... My kitties always distracted me and accompanied me during and after my attacks. It is comforting... Or alternatively, you can do little house chores, not too tiring ones, like empty and fill the dishwasher... And exercize every other day, a brisk walk, dance around the house, swim, etc... It makes your heart stronger, and you feel less worried when your heart races, since it does race a little when you exercise...

[Eltwins]

Thanks for your posts.

I feel better about the shaking. It is just so horrible because I thought I had stopped the panic attacks and was no longer worried about my heart. Then bam, it comes out of nowhere again. I don't think I will ever have a 100% feeling that it is not a heart problem. There always seems to be that nagging doubt, that maybe this time...!!

I too have digestion problems which seem to make it worse. With that I get shoulder and arm pain and always think that this time it is something!