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Started physical excercise and it caused extreme stress irritability and confusion


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I am on Sertraline 100 mg, Clofranil 50 mg and Risperidone 1 mg. Started exercise (running, push up, squat) for 4 days to improve mental health, physical health and confidence. But having too much muscle pain, fatigue, confusion and stress after that. I am showing typical stress symptoms like irritability, lack of concentration, confusion etc. I used to exercise a lot at early teens. Now I am 38 and haven't exercise for nearly 15 years. Should I stop it for now?

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Muscle pain and fatigue is normal if you've started exercising from not having been exercising in your life. Confusion isn't. Stress could be brought on by the fatigue. If you do too much exercise so that your body can't recover with it's natural ability, this can depress your central nervous system and bring about stress hormones, lack of sleep, etc. It's called over training. Maybe you should start lighter, only do one of those exercises, or rest more than a day in between. You certainly shouldn't do the same thing four days in a row if you're starting from scratch.

The confusion thing worries me a bit though. No offence meant but especially at your age it might be sensible to check this out with a doctor, just in case you shouldn't be suddenly exercising.

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I suspect you're overdoing it after living a sedentary lifestyle. I too would suggest you talk to your doctor and make sure everything is okay. I wouldn't stop your exercising, but you might want to moderate it a bit until you get used to it.

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It's great that you've started exercising and I wouldn't give it up if I were you. However I would chat to your doctor about the confusion but it also might be a side effect of medication. Worth exploring it with your doctor anyway. 

Also if you have started exercising just make sure you are eating enough to because that can also bring on the symptoms you talk about.

Unless you are advised to stop by your doctor I would absolutely keep exercising. It's great for your health and mindfulness. In the long term I am sure exercise will bring you lots of benefits :)

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It could also be dehydration or low blood sugar. These are possible if you've suddenly started exercising. Make sure you drink lots of water. Also you should eat something fairly sugary straight after exercise to replace the energy stores in your body. Try those things and see if it improves.

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Yeah definitely don't give up exercise, just take it a bit easier to start with then gradually increase it.

As others have said it might be worth checking with your doctor if you're feeling really awful after exercise. I suspect you're just going in a bit too enthusiastically. 

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On ‎31‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 15:36, worriedjohn said:

I am on Sertraline 100 mg, Clofranil 50 mg and Risperidone 1 mg. Started exercise (running, push up, squat) for 4 days to improve mental health, physical health and confidence. But having too much muscle pain, fatigue, confusion and stress after that. I am showing typical stress symptoms like irritability, lack of concentration, confusion etc. I used to exercise a lot at early teens. Now I am 38 and haven't exercise for nearly 15 years. Should I stop it for now?

Wow that's one heck of a combination of meds, that's not all for OCD I hope?

But exercise wise, don't worry stick at it. I am a similar age and when I started riding my bike again I would find it provoked some anxiety and stress afterwards, mainly because of physical exhaustion.   If you enjoy the exercise stick at it, as your body adjusts to the strains being put on it, your mind will too and you will find you start to enjoy it even more :)

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Just now, paradoxer said:

Nothing wrong with exercise, but you have to pace it gradually 

Ditto to this.   Build it up slowly.  Don't exercise daily, day on, day off until your body starts to adjust.

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Guest OCDhavenobrain
2 hours ago, Ashley said:

Wow that's one heck of a combination of meds, that's not all for OCD I hope?

But exercise wise, don't worry stick at it. I am a similar age and when I started riding my bike again I would find it provoked some anxiety and stress afterwards, mainly because of physical exhaustion.   If you enjoy the exercise stick at it, as your body adjusts to the strains being put on it, your mind will too and you will find you start to enjoy it even more :)

seems about correct, i mean that's what doctors will prescribe when the see someone with OCD. I myself was advised to take risperdal.

 

Training is always a stresser on the body, but unlike all others stressors you have in life do it come with healthbenefits and endorphines.

i think you need to get use to the stimuli and you will soon coonect training with a feeling of calm and happiness

 

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1 hour ago, OCDhavenobrain said:

seems about correct, i mean that's what doctors will prescribe when the see someone with OCD. I myself was advised to take risperdal

 

Thankfully many doctors in the UK are less likely to prescribe such a combination. 

Risperidone is an anti-psychotic.  One large US study showed it's no better than a placebo (for just OCD). Another Dr here (Veale) did his own research and summarised it for me that if it's going to help, it will do in 4 weeks. If not helping at 4 weeks it's unlikely too. 

But of course all the meds in the world are pointless without therapy  (CBT). 

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18 hours ago, Ashley said:

Wow that's one heck of a combination of meds, that's not all for OCD I hope?

Do you think it is bad combination of meds for OCD Ashley? If it is, then I will consult with my GP. Actually right now I am trying to replace clomipramine With sertraline as it is more modern SSRI. Low dose of Risperdal is being prescribed for sleep and anxiety management.

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2 hours ago, worriedjohn said:

Do you think it is bad combination of meds for OCD Ashley?

Well let me say initially, just as my disclaimer I am not a doctor and of course medication is very individual, so not black and white.  If it's working for you then that's fine, ignore me :a1_cheesygrin: but based off my reading about OCD/meds. this is what I think the evidence / NICE state.

Risperidone in addition to an SSRI is unlikely to help with the OCD if you have been on for more than 4 weeks and not seeing any improvement.

With regards Clomipramine and SSRI's generally people do it the other way around, start on SSRI then move to clomipramine if two SSRI's have been tried and failed to help, partly because of the stronger side effects with clomipramine. Are you having or have you had CBT in the past worriedjohn?

How's the exercise been this last couple of days? I have been off the bike the last 5 months, and I managed a ride a couple of weekends ago which hurt, but felt good. I wanted to ride again this weekend but I came down with a big this week and I cant even walk without feeling dizzy this week, so no riding!  But when I am fit, I find being out on my bike for 20 minutes is so relaxing anxiety wise, almost like my own natural relaxant.....  but I have to be fit to find that enjoyment from the exercise :a1_cheesygrin:

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Guest OCDhavenobrain
17 hours ago, Ashley said:

Thankfully many doctors in the UK are less likely to prescribe such a combination. 

Risperidone is an anti-psychotic.  One large US study showed it's no better than a placebo (for just OCD). Another Dr here (Veale) did his own research and summarised it for me that if it's going to help, it will do in 4 weeks. If not helping at 4 weeks it's unlikely too. 

 

I myself was prescribed risperdal, never very keen to poop another pill and it is antipsychotic after all.

This group of drugs can have some nasty effects on the body, and the risk reward wasn't there.

SSRI do i have lots of experience with, many of those pills have gone through my body in my life.. Lexapro which they say are one of the better SSRI to treat OCD am the one i am on and have been.

Started with Sertraline

then Citalopram

Then lexapro ( own choice)

100 mg sertraline is equal to 10mg lexapro . i have been on 25mg of lexapro.

the other ssri you have do i don't know anything about threadmaker.

 

Have tapered myself down to low dosages on Lexapro and my clear goal is to be substancefree. 

Go get yourself some ERP threadmaker. Even the doctors are pretty aware of the ssri only can work as a crutch* when you are doing CBT. That is Schwartz opinion on the matter

Edited by OCDhavenobrain
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I was prescribed Clomipramine when I first started treatment. That was many years ago and may be other options like ssri s were not there to try or the GP was simply not aware of them. Now we are trying to be free of this medicine and switch to ssris and ultimate goal is to be free of medications. But I know that it is not going to be easy as I am on medication since 22 years. There is a lot of chance of relapse and I know how nasty are them. I know that is a blunder but actually CBT is not available in my country and meds are the only option.

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4 hours ago, worriedjohn said:

CBT is not available in my country

I am so sorry to hear, do you mind if I ask which country you are in?    Have you tried some of the CBT self-help materials?  Not the same as therapy, but better than nothing perhaps?

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I'm not on meds but have ocd and exercise (swimming) makes me feel a lot better. Won't say it does anything for the ocd but improves my mood a lot. I would say exercise is good, pain after it isn't common with swimming unless say you've suddenly swam 150 lengths and you've normally done 20 but pain is common after aerobics  / gym and just body adjusting. 

Confusion isn't normal after exercise and is more likely to be meds and or ocd. Ocd can make me very confused. I never found meds helped, therapy was way to go for me. 

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Guest ashipinharbor
On 2/4/2017 at 12:31, Ashley said:

Have you tried some of the CBT self-help materials? 

The books "Break Free From OCD" and "Pull The Trigger" are both said to be very helpful!

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When I did therapy it was basically doing a list of your 10 main compulsions ranking them from hardest to stop to easiest to stop and stopping them one a time week by week. It works even though its going against ocd logic. You feel worse before you feel better though. Obviously there's more to it than that but that's the basics. It's weird though the more you don't respond to the thoughts after the initial peak in fear the more relaxed you feel once you realise your fears won't happen. You also have to examine your fears and its basically facing them. 

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On 2/5/2017 at 02:01, Ashley said:

I am so sorry to hear, do you mind if I ask which country you are in?    Have you tried some of the CBT self-help materials?  Not the same as therapy, but better than nothing perhaps?

I am from India.

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