Why do I feel fear/danger, especially of heights, in my legs?!

[ToooOldForThis]

I am not good with heights, especially on man made things like tall buildings or bridges. I am also not good with my children being on the edges of things...and even when it's absolutely safe, I still experience really physical symptoms! Just been on a city break and whenever dds were looking over the edges of things, or going up and down escalators, I felt absolute panic, heart thumping etc, but 1st thing is always a weird sore wobbly pain up the back of my calves! What is that?!

I get a weird weak feeling in my wrists and sometimes legs in those circumstances - I think it’s an adrenaline reaction, fight or flight.

Same, though it's more back of knees and up into back of thighs for me. Getting worse with age!

Same here. I get a very strange sensation in my feet and lower legs. It's very peculiar and has come on in the past few years. I'd love to know what it is!

I wondered if it was adrenaline...it doesn't trigger much of a useful reaction in me though!
It's so pronounced and instant.

Glad it's not just me!

I get a prickly sensation in my face.

Ds told me it was lactic acid, the body gets pumped with adrenaline ready to flee and when you don't it settles to your knees/ legs and makes them feel odd/ wobbly.

Completely happy to be corrected as I was only half listening when he was telling me !

I get this in my legs going up escalators (not down) and it's quite extreme sometimes, like my whole body is going to give way under the wobbly feeling in my legs, although it's it's not painful. Also get the prickly and numb sensation in my face. Think it's just symptoms of vertigo

My legs go like jelly if I'm up high, even worse when I look up at a tall building.

Also get it watching seeing other people on the edges of things

It's partly adrenaline but partly shallow breathing. When you start to panic your breath gets more shallow which means you aren't taking in enough oxygen. This usually means that you get tingly prickly feelings in extremities and things like the calf pains.

I always talk my sister through the 4-4-7 method. Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4 seconds and then breathe out slowly for 7 seconds. It helps to regulate your breathing and stop those physical symptoms x

I get this too!

Although I don’t think it’s from shallow breath snd it’s not calf pain; more an instantaneous quiver.

I get it in my legs first, which confuses me! It's like they react before my brain does, it's so odd.

@TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo that sounds like good advice. Will give it a go next time going up the escalator at Angel station, which is my biggest nightmare!

@ToooOldForThis Yup starts in my legs too, and by the time it's reached my head I can't actually feel my legs any more anyway!

You have 3 instinctive reactions; fight, flight or freeze. Your brain is telling your legs to both freeze (don't fall off the edge) and run (move away from the edge). If you walk on the spot to flex the muscles, it will get your circulation going and they'll stop feeling wierd.

Ahhh I thought I was the only one! Any situation where I get adrenaline gives me a feeling as if something is running up the back of my calves. It's incredibly strange and unsettling and is one of the major reasons why I avoid any kind of 'thrill' type activities e.g go ape etc.

My fear of heights is all physical. My top half feels disconnected and like it may just lean forward and topple me over the edge at any moment, it actually makes me sway which makes the feeling of danger much worse, it’s only getting worse with age

A quick Google says it's the effects of stress hormones on your blood flow? The blood can rush to your heart and brain leaving your extremities feeling funny?

@TwoWayMirror I am the same, feeling wobbly and woozy makes me feel even less safe!!

@TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo

It's partly adrenaline but partly shallow breathing. When you start to panic your breath gets more shallow which means you aren't taking in enough oxygen. This usually means that you get tingly prickly feelings in extremities and things like the calf pains.

I always talk my sister through the 4-4-7 method. Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4 seconds and then breathe out slowly for 7 seconds. It helps to regulate your breathing and stop those physical symptoms x

This is so interesting, thank you!

I get this. My legs just give out under me.

I always used to get 'anxious fanny' when my children were younger and doing daredevil things, and I know I'm not alone because I've been on MN years under different names and seen others mention it too.

@LarryUnderwood actually now that you mention it it's not just heights, it can be other adrenaline producing situations too.

I also get it when I see things in films...like I cannot cope with violence, torture...bits of homeland used to physically hurt me