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Anxiety and UC

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Posted 7/27/2015 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Do the two go hand-in-hand? Leading up to my first flare, and since my diagnosis, I have had a huge increase in daily anxiety. This is out of character for the first 34 years of my life. I'm not at nervous breakdown levels or anything but it is definitely noticeable. It's not necessarily anxiety about my UC, but whatever I'm dealing with that day. I've even struggled with claustrophobia (sp?) which I've never had in my life.
Posted 7/27/2015 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
I have noticed that my anxiety has increased significantly since my diagnosis. Personally my anxiety is generally traced back to UC. I have anxiety about social situations, like the food that will be served, if there will be restrooms nearby and if I will begin to have my severe cramps and not be able to keep my composure. I try to just cover it up, but I am definitely not the social person I used to be. I am curious too if there is a definite link between UC and anxiety.
Posted 7/27/2015 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
I think it's just having more things to be anxious about like was mentioned
Alos some of the meds aka steroids contribute to anxiety
Posted 7/28/2015 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Uc often causes anxiety. Uc is disease with unpredictable, urgent bms, and can cause accidents. That creates social isolation, self image issues, depression, worrying and other such fun things. The best thing you can do is get your uc under control, as it greatly eases the mind and the likelihood of issues occurring. I'm in remission (an absence of uc symptoms) but the anxiety still hits me at times. We all deal with it to different levels.
Posted 7/28/2015 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
UC is enough to cause anxiety. Also dysbiosis of gut microbes can lead to mental health impairments because of gut-mind connection. Some feel more peaceful with probiotics. I sometimes noticed calmness and improved mood a few hours after taking a sachet of VSL#3.

Also, some meds, like pred, can increase anxiety.
Posted 7/28/2015 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies. I mentioned this to my family practitioner and she just said "are you anxious about pooping your pants?" That's actually the last thing I worry about at the moment, although I can understand why she would ask. I feel my disease is being controlled fairly well with meds although I did have an incredibly painful abscess about a month ago that required surgery. Needless to say, that didn't help with the anxiety (amazing what needles and scalpels where the sun don't shine will do to you). I've been on edge ever since fearing a possible fistula along with all my other usual life stresses we all deal with.
Thanks for the advice on the probiotic, I've started SCD which has a probiotic yogurt that I'm trying to teach my guts to like.
Posted 7/28/2015 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
By the way, sorry for any confusion but I changed my display name in the middle of this thread I am still the original poster.
Posted 7/29/2015 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
They're interrelated for me, but I see no clear correlation or causation between the two. Treatment for anxiety reduces anxiety, but does not affect colitis and vice versa. They vary across time.
Posted 7/30/2015 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
I have gotten pretty bad health anxiety, I would like to think it is because this disease puts stress on your body surely that can put stress on your mental health.
Posted 7/30/2015 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
i suffer from health anxiety too. Fortunately there's a health anxiety forum where i meet fantastic people, i flood them with the most imbecile questions on earth and they patiently answer to calm me down :)
Posted 7/31/2015 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I beleive there is a gut / brain connection when it comes to neurotransmitters and anxiety. I've found Xanax and Valium to work very well for the anxiety and to help with sleep.
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