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Anxiety and Stomach Issues

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 10/12/2011 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Anybody else??

I have noticed a direct correlation between stress / anxiety and digestive issues. If I have a big presentation my gut knots up and I belch a lot. If I have something very stressful like firing someone, I can get debilitating pains. The doctors thought I had a recurring bout of salmonella. My son had gotten salmonella and they thought it spread it to me. Turns out I was just freaked about my 6 month old being so sick. This however, was the first was indication that I have a condition between my head and gut.

I have to go see my GI doctor today. Been belching like crazy and my side is all knotted up again. Can't say I am too awful stressed though. Family is well and work is busy. Really don't think I have too much to be upset about. Maybe its these big projects I am working on. This being said, they are all going extremely well. In fact I am kind of ashamed I cant control my own anxiety.
Posted 10/12/2011 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Littlea,

I can absolutely relate to what you're going through. I've suffered from anxiety for quite a while now and believe I developed acid reflux as a result. They say the first thing to get affected by anxiety is your stomach, and think that's exactly what happened to me. I'm not sure if I belch as a result of the condition, or if I belch as a result of stress. I have noticed that when I am occupied I don't belch nearly as much.

Do you have any other symptoms besides belching?

Take Care
Posted 10/12/2011 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi littlea, absolutely notice direct link between my stress levels and my gut...when I'm really anxious I feel nauseated, heartburn, reflux, burp heaps run to the loo constantly...

Don't be ashamed about having anxiety, it's a nasty little monster and it's not your fault I believe it's all part of our genetic makeup...

Best wishes shannon
Posted 10/12/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah Littlea, I am glad that you started a new thread so that we can officially welcome you:)

Like I mentioned in the other post, belching and bloating can be a result of unconsciously gulping and swallowing air, due to breathing rapidly.

Practicing breathing exercises can train you to breathe in a slow, measured way, preventing this and other anxiety symptoms brought on by hyperventilation.

I am glad that you have joined us, and hope that you continue to post!

Take care,
Scaredy Cat
Posted 10/12/2011 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
HI,...........Yes, stress and anxiety will absolutly double me over in pain.  Get terrible diarrhea.  Wish there was something we could do to rid ourselves of this monster.  I get to the point I just want to give up, I have lost all interest in doing anything.
Posted 10/13/2011 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you are getting depressed and worn out AA:(...remind me again what you have tried for your recovery...medication? Therapy? Maybe it is time to consider going back to your doctor for a switch/adjustment in your RX, or going in for a refresher course with your therapist? Or both.

You don't have to keep feeling this way. There are options and treatments to explore. Even if you have tried before, sometimes the right timing and methods will just 'click' at some point...that time could be now:)

Be well, and keep posting, we are cheering you on!
S.C.
Posted 10/13/2011 8:05 AM (GMT 0)
For me it has turned into a phobia, at the first sign of diarrhea,

I start panicking... nausea,

I feel like I going to lose control,

I even feel "like" my blood pressure gets very low and sometimes it does, when this happens, I  take a "full" Xanax  .5mg  After, I'm calm, Imodium helps.  I have missed work, because of this. I'm sorry for being so explicit, but .....I have no one to confide and tired of this cycle. 

Posted 10/13/2011 12:21 PM (GMT 0)
You are so right SC.  I am very depressed and tired.  I am on generic Xanax .05 morning and evening.  Years back I did go to therapy which I really loved and it helped me to vent and get things out.  I really have no one to talk to except you folks.  My husband is older and has his own medical problems and all he does is sit in a chair and expect me to wait on him.  He is able to do a little for hisself, but won't.  I get no help with housework or anything.  The company that my husband retired from cancelled our health insurance and what we buy now has really high co-payments and I can't afford to see a therapist.  My doctor wants me to take an anti-depressant but I won't do this as they all make the anxiety so intensified that I almost go nuts.  I have tried Efexor, Lexapro, Paxil, you name it.
Posted 10/13/2011 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
AA and Sil, big hugs to both of you...

Sil, I too am phobic of stomach issues! I dread V and D and absoluetly avoid anybody who is sick with it...kinda hard to do with kids of my own, as well as working with kids/youth. I teach dance, and parents will send their kids to class the morning/day after having been throwing up!!! I once had a student come to a recital with medical adhesive still on her arm where her IV had been placed in the hospital to treat dehydration from a stomach virus...are you kidding me?!? Stay home right?

I found that therapy helped with this somewhat, no longer panic about it, but it is still a struggle for me if I think that it is hitting my family:(

AA, isn't it awful that something so devastating as Anxiety and Depression are considered a 'luxury' to treat through therapy! I understand the cost problem however.

There are a few alternative options that could work:

*on-line therapy
*interns working for less than a regular therapists fee
*therapist willing to work on a sliding scale (may have a long wait list)
*group therapy
*self-help books (I found these really helpful!)

While none of these are ideal, they are better than not having options:) Also since you have some background already, they could just work with what you know and give you a booster shot, so to speak:)

Take care both of you and keep posting with us...we understand and are right there with you, fighting the fight!

S.C.
Posted 10/13/2011 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
I have a horrible time with my stomach when I get anxious. I have Acid Reflux, so it really acts up when the anxiety hits. I get burning in my stomach that feels like the acid is literally trying to burn it's way right out of my stomach. Yea, unfortunately stomach issues go hand in hand with anxiety issues. This is what I read somewhere about the symptoms of anxiety/panic attacks.....

"During periods of anxiety the body diverts blood from various parts of the body to the muscle tissues in order to supply them with the oxygen needed by them during the flight or fight response. One of the main areas where blood is used most is around the digestive tract. Blood is sent there to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. As blood is diverted away from the stomach during anxiety, the digestion slows and the muscles around the stomach can become knotted. This can cause indigestion, heartburn and diarrhea or constipation."

Thought that might help you understand what is happening to your stomach while you're anxiety is acting up.
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