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I'm OK....then, BAM, I'm not.........OMG!

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 9/17/2007 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Not to beat a dead horse, but I have been having some weird, unexplainable problems since May........(GI tract--possibly, and mid-back)........

When I feel OK---I cruise along---but, in  the back of my mind is a little anxiety....

Then, when I feel something (could be pain in my digestive tract - and all that goes with it)---nausea, dizzy, then...... I start to get REALLY anxious---and start thinking the worst!

See, my father died of Colon Cancer when he was 69---that was 14 years ago!  I spent a good amount of time with him---and remember the types of pains he was going through.  But now, when I am experiencing pains in my abdomin-----I start to think----what if I have the same thing---and I am going to die?  I would leave my DH (my best friend)---three small children---and I'm not done living yet.......SO, I panic!

I have taken Klonopin PRN----and go to a therapist----but, have decided not to pursue other meds until we rule out a few things with my back/GI tract! sad

I just can't get out of my "box" when I start to feel physical pains.  The anxiety just sucks...(sorry).......I know that anxiety causes physical symptoms---but, I feel these "pains" are beyond the symptoms of anxiety........

What do I do?  So sad.......

Posted 9/17/2007 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
HI there
Not to get you all worked up .PLEASE do not ......

I would ask for a colonscopy to see IF there IS anything going on in there .......or whether it is the A/P up to its sneaky lil tricks

My opinion is to go with your Gut feelings most times anywasy and I would think if you are having this many probs in your GI tract and pains in ab a scope might just be the answer......

Where specifically are you getting the pains in tummy ,.....

I have CD as in my sig and I know those cramps and trips to bathroom all to well

Do you have alot of D or constipation ..........

DO NOT think the worst ......It may just be the Devil .....a/p working you

Let us know what you r planning to do


LYN
Posted 9/18/2007 4:57 AM (GMT 0)

Hi there,

I agree with Lyn, go with your gut (no pun intended) instinct and get the GI work up.  If that shows nothing which I pray it doesn't, than you may need an MRI or some other tests.  Often when we have a disorder i.e. Anxiety, that is the first thing that comes to peoples mind. 

Be your own patient advocate and never get into the rut of letting people poo poo you as just being too anxious, if your instinct is waving a red flag.

Take care and keep posting. My Father died of Pancreatic Cancer so I understand your thought pattern well.

Posted 9/18/2007 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
thank you both for your responses. I will definetly be pushing the scopes (upper and lower)---when I see the GI guy the end of October. I just try to tell myself there is nothing I can do about it right now---and once I see the GI guy---we'll go from there--but, it's still scary to think about it.......
Posted 9/18/2007 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Am wishing you all the best.......

Keep us posted and hard as it is try not to let this rule your days and nights

Luvs
LYN
Posted 9/19/2007 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
hopeisreal,
Your story is very familiar to me. I know EXACTLY what you're going through.
It's good to have the comprehensive workup - especially if you have a history of cancer in your family.
In my case, after many tests (and many days of terror), the specialist looked at me and said "I don't think there's anything wrong with you. You've just got the worry gene". And he was right. The pain I was feeling was part of the panic cycle. My gut hurts, I'm not hungry, I'm losing weight - I must have cancer <panic!>. So I'm going to completely lose control of my life, die a terrifying death, leave my family behind and be buried in the ground in a box <more panic!>.
When you panic your brain releases a mess of chemicals intended to help you escape danger. But in the process, those chemicals can cause all kinds of physical side effects, that if interpreted incorrectly by your mind, will cause you to panic more causing more physical effects. Without intervention, this cycle can wrachet up until your brain is in a constant state of anxiety - it becomes self sustaining (kind of like a nuclear reaction) where you feel terrified even if nothing bad is going on around you.
That's what happened to me.
Just as it takes time to get into this condition, it takes time to reverse it. Therapy and medication can have spectacular results for some people. Others find ways of recovering w/o medication. But the wonderful news is that anxiety/depression are VERY curable! So take hope. : )
All of us at any given time may have some bad stuff brewing inside. It's one of the sad realities of being human. What people like you and I have to do are to find ways to NOT think too far beyond what we know to be fact - to NOT take one piece of disturbing information and spin it with our imagination into a full blown disaster scenario with an inevitably bad outcome.
I have a family history of dibilitating anxiety and depression. I'll likely be on an anti-depressant for the rest of my life - and that's ok with me if it allows me to live a more functional life.
Take heart! Lots of us have been when you are - and come out of it better people. : )
Posted 9/19/2007 7:02 AM (GMT 0)
After doing all those medical tests, something you can do to get more comfortable with random pain is any abdomen workouts, like crunches or leg lifts or holds or russian twists...whatever you like. It feels good to have an intense burning sensation in your stomach and know that it is a good thing. Better yet, during the day when you're not doing the exercises but you feel one of those random pains, you can safely attribute it to your exercising so much instead of horrible cancer and junk, and just stifling that thought might ease the pain. Stretching is good too.
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