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CAN CHRONIC STRESS AND ANXIETY CAUSE DIARREAH?

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Posted 3/29/2010 2:14 PM (GMT 0)

Hello ,

I am new here but already feel I won't be judged.

I live under Chronic Stress and I have Panic/Anxiety Disorder.

It seems everytime I go through a crisis which is almost everyday here I have cramping diarreah. I do know from reading and speaking with my MD that Stress will make any stomach problem worse and will cause a " gut reaction" as diareah. I guess I just want to know I am not alone in this. I am so very tired of it all.

My daughter and her twin sons ( 19years old ) are the main culprits that bring on all my stress and have for years, now it seems I can't relax at all when I used to be able to in the evenings, mornings are always awful!. I am ALWAYS on high alert for the next bomb to drop from them.

I was abused as a child so very Co Dependant and have a hard time saying No but, am trying so hard to reverse that.

Any sugesstions will be greatly appreciated

Thank you again

Dana

Posted 3/29/2010 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
It can......
Posted 3/29/2010 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Well this is just an opinion, and a lay opinion at that.

I think stress and anxiety can aggravate "digestive issues", but there is probably some kind of underlying cause to them. Diet, IBS...who knows. It wouldn't hurt to see a gastroenterologist.

I go through periods of this, too, but no matter how much stress I have it will not affect that particular bodily function as long as I'm doing the other things right. In my case that means eating decent food and not going hours and hours and hours without eating anything. If I do the wrong thing and have stress, there's a good chance I'm going to have issues. I can do the wrong thing without stress and the issues are more minor, so I'm pretty sure that anxiety does play a big part in it.

But you're not alone. Good luck.
Posted 3/29/2010 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
I am a person who also suffers with Crohns Disease as well as a/p. Everytime my stress levels get high I immediately get diarrhea and nausea. I have started learning how to recognize when its ramping up, and if I get catch it early enough by taking my Xanax, I am able to stop it in its tracks. Its not really causing my Crohns to act up, but as Debaser mentioned it causes the IBS to flare up. You are not alone! I recently had to learn to tell my 32 year old daughter no. Was very hard to do, but now that I have put my foot down things in that area are getting better. Good luck to you!
Posted 3/31/2010 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
I totally agree
anxiety plays havoc with my bowels but of course the crohns does too n yes i would see doc and be checked for ibs or other gi issues
l am the exact same way as Nanners...i also just had to put foot down with cait..thought she was ruling roost..not
we are here for you
huggs
lyn
Posted 4/1/2010 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
Without a doubt yes! I have IBS (well it hasn't acted up for years) and anxiety disorder. If I let the anxiety get out of hand EVERY time I have loose stool. For years this has been the case. Don't "stress" about it. It happens.

I would add, that I found when an anxiety attack comes doing a quick workout of some kind whether it's a few push ups, sit ups, what have you takes your mind off it. I have also been able to keep my anxiety in check by taking a multi-vitamin to equal out any nutritional imbalances that may be a trigger coupled with regular work outs even if only for a few minutes a day. Eating well and drinking lots of water is of course key.

I'm 36 and have been suffering from anxiety attacks since I was 6 years old. Some of the best advice I have ever heard was to simply tell yourself "I am fine, I have been here before and this too will pass".

Best of luck to you!

- Imbus
Posted 4/1/2010 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
Imbus,


Hello and welcome to HealingWell. Thank you for your positive posts.



Please feel comfortable starting a thread of your own to introduce yourself to all the members. We are a peer support group and we are here to celebrate your successes and to support you when you hit bumps in the road.



Again welcome,



Kitt
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