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Am I dying?

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Posted 11/5/2013 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
My stomach has been hurting lately and I've had to pass stool much more than I'm used to. I usually only need to go once a day but today I've gone 5 times. My stomach always hurts but the pain tends to increase a lot right before I have to have a bowel movement. MY family think I'm crazy for turning a tummy ache into death but I feel like I rarely ever feel physically well.

I've never been formally diagnosed with IBS but I think that I may have it. I also have panic disorder so I am honestly thinking that I'm dying right now or that this is the start of a deadly disease.

Does this sound like an IBS episode? Would it be correct to say that IBS is uncomfortable but isn't dangerous? How often do I need to visit a doctor if I don't feel well? The last time I've gone to a doctor, they couldn't find anything wrong with me. I'm 26 years old. Am I dying?
Posted 11/5/2013 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
You need to calm down first of all . Take 2 Imodium or peptobismo. It's called a upset stomach . If you get worked up like this over a upset stomach I would highly suggest going to your doctor and possibley getting a script for a benzo which is absolutely fantastic for stopping panic attacks . Did you eat anything ? Anything that was undercooked or that your not use too? Some foods make us have to use the restroom more often than others
Posted 11/5/2013 1:45 PM (GMT 0)
Stomach medications never help me. Also, the day before yesterday I had the same symptoms but yesterday I felt alright. So basically I had the same problem on Saturday, felt better on Sunday, and then had the same problem on Monday.

How do I know this is just an upset stomach? My stomach is always, constantly, and chronically not at 100%. But on Saturday and Monday and into today it has felt worse and I've had bowel movements at a MUCH higher frequency than is typical or normal.

I'm absolutely fed up with feeling sick all the time. Every single day without fail there is something physically bothering me; I am in a constant state of pain and suffering.

I've been to counselors, psychologists, doctors, read CBT self-help books, taken medication, tried vitamins, tried sun lamps, tried probiotics, breathing/relaxation techniques, and many MANY other things and NOTHING works.

I'm starting to feel that I really am dying and that this condition is absolutely hopeless. If I'm not dying right now then I'm simply doomed to live a short life void of hope and filled with nothing but mental and physical pain, torment, and suffering until I do die.
Posted 11/5/2013 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
To me, it isn't just a stomach ache. Stomach aches should be short-lasting and shouldn't cause me to panic so much. They shouldn't alter my bowel movements in such an extreme way. How do I even have that much waste on my body in order to pass stool more than 5 times in such a short amount of time...

To me, this MUST be something catastrophic, something deadly, something serious.
Posted 11/5/2013 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
what kinds of tests has the doctor done? worry does cause alot of physical symptoms.
Posted 11/5/2013 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
You are not dying.

There are more nerve cells in your gut than there are in your brain. Your digestive system responds to stress in unpredictable ways, and your posts indicate that you are highly anxious. It is not surprising that your gut is acting out.

You are not going to die of multiple bowel movements. Nor are you going to die of malnutrition.

Please find a way to learn relaxation techniques and start to use them every single day, multiple times per day.
Posted 11/5/2013 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Worrywort, You are fine. It is very common for people who suffer from A & P to also have IBS. I myself am one of them. I find myself being very "irregular" when I'm anxious or stressing about something. I used to "go" once a day, but when the IBS kicks in and I either feel constipated, have diarrhea, can't go at all, or go multiple times a day.

Kazbern is right, there are more nerve cells in your stomach and when you're anxiety is acting up, it can cause a lot of discomfort. You need to calm yourself down. You are NOT dying! Once you calm yourself, and stop worrying so much, it will return to normal.

Hope this help to relax you a bit,

Fox
Posted 11/5/2013 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Could the food I eat (not talking about food that's gone bad, just unhealthy food) cause a stomach ache that lasts longer than a day? Also, could food I eat not start symptoms until 15 hours AFTER it was consumed?

Also I've been feeling my heart sort of flutter... does that mean there's something wrong with my heart too?

I've had a lot of tests done within the last decade, none of which show anything wrong. I've had CT scans, xrays, a barium swallow, blood tests, stool tests, urine tests, and more. The last time I had some of these done, such as the barium swallow, was in 2009. But I'v gotten my blood tested recently.

I don't want to live my life in fear and in pain. I just cannot convince myself that anxiety and anxiety alone is causing me so much physical pain, despite that's what the doctors believe is.
Posted 11/5/2013 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi WW.,

You have received a lot of good input here. You are going to be allright...we understand and have been through this from one degree to another.

Listen to the good advice given, and do some of the coping skills found in our Resources.

I also posted on your other current thread.:)

Peace and progress!

S.C.
Posted 11/5/2013 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Your stomach aches are not really related to the food you're eating. See above posts about nerves and your gut.

Anxiety can cause your heart to race or to have skipped beats. These aren't dangerous. I think you know that already.
Posted 11/5/2013 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
A racing heart or other heart-related symptoms actually didn't used to be one of my symptoms during a panic attack. My chest would tighten and breathing became labored like I was going to suffocate but my heart didn't actually manifest symptoms for me in my many years of having panic disorder. Lately, however, I have been feeling my heart flutter every once in a while and it tends to happen when I've walked up stairs or done some other form of movement. Also note that this fluttering occurs outside of a panic attack, not during one, which I think may be a cause for concern.
Posted 11/5/2013 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
I had a whole bunch of months a few years ago where I had benign early beats (PVCs). They were alarming and really annoying and kept me up at night. They were also completely harmless.

My GP sent me to a cardiologist and I wore a Holter monitor. I had a stress test and an echocardiogram. There was nothing wrong with my heart.

The common causes for these kinds of things are too much caffeine or alcohol. I had neither of these. Ultimately I concluded that my PVCs were probably related to asthma flares related to seasonal allergies.
Posted 11/5/2013 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
So those happen outside of panic attacks and are not dangerous?
Posted 11/5/2013 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Correct. When I feel this happen I usually check my carotid pulse and I can feel the skipped beat. It's kind of cool. When I had this for days at a time I went to the ER and they took an EKG and saw the early beats. My GP had me come in for a physical just to confirm all was fine.
Posted 11/5/2013 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
WW, you closed your above statement saying you had concern for the palps not related to anxiety, In all
fairness to yourself you need to get a check up with an ekg and then you can put your mind at ease. Peace

Larry ***
Posted 11/6/2013 2:09 AM (GMT 0)
I've had PVS's since I was 16 (I'm 35 now) and my heart is perfectly fine. They are uncomfortable and I tend to have more when my anxiety is bothering me but they are harmless. I had a ton when I was hooked up to the EKG and they (dr.'s) didn't think anything of it. :/ Uncomfortable but not dangerous!
Posted 11/7/2013 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
Red, I had the same experience, had an ekg while full panic was going on, they said heart works perfect.

Larry ***
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