Should I go to the hospital?

Hey guys, me again. (Sorry, I feel so annoying for posting so much....I just really need help.)

The past 2.5 weeks have been really rough for me. I've been dealing with some body pains/sickness that has turned into so much more- Anxiety, stress, insomnia, barley eating.

I'm at the point right now where I'm about to give up. I don't know what to do. I've had several tests done (on my heart, lungs, blood tests, an endoscopy) and everything is coming back okay. However whenever I eat I feel a dull pain in my chest area. Because of this, I have not been eating well for almost 2 weeks and my eating habits are getting worse. (Due to the pain and now fear of eating/drinking.) I'm concerned because I've dropped a lot of weight... my scale at home says I'm 177 (with a sweatshirt and sweatpants on- which is the least I've been in awhile) and the doctors scale said I was 185 a week or so ago. I know I need to eat and I'm trying but I can't bring myself to eat as much as I need to be eating. I'm on a lot of prescription medicine and the thought of taking all this medicine on a diet like I've been eating scares me. I can't even drink meal shakes because I'm allergic to soy. I took a few sips of one last night and had what I believe was an allergic reaction. (Sharp/burning pain in my chest. Took some Benadryl and it slowly got better. Eventually got to the point where it only hurt when I swallowed.) I haven't even had a full allergy test done because I got sick and keep having to take antihistamines- pushing my appointment further a further back. They did a test with my blood (and I showed allergies to walnuts, soy, and tomatoes) but I haven't had the test where they prick you yet.

I'm in a very vicious cycle. I've been trying to get a hold of my doctor but he's been too busy to even call me back. (I do have an appointment scheduled tomorrow morning.) I have a lot of symptoms of acid reflux and I'm taking medicine for it but the upper GI and endoscopy show I have no issues with my digestive tract. (Despite all the symptoms I have.) I started Lexapro for my anxiety a week and a half ago and I'm on Temazepam for my insomnia but I was instructed to only take it for a week (which will be tomorrow, so idk what to do there either.) My doctor wants me to have a sleep study done but I don't think that's necessary. (I've never had sleeping problems until now.) I didn't even get the insomnia medicine from him, I got it from the urgent care over the holiday weekend. My actual doctor gave me Hydroxyzine, which is an antihistamine and after a few days of it not working he wants to send me for a sleep study...? I quit my job last week so I have to be careful with the bills I"m racking up. Part of me feels like I don't even trust the doctors. They're just pulling at straws.

Does anyone have any advice? I'm a mess. I'm trying to stay calm and distracted but it's hard. I'm not healthy right now and I don't know where to turn to. My biggest concern right now is how little I'm eating and drinking. I've been having probably anywhere from 300-700 calories a day for about 2 weeks. Is the hospital my best bet? Can they do anything for me?

AF,

Increased anxiety with your start up is surely contributing to your overall feelings and challenges right now.

You have only been on the Lexapro for a week and a half...and as such, your body and mind are seeking to adjust to the chemical changes that are taking place.

With time, these changes are going to to beneficial...but now, they are foreign to your system, so there is going to be a struggle in the first few weeks.

The trouble eating is temporary, and is not going to do any immediate or permanant damage. (btw are you male of female...just curious in terms of what is considered a healthy weight according to gender) I went three years with a low enough weight (due to anxiety) to induce amenorrhea   until I gained recovery through treatment...so you are going to be alright.

Talk with your doctor about all of your concerns tomorrow. You are taking the right steps for your recovery...now it is just a matter of time and continued effort.:)

Use the coping skills from our Resources to add to your mangement tools!!

S.C.

Ashlee,

I had a really hard time eating and drinking with my last bout of anxiety. I lost 25 lbs in just about 1 month. I was forced to drink meal replacement shakes, as I was probably only eating about 300 calories a day. Since you can't have those, another option would be smoothies (from like Tropical Smoothie Cafe) with a shot of protein. I would drink those when I got tired of the Ensure. Plus, they taste waaaaaay better.

Okay, now I realize the worry concerning your weight...I did not realize you are above average height! ;)

I hope you have an informative and productive appointment tomorrow...let us know how it goes, okay?

S.C.

Hi AF!

I'm sorry to hear you're frustrated, but maybe you could try and spin your outlook a little bit. It sounds like you actually had a good appointment! Your doctor thinks you are healthy, which is awesome and has sent you in another direction to find answers!

Lots of people who suffer from anxiety/depression/etc experience periods where they have quite a bit of weight loss for one reason or another. I know it's frustrating, but try to take a little comfort in knowing that you are physically healthy. There is nothing wrong with seeing a psychiatrist and looking at some other possibilities for what you're experiencing physically. Remember, anxiety can manifest itself in many ways, including physical ones!

Hello, you said your eating barley, that in itself can cause quit a lot of gas and stomach pain if your not used to all the fiber.

I know a lot of this is in my head but I can't control it. The path I'm heading down scares me but I can't bring myself to eat the amount I'm suppose to. I've been drinking protein fruit drinks which are around 200 calories. I had one this morning along with a Greek yogurt. I just ate a pudding and had a very small bowl of cereal. That barley puts me at 500 calories. I don't want to be malnourished and weak but I can't bring myself to eat. I'm digging my own grave.

I started about a week and a half ago. The first week I was on 5mg and I've been on 10mg since Tuesday. It's not so much that I don't have an appetite, it's more that I'm having some anxiety about eating because of reflux. My anxiety has been worse since starting Lexapro but I hear that's normal. The not eating is a developing problem. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that it makes me uncomfortable. I've never been afraid of eating until just recently. I'm praying that goes away soon.

My anxiety seems to be shifting to different things. This all started with me being sick and obsessing over mucus/phlegm in my throat. I've had problems sleeping and can't seem to get my mind to shut off so I can sleep. Then it was chest pains and a tight throat. Now I'm barley eating...

Post Edited (Ashlee Frances) : 12/5/2015 2:26:27 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks for the reply!

I definitely think anxiety is running the show right now. I blame it on starting the Lexapro. (I can do that right? lol) I've held off on going to the hospital despite wanting to almost every day. I know they aren't going to do much for me and I'll just rack up another bill. I'm waiting for a psychiatrist to call me back this week and I'm trying to decide if I should talk to somebody about the digestive issue. I'm trying to eat more even though I'm scared and it can be uncomfortable. (sorry for too much info but I actually pooped for the first time in like a week today so that's a good sign I think) The hardest part of this is that I had an endoscopy done and everything looks good. So it's hard to solve an issue that's not showing ya know?

I didn't sleep very well last night. I went off the Temazepam and took 50mg of Hydroxyzine instead. My Dr. wants me to have a sleep study done so I'm trying to avoid taking the addictive sleep drugs. I'm trying to naturally get my body back on track.

Deb, I think Ashlee meant to type "barely eating". I could be wrong though.

:)

Sorry, Ashlee! When you're typing you are spelling it barley which is a grain. If you mean you are hardly eating anything at all, that spelling is barely. I think it was confusing because people aren't sure if barley is something you like to include in your diet, or if it's just a spelling error.