Please tell me there’s hope!

[c_sparkles23]

Been battling some horrible anxiety and depression since aug. Due to it I got very bad nausea that lasted weeks and has made me lose over 15 lbs of weight. I just wish I could eat like I used to. I am tired of not being able to eat more than what I do daily. Everything g scares me. I get nervous and scared of everything and any little thing I feel. Please has anyone out there ever suffered from this and did the medication helped to gain your appetite back and take the nausea away? I just want hope that once I get back on medication I’m gonna be able to eat. I miss my happy self and I miss having a normal life and go outside and spend time with my kids. Please just help me all I want is some words of hope and prayers!

[LoveforAll41]

Howdy c_sparkles... I am sorry that you are going through so much. I can only imagine being a single parent. I have been through a lot of cycles of depression and times of not being so depressed, even happiness. I truly believe there is a path out there for each of us to find peace. I personally believe that if we can change the way we think we can change the way we feel. I love Dr Burns book "Feeling Great". He also has a lot of stuff on the Feeling Good podcast.

Are you in therapy as well? I think that if we have ever been abused we are just going to see the world differently to guard against threats...☮️

[c_sparkles23 in reply to LoveforAll41]

No I have to call tomorrow to find out when I’ll be able to start the therapy sessions

[Downinil]

I guarantee as long as we’re alive there is hope. Hang in there, c_sparkles23!

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Downinil]

Thank you so much! I don’t want to end up like I did years ago. I went through something very traumatizing a few months ago and because of it it triggered my anxiety and the depression came back. I know I have to have hope and not give up but it feels like the hope I once had is going away.

[Nothing_but_books]

If you can't get yourself to eat, and you're losing more weight than is safe, it's time to get medical help. Get an appointment with a psychiatrist and explain what's happening. There are drugs that will give you an appetite. Just starting to eat again can get you doing better.

Meanwhile, finger foods may be more tolerable to you. Crackers, toast? Some Jell-O? If you like dried fruit, raisins can help too.

If your weight is already a problem, try Ensure. It's easy to drink and will help you get enough calories.

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

I do eat but I don’t think it’s enough food. I eat a bowl of oatmeal with a side of toast and fruit daily, for lunch I eat either a tuna or turkey ham sandwich with popcorn on the side or veggie straws and for dinner I’ll usually have like a soup with crackers or a flour tortilla on the side to be able to get in more calories. But I don’t think that alone it’s enough. I drink water daily and sometimes I’ll have a glass of almond milk with crackers. I just miss being able to eat regular foods. I’m afraid of eating anything. It’s like my brain it’s programmed to thinking anything I eat is going to give me a heart attack. I know it sounds stupid but that’s what comes to mind right away. The nausea seems to be bad during the morning which is why I only have oatmeal because it seems to make my nausea come down.

[Nothing_but_books in reply to c_sparkles23]

It doesn't sound stupid. You have done a great job recognizing what's going on! Yes, your brain is programmed to think that. Getting the anxiety and nausea to improve are both important.

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Thank you for not judging and being understanding of my situation. My sister and some of my so called friends think it’s all easy and that it’s easy to tell myself that it’s my anxiety but it’s not. I got prescribed lorazepam the 0.5 mg tab and I get haven’t taken it because I’m so scared to take it. I know if I do take it I should start feeling better within a couple of weeks but it’s the side effects that scare me the most.

[b1b1b1 in reply to c_sparkles23]

First of all, you can cut or break the .5 mg tablet in half. You may be less anxious about trying a smaller dose. Second, it really doesn't have side effects. It is very short acting and wears off in 2-3 hours. Have you considered therapy? It may help you a lot, and an anti depressant may also help. x

[c_sparkles23 in reply to b1b1b1]

Okay so I was out on hydroxyzine at first but at the time I was working out of town and my psychiatrist wanted me to take 1 tab in the morning and 1 at night which was impossible it made super drowsy and I worked from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. He later prescribed me sertraline 100 mg and it gave me some very bad side effects that I ended up at the er for hrs. After that happened within days I noticed my anxiety started coming back and I couldn’t sleep. I had taken sertraline in the past and it made me sick as well and I had already told my psychiatrist about it but it’s like he never paid attention to what I would tell him. I decided to stop seeing him and went back to my pcp who was the one that diagnosed me with the anxiety and depression 3 years ago. Also the psychiatrist refused to referred me to take therapy idk why. I kept telling him I needed it and he just refused to referred me to a therapist.

[Nothing_but_books in reply to c_sparkles23]

Yes, lorazepam will calm you for a short time. It's not a solution that'll get you through every meal long term.

Knowing why you started being afraid of food may be a help. Was it because eating made you feel sick?

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that after I ended up at the er from the side effects of sertraline I had horrible stomach aches for days and anything I would eat made it worse. So after a few days went by I started eating less and eventually the nausea started coming. I do sometimes try to eat more then usual because I do get hungry specially after 6 pm

[Nothing_but_books in reply to c_sparkles23]

Have you considered talking to a dietician?

Meanwhile, if you're still getting the nausea, there are a few home remedies to try (ginger, fennel, keeping hydrated), but you should see a doctor too.

One last idea. If you've got a sinus infection, the nasties dripping in your tummy from that can cause nausea too.

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Haven’t talked to anyone. Where I live in Texas is hard to find therapists and dieticians since it’s a very small town and not just that if I have no medical insurance a lot of the times they won’t see you.

[Nothing_but_books]

Ginger tea is very helpful for nausea.

[Zaid07]

How is your morning going?

[noneveralone]

hi c_sparkles23 , I can see the pain in your posts. I am writing this reply to get some positivity in you. When I went through MH crisis, I was in the same situation. I wasn’t sure if the loss of appetite/nausea was due to the meds or my overwhelming depression clogging me at that time. All I knew was that I was lacking the strength and energy for anything. In regards to the loss of appetite, I found that small portions of food especially before the medications helped to prevent the nauseated feeling , for example when I had no appetite to down a meal, I used to have a glass of milk or a fruit snack with cheese or something soft prior to getting the medications in. I also prioritised my night time sleep( although it was intermittent) and kept adequately hydrated on days I spent in bed.

I am not sure if this would help you but certainly helped me get through days when I felt so overwhelmingly nauseous.

Please look after yourself and be kind to yourself. You’re never alone ! We are all in this together.

[Sadbuthopeful]

c_sparkles23, I know exactly what you are dealing with because I too am someone who gets anxiety about every little thing. I have had nausea now for over 3 years now. Every single day an I didn’t even attribute it to my anxiety, I just thought it was because there was something physically wrong with me. But I think I might have adrenal deficiency due to my constant state of anxiety. Making any kind of appearance anywhere just drains me completely. If I’m gone from my home for more than an hour then I start getting real panicky. I feel like I’m a real mess. I am on Fluoxetine & Hydroxyzine. I believe the Hydroxyzine is what is helping the most. It was recommended to take it “as needed” and it just wasn’t working for me, but after talking with my Therapist I found out she also takes it, but she takes it daily, so I started taking mine that way and even though I’m still struggling it does take the edge off, which allows me to at least be able to leave the protection of my home. It’s easy on my body without a long list of side affects which is what I get from my anti psychotic meds. Maybe it could help you. I also stared meditation which I used to think was a joke, but I find myself looking forward to each session. It’s called the Healthy Minds Program it’s an app. Life saver, I’m not sure about you but I get stuck by the “ What if’s”What if this or that happens and I always come up with the worst case scenario in any situation and meditating has taught me to focus and be in the present. I feel bad for my partner because he is real social, & likes to go do things with people & im scared of everything so he ends up going by himself most of the time, But don’t give up.

Maybe one of these things can help you too. But I have come to realize that Medication can only do so much. I just haven’t found out what the solution is to the rest of my difficulties. So I will struggle on. Anyway, know you aren’t the only one feeling this way. Hang in there.

[Vonus5591]

hi sparkles

sometimes change of diet can help and sprouts or cabbage or green vegetables is good on the stomach and health. It might be something more serious but you should have blood test and urine tests for general health check. Should it just be emotions and anxiety or depression talking to friends and family and posts may help you. You should get support you need and maybe medication change has done this and you need to look into with your doctor or side effects on the internet as they give this, when you google the medicine. Whatever the cause, you need to be doing something and finding out by trying is only thing you can do but don't ignore.

[c_sparkles23 in reply to Vonus5591]

Thank you!