For over a year I've suffered from a strange condition (it might be gastroparesis but doctors and I are confused about it) which symptoms are nausea, and stomach aches but no vomiting.
It started when I had a stomach bug and threw up a few times, it wasn't even too severe, but after that i never fully recovered? I feel nauseous after I eat anything, the severity depending on what I've eaten. It's usually worse after I eat my dinner, possibly because its a bigger meal, and after eating chocolate (or sweets, but I tend to not really eat sweets anyway.)
But the problem isn't just feeling sick, its that i have a baadd fear of vomiting again. Because of this, I have developed symptoms similar to depersonalisation/derealisation (hope i spelt them right lol, and i haven't had a formal diagnosis; i'm going to start counselling in a few days though) and anxiety.
I'm afraid that the condition may be chronic, but now I'm not sure if it is even a separate condition or if its just my anxiety causing the symptoms to persist. Has anyone else had this problem or something similar? and how would I know if this is the case or not?
Written by
gatocatto
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I am currently going through similar symptoms. I have been eating less and less because after a meal I get intense pain. I’ve even lost weight because of it. I don’t have a fear of vomiting, so I think the trigger for it is just worrying. I am always “stressed out”. Either between work, or family, or just being an adult- the pressure has gotten very bad for me recently. Then the stomach aches started. I had an ultrasound to check my gallbladder which came back ok. So I’m convinced it’s the stress.
I hope you feel better. Hang in there. They have me taking acid reducing over the counter medications for 2 weeks to see if it helps.
I have ended up in the ER thinking something is physically wrong with me and they ran tests and nothing out of the ordinary .. and yes stress can and anxiety can
Bring on various health conditions and diseases .. your body is
In flight or fight mode most of the time so yes it is possible to be sick and it is possible to reverse the damage as well 🙂
Anxiety can create any kind of illness. I have trouble eating when I have anxiety. I sometimes feel paralyzed, my arms can't move and feel like their burning. Every morning I wake up I have a terrible feeling in my stomach letting me know it's going to be one of those days. Sleep is the only escape which j welcome. I had to retire early from my job. Because of my anxiety.
It might be the hardest thing you'll ever have to deal with. It can be done. I had it like 35 years ago, it came back 4 years ago. Good luck
Hi 👋🏻 This sounds like me so much! It’s nice to know I’m not alone. I have severe health anxiety and Emetaphobia (fear of vomit or vomiting). I had a tummy bug back in November and ever since I can’t go a day without horrible nausea. Sometimes I feel so sick I genuinely think I’m going to throw up. It’s really hard. I’ve noticed that any small amount of stress unrelated to my health/Emetaphobia seems to bring it on and my anxiety carries on the feeling therefore making it worse until I’m having a full blown panic attack convincing myself that I’ve got a tummy bug again. I struggle to eat as well. I have no appetite at all and when I do finally eat it makes me feel sick. It’s a vicious circle. I used to love food and had a healthy appetite but now I struggle and only eat around once a day. I think because we are scared of getting sick again it is on our minds and we can’t let it go therefore fueling our panic and worry over it. I have been prescribed anti anxiety meds to try as my anxiety is getting worse again recently but I’m too worried to even try them as the side effects could be tummy problems so I am in a very dark place at the moment and I feel there is no way out of this.
Sorry for the long reply and I’m sorry that your suffering as well. I hope that we’re strong enough to get through this and be happy. X
I came across your reply. Yes i know exactly what you mean. I have health anxiety which seems like it manifest and evolves to all different levels of stmptoms and causes all new fears of everything. I have definitely become afraid to eat anything now out of fear of allergic reaction. I had an allergic reaction out of nowhere a month ago. Never had one ever in my life. Now im afraid that anything i eat could cause that major reaction. Im afraid of vomiting too. Im afraid of everything around me like lately i cant trust anything. Like everything is possibly harmful. I dont get good sleep because it seems now i get all sorts of stmptoms when i go to bed. I get these intense adrenaline sensations. It feels like something is tightening up on my back and neck and then i feel it in the back of my head like my muscles tighten up. Then i feel stomach problems too, and head aches come in different areas all different sensations of head aches, just all kinds of stmptoms from major twitching to acid reflux like some air is stuck in my throat or something is in my throat.Then depending on what i do eat, my stomach wants to ache at times. I finally got an appetite somewhat. I struggled again too with no appetite from feeling upset stomach and acid reflux. Ive become obsessive with monitoring my stool to see if it looks abnormal.
I haven't gotten good sleep in over a week now since this wants to happen when i try to sleep. And I dont take any meds at all. Trying to do this without it. But im struggling. My thoughts are all over the place thinking the worse. I cant focus at all. No peace. Yes i hope we can find the strength to get through this and lose our fears so we can be happy. I wish us the best.
I have had the same symptoms for about 2 years now, loads of tests all clear, tried a few drugs to no avail
So I have come to the conclusion that I am doing to this to myself. I can be ok for a short while, and I try not to think about it or expect it, but it's such a horrible and scary feeling, me not thinking doesn't last long! My back or shoulders will start to hurt and my neck, as though it starts to tighten up and gives me sensations that make me feel nauseous, then my tummy reacts and I'll generally get a bout of loose stools. All this used to really scare me....but because I have been checked and checked again at docs and hospital, I know I must be doing to this to myself.
It is the fear of the horrible feeling, the back, stomach, bowels. I really think this is anxiety. It is hard to realise what our constant worrying and freaking out can do to our bodies, but it does. So try not to be afraid anymore.
I have started to make myself do 20 minutes of yoga every day, this gentle stretching helps my back and calms me down enough to be able to take some deep breaths which are good for us.
Feeling like this has stopped me going out quiet a lot as I panic that I will get an attack of it, if I'm out I'll feel sick and a bit faint with it, but always survived it
It's horrible and mine has not gone yet but I'm working it, and the only way we can do that is stop the over thinking.
I used to Think I must be the only one with back and stomach issues...
O..M..G.. Yes even every thing you came to a conclusion about is my thoughts exactly. I cant think of how many times I've saud to myself going through this that im probably causing all this harsh symptoms on myself from overthinking. Ive said to myslef that from stressing my mind so bad that my body is just basically probably giving on symptoms of being treated to rough mentally. So my body is basically malfunctioning. Atleast thats how i look at it. Like a robot that got some water trap in its wires an how it starts misfiring and malfunctioning doing all sorts of wierd robotic movements going haywire, thats probably what our bodies are doing as a result of stress. And we are just masking our wildfire with our brave little faces and smiles pretending like we are ok.
I cannot tell you how I've said ive got to stop overthinking cause its making it worse. And its proof that overthinking can make thimgs worse. But this damn anxiety seems so clever like it has a brain. Ive been going through this for almost 3 years and got through it a couple times and was feeling back to myself and feeling free again but then its like anxiety finds a new trick to start me all over. If anxiety could talk I could hear it say, " oh you think you got over me, huh? You feeling good about yourself again? You think you've eexperienced everything yet? Wait i got something new up my sleeve. You wont know what hit you."
Cuz literally every time it comes back it takes me back to square one and brings on new stuff to throw me in the loop again. It feels like new everytime. Some symptoms I remember so I'll try to tell myself I've been through this before then some symptoms are completely different and scares me all over again.
And yes yes yes. It has changed me totally. I dont go out or get out hardly ever like I used to. Id rather stay home. Only reason i actually leave my house is for my kids. Even when i go in public places sometimes it seems wierd. It feels different. The lighting in certain places even feel wierd. Yes and even the constant changes in my bowel movements from loose to constipated. Went to several clinics to get bloodworks, one ekg, one ct scan and again several blood works. Smh. Its awful. And you are so right. Its like we must be doing this to ourself. And then when i was coming to that conclusion and started calming down and felt better. Anxiety popped its head right back and hit me like lightening and struck me down again.
And found anither clever way to put fear in my heart because now my newest thing ive convinced myslef that I will stress myself to death literally. Ill worry so bad that I wont have no peace and actually stress to a painful heart issue or something. And everything around me is harmful.
Sorry for the lengthy message and scrambling. But I know exactly what you mean. We have to work on letting go and live again. Ive prayed and cried so much til literally look on my pillows to see if I'm crying blood. Thats how much i cry. I pray so much to let go of fear. No more fear. No fear.
I am still plodding on....in fact some days I feel worse than others.
Still this incredible aching everywhere, buzzing in my arms and legs. My back and neck and shoulders hurt and sometimes it just comes on out the blue when I am kinda feeling ok and then I feel light headed, nauseous and my bowels start to react...and then I panic as I don't know whether to go to the loo or sit down because I feel so weird.
The nausea isn't so bad now as I have made my self eat more and more slowly and would say I am eating pretty much normal now.
It's quite sad but it's a fact, I don't want to wake up in the mornings as I don't know what my day is going to be like, I am afraid of the day. I wake up with back pain or my arms feeling funny, or my shoulders.....I can't go back to the GP, what's the point? All they give you is different pills and they are not solving the problem. I am at a loss really...
I am going to try something for my jaw though. I am going to get something called Cerezen which are small hollow things that fit in your ears to stop your jaw from clenching, a better design than mouth guards that I have chewn to pieces! Not cheap, but I have to try something. I have bitten my nails for years, so I figure that cannot have helped.
I just feel wrecked and this perculiar thing with my shoulder and neck tension messing up my stomach is too strange.....the doctors look at me as though I am mad, sometimes I feel mad! I have way too much time to think I know, but when you feel so rough it's hard to think about anything else...
I do hope you are doing better than me, sorry to moan on and on
Sorry to respond so late. Im doing ok compared to when we last chat. Have better days and not so good days where I still have symptoms come out of nowhere. Lately Ive been having the issue of feeling like I have some type of allergies because I'll get the itchy feelings inside my ears, nose, or throat. And same with me. The nausea isnt so bad. I made it my business to still eat even when I don't want to. So my eating has came along well Because i was getting worried about losing too mich weight again. I still get the ringing ears often and also the fuzzy, funny vision from time to time.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Health anxiety will be the death of me...
Could these be anxiety? Not convinced 
This Could Be The Cause Of Your Anxiety...
Don't know if this is anxiety , any advice much be much appreciated 
HOW I STOPPED MY ANXIETY
