Health Anxiety taking over- feel like I'm losing it

Because of the stomach/gut issues I've had off and on (much more on) that my doctor is writing off to anxiety, I feel like I'm losing it. I was down all weekend on the couch which total sucked because of it. Yesterday I went to work and ate ok and ate dinner last night. I was drinking 3 or more glasses of red wine each night and have stopped that to see if it helps my stomach. My doctor still says this is all anxiety even though it came out of the blue 6 weeks ago. I'm still not convinced she's right. The yoyo between feeling hungry and then nauseous, sometimes at the same time and random sharp pains here and there is driving me nuts. Blood work normal and when she pushed on my stomach it was a bit tender in the middle but she didn't seem concerned. She knows I have gastritis and GERD. I've had health anxiety all my life that flares when I get weird aches and pains and this is no exception. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I think is how does the stomach feel right now? It's driving me nuts and I'm beginning to feel like I'm losing it and not myself because I can't get my mind off of it. Feeling really down and mentally separated from my life. Like I'm not here. Need encouragement.

[oicuamy]

I too suffer from health anxiety. I have had a back/abdominal pain for a week and have googled every horrible outcome. I have had anxiety for years but every time it comes on, I feel like I’m dying. Hot flashes, sweating, fast heart rate, increase in Blood pressure, loneliness, sweating and stomach distress. They all suck!

[Hidden in reply to oicuamy]

I couldn’t agree more! I Googled and came up with stomach cancer. Like WHAT???? We gotta stay off Google. It sent me right into an anxiety attack just thinking about it. It’s so frustrating when all you want to do is feel like your old self and be active again. I don’t even plan stuff right now because I’m so uptight about my stomach thing and what if I go somewhere and get sick or panic?!

[Natsteveo]

I hate health anxiety I've been a sufferer for over 11 years now and I felt like I've just read about myself with your situation....

When health anxiety rears it's ugly head i get alsorts of pains and aches some i convince myself in dying of some terminal illness or something...I do know there is sickness bug flying around at the minute...but when we have health anxiety and it gets really bad ya know that dread we get in the pit of our tummy well that has caused me a lot of pain in the past we get the most bizarre pain with health anxiety ....Has something happened lately that's probably triggered you off maybe mine was triggered 11years ago when my mum died in my arms and everything medical or death related gets me in a right frenzy...trust me your not alone your not losing it your just fighting your fears here if you need to chat

Nat

[Hidden in reply to Natsteveo]

Thanks Natz...I appreciate your words and input. My doctor still says it’s from stress and anxiety. That’s because I just came off of a very stressful 4-5 months of house hunting, a financing nightmare though we were pre-qualified and then moving. My anxiety was at full tilt but buried because we were so busy. Dr says it’s delayed stress and gastritis/GERD flareup. That’s hard to believe with my stomach aches and pains. I’ve also been super emotional lately which I know is also part of anxiety but don’t know why. I’m a hot mess right now and just want my life and old self back ; (

[oicuamy in reply to Natsteveo]

I really need to chat. I literally feel like I’m dying. I got it in my head that I have a sepsis infection. I know it sounds crazy. I woke up this morning in pure panic, went to work with my thermometer and blood pressure cuff. I felt horrible and went to the Dr. and they assured me I’m wrong, just panic. I can’t get myself to relax.

[Jeff1943]

Lovemybear, you recognise you've had health anxiety all your life. But when you have stomach issues you don't believe it's anxiety and think your doctor has overlooked something.

I'm sure you're aware that the stomach is the organ that responds most readily to anxiety. It can give you a sore stomach but it can't give you stomach cancer.

May I suggest that all your ailments are down to anxiety. May I also suggest you concern yourself much less with these symptoms and concentrate as much as you can on the cause which is Anxiety with a capital A. If you can successfully deal with your anxiety then you won't have to worry about stomach ailments. They will resolve immediately your nerves lose their sensitivity.

No need to feel you're losing it, lovemybear, no reason for it to drive you nuts. Gastritis is no fun I know but take what your doctor gave you for it - that and changing your perception about all these symptoms will help you resolve your present mental and physical discomfort.

[Hidden]

Thank you Jeff. You make a good point in your first paragraph. I don’t know why I don’t accept this as health anxiety. I know the stomach and gut can be affected big time. I went through this about 3 years ago too but it didn’t linger this long. I am trying so hard to accept the symptoms as anxiety but just having a hard time this time. Especially because it’s been coming and going. Last week I was fine and ate normally and even went in a business trip and a retirement party with no problems. That’s why I said I feel like I’m on a roller coaster and losing it. Thanks for your support.

[Jeff1943]

As you may know, I am an advocate for Claire Weekes' method of recovery from anxiety disorder in all its forms as set out in her first book 'Self help for your nerves'. May I suggest it's not just a question of accepting it's anxiety, you need to accept all the symptoms of anxiety for the moment as if you can truly agree to live or coexist with them for the time being you will cease to fear them and it is the fear that nourishes the bad symptoms.

So first FACE the fact that these symptoms are indeed the result of health anxiety.

Then ACCEPT the symptoms without fear for the time being.

Then FLOAT through your day as if carried forward by an unseen force.

And lastly LET TIME PASS and that means lots of time, this is not a same day recovery.

I hope you find relief from your stomach discomfort soon.

[RhondaT71]

I have health anxiety too. Now every time I get sick with anything it brings on an anxiety attack and puts me back into the fight or flight response and then I have to deal with the symptoms for a long time. Just last week I got the stomach flu and it triggered an anxiety attack which made the stomach flu so much worse! Now, I'm still dealing with the anxiety symptoms. My health anxiety I suspect started after my mom died in 2010 and then in 2015 my son got aseptic meningitis and at the time we didn't know if it was the bacterial kind where he could die and that sent me into a full-blown major anxiety attack, it was horrible. Then my body was recovering and 2 months later I had a health problem where the bladder sling I had implanted in 2010 eroded into my urethra and caused me great pain and suffering for months. I finally recovered from the anxiety symptoms I would say about 90% but it had taken about 2 1/2 years. I am in despair as it seems that this is going to be ongoing for the rest of my life since there is no way that I am never going to get sick or anyone else not to mention I'm pretty sure I won't get away with no more tragedies in my life going forward. I am not on medication but am so afraid to take any because in the past when I have tried, the side effects from the medication were intolerable. My doctors too had said that it was all anxiety and I had a really hard time believing them until I found this website and found out that all of you have the same type of symptoms.

[Hidden]

Something I’ve noticed with my stomach is I can eat a decent meal, but when about full, a bit of slight nausea starts, then it feels like a small knotted feeling in the top of my stomach it then this subsided within a few minutes. It’s really weird and I still have a hard time writing it off to anxiety or stress. I keep everything down just fine. Maybe part of the GERD or gastritis, I don’t know. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow about this.

[Natsteveo in reply to Hidden]

Hidden how did you get on at the doctors?

Nat

[Hidden in reply to Natsteveo]

My doctor still thinks it's anxiety related but she's ordered an endoscopy to be done at the same time as my colonoscopy on Monday. One appointment, one time sedated and hopefully answers. I'm glad to finally be getting somewhere but also kinda scared. What if they find something wrong : (

[Natsteveo]

RhondaT71 what a lot of pain you have been through no wonder you feel like you do but I know how you feel my health anxiety started when my mum died in 2007 and has just escalated ever since...hopefully we can all help each other here hope your son has since recovered well

All the best nat

[Chilout]

Hi, how does your stomach feels now? I am going through exactly the same thing right now. It's like I wrote your post. Is it better?

[Megsamoo]

How did your scopes go?????

[Hidden in reply to Megsamoo]

Great. Everything clear.