Chronic nausea and/or anxiety! Any help or similar situations?

Hi! I’ve been dealing with chronic nausea, occasional constipation, and most recently (last 2 months), GERD. I’ve had every lab, test, procedure and two surgeries (gallbladder removal-thought to be the cause, and diagnostic laparoscopy-to look for endometriosis). A teeny bit of endo was found but it was barely anything to even report or mention. I’ve seen every specialist and even went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The nausea is almost always around. It will come and go during the day, sometimes stay all day, or some days; it’ll rarely come around. It’s so inconsistent. I’ve been bed ridden many times, and have lost a lot of weight.

After my last surgery looking for endo (3 months ago), I decided I’m done searching for what is causing my illness since nothing major has been found. I believe it’s gotta be anxiety. While sick, I took 10mg amitriptyline and it didn’t do much but make me tired and extremely constipated. I eventually got off of that and have been going to therapy and doing things naturally- with the occasional Ativan (supplementing with valerian root, digestive enzymes and other supplements for when my stomach acts up). I do yoga, exercise, eat well, try to stay busy.

I must also mention I have Emetophobia. The fear of vomiting/others vomiting and have been doing CBT for it. The sickness started when I had the flu a year and a half ago and vomited. So with that said, I believe this illness must be because of my phobia and anxiety. My problem is, I don’t know what to do to now. I’ve stopped trying to stop the symptoms and float through them and accept them. This hasn’t really helped much and I’ve developed heart palpitations again during this “healing journey”. Whatever is going on, it has been destructive. I just want my life back. I have an almost 3 year old and a wonderful husband. I want my job back and to live life again.

I’m willing to try medications again but want to know if anyone else has been through something similar and have gotten better. Anyone have suggestions or advice? I really appreciate it!

[Danubian]

OK Reni. I have some "good" news. I have been suffering from terrible nausea 24/7 for months and GERD too, was so bad I could hardly sleep. Had gastrotube in my stomach, MRI with contrast, all blood tests for liver, pancreas, kidney, tested for all sorts of nasty diseases which I could have picked up when I was a bit of a playboy, had ultrasound. Splashed out a lot of dosh and had two private gastroenterologists - and they all came to the same diagnosos. "Angststörung" = anxiety disorder. I was shit-scared that my liver was done for - since slowly accepting that my body is fine, my nausea is reducing. Anxiety is when you worry about the future, depression when you live in the past, try to live here and now. Take care, Mark!

[Hidden in reply to Danubian]

Mark! Thank you so so much. That reassurance is something I needed to hear, and it means a lot that someone with the same symptom has gone through it. Thanks for taking the time to reach out.

[Danubian in reply to Hidden]

My pleasure - I just wish someone had also explained such to me - for 6 months I thought I was dying of some nasty disease all alone - it was a dreadful time!

[elaine2447]

I can't tell you how sorry I feel for you. I have been suffering this now for 8 months. Always been a bit of a worrier but this sort of came out of the blue, extreme anxiety for what reason I dont know and then about four weeks latter felt this lump in my throat which I assumed was a nervous thing. I do have primary hyperparathryodisism and my blood calcium is inceasing slightly also Hashimotos thyroiditis, both of which can cause anxiety but this nausea is something else. It is so debilitating. I have alwys been an active pensioner although I do suffer with a lot of backache due to a t5 compression fracture caused by a fall with osteoporosisis.

It has gradually got worse, it literally takes me nearly an hour to try and chump through a bit of breakfast as I cannot let it get to the point where I start puking. I suffer with emitophobia which doesnt help. I find now I am burping just drinking water. The last couple of weeks when I do get to sleep I am waking up at 4 or 5 every morning with this dreadful nausea starting and my heart racing. Reluctantly I have started taking ativan which I know are highly addictive and I really didnt want to go down that route but I cant stand this feeling and panic that it will never go away. I am supposed to be on a healthy diet, which I was, to try and help with the severe osteoporosis.

Friends keep saying go to the GP but we only get 10 minute sessions and although I dont ever go because I have a record there of being nervous so I know I would be brushed off.

I started to going to a fairly reputable chiropractor who tried to sort out this nausea and some of the back pain. He says I have a slightly irritable diaphgram. The last occasion he pressed so hard on both sides of my stomach it was agony particularly on the right side and I have since felt worse if anything and cancel future appointments. I took a half a lorazapam this morning just so I could force a bit of breakfast down.

I have this permanent tight band across my stomach under my ribs, so having a vivid imagination, after googling and it came up every time as the "MS hug", I wondered if I had MS, then it was liver cancer, then pancreatitis but now I really feel that something has happened to the stomach area or maybe I have twisted something as even before the nausea got so bad, I could only eat very small amounts by the evening.

It's almost like an annexoria phobia which I am not, but I am thinking during the day what on earth can I eat just to survive and the mere thought of food makes me feel ill.

I have a pain in my right shoulder occasionally but this started when I broke my back and causes muscle pain but my friend thinks i could be a gallstone.

My life is ruined, I love doing bits of DIY, I had to as I was widowed with a three year old 35 years ago and I love my garden, but I just find it impossible to do anything just trying to concentrate not puking. Going shopping is a real ordeal now and I should be walking a lot to do weight bearing exercises. My life really isnt worth living which is an awful thing to say as I have a beautiful daughter (who knows nothing of all of this going on with me) and a sweet little 3 year old grandson. But I am at my wits end.

[Hidden in reply to elaine2447]

If it came out of the blue, I assume anxiety. Seems like you might have a touch of health anxiety aka hypochondria. I deal w this too. Also you could be peri menopausal. Have you vomited? If not, I’d see a therapist. Mine has really helped me and I’m only nausea 2 weeks out of the month during my luteal phase of my menstrual cycle so I know it’s definitely hormonal plus anxiety. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I have a 3 year old and I’ve had chronic nausea for 1.5 years and it has rocked my world for the worst. I just want to experience life again without this burden. I don’t want to miss anything with my baby. Also, I garden too! It helps.

[elaine2447 in reply to Hidden]

Many thank for your reply. Yes mine seem to come out of the blue although I have always suffered with anxiety but not to this extent and just used to feel sick ifI had an appointment like an mri or endocoscopy but I used to pop a bromazepam and that fixed it. This is something else. I have Hashimotos, which causes anxiety I believe, also hyperparathryroidism, again can cause anxiety and as my calcium blood is over the range, that could also cause nausea. I am 72 years old so no chance of anything to do with the menopause. I also have severe osteoporosis which is a great worry to me but I wasdoing my absolute best to get the best supplements, I bought a fitbit and even an expensive low intensity vibrating plate specifically for osteoporosis. I do suffer some pain where I broke my T5 but this time last year I was doing two hour train and taxi rides once and twice a week to see my daughter and my dear little grandson who is 3. They actually moved up here last August and only 11 mins on the train and then come mid November wham. something hit me firstit was a queasy feeling and the next month a lump in my throat hwich I naturally assumed was nerves and now it is worse than ever. I wake up at 4 or 5 with my heart racing and feeling so nauseous. Unfortunately I got hold of a load of lorazepam and although they help with the nausea most times and sleep ofcourse I am terrified I am getting hooked and that will present its own problems, not like just popping a bromazepam down once in a while which I have done for th last 34 years since my husband died suddenly.

I really am beginning to wonder if this is a cortisol thing. I have done a few saliva tests in the past and one group on facebook said low, low high and high. I always knew my cortisol was high at night. However, I didnt take any notice as the morning and midday looked fine to me. I tried all the holy basil, ashwagandha, rhodelia drops etc to no avail. Anyway, in March I did another saliva test and agan, different company it came back normal normal and then high high. When a friend looked at the results she felt that the morning ones, ie 8 and midday were not normal but a bit on the low side. I wish I could find out more about this. I do know that low cortisol can also have the same horrible side effects as high.. So now I am thinking that although the lorazepam helps with sleep and the nausea it is actually a cortisol suppressant and maybe why I am waking up feeling so terrible in the early hours. It takes me around 1 hour to chew through my breakfast, lunch and dinner, barely eat anything and so am losing weight now but I am determined to not give in to it and vomit. I sufferwith emitaphobia which doesnt help and I was amazed googling the number of people, alot of men, who suffer with this psychological disease. I didnt even know it had a name. I am glad you are improving and long may it continue. It would be worse for you having a young child. I am old and sometimes Ithink I would pefer if my life were just hurry up and stop as this crippling nausea is so awful, most days I feel like I am dying and terrible thing to say but life doesnt seem worth living. I have to keep going for my daughters sake plus my four dependant cats. xx

[elaine2447 in reply to Hidden]

Someone kindly posted this up, I'm game to try anything mindbodygreen.com/articles/...