Health Anxiety and IBS

[Sore-guts]

Hello,

I’ve recently been diagnosed with IBS after months of terrible health anxiety and tests to rule out anything sinister. I’m still exceptionally stressed and anxious as with health anxiety you don’t really believe the doctor. Anyway, there is no real rhyme or reason to my pain, it can be right sided upper, left sided upper, basically my full stomach. I’ve also started getting pains in my back and shoulders which are relieved via foam rolling and massage. Anybody else get back pains? Could this just be the stress I’m under?

Thanks

[Hidden]

Yes I have all these symptoms. Go do some relaxation or some CBT read a couple of books on IBS . Pain in back and shoulders very common with stress.

[E3178 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, yes I find anxiety fuels my ibs with the same symptoms as you. Anxiety can cause back pain and does for me and generally give me more pain all over

I have been really bad lately and am trying to beat this cycle. I am doing deep breathing, taking a good Cbd oil also antihistamines that are the sort used for anxiety(from docs) . I am also on the fodmaps diet but still think it's anxiety that causes my gut issues as I can eat normally without issues and sometimes everything I eat gives me gut symptoms.

My pain causes anxiety, anxiety causes more pain. Vicious circle which is hard to break. Have been like this for years but only now understanding how much anxiety affects us.

[Hidden in reply to E3178]

Ask your doctor for low dose 10 mg nortriptyline. It reduces anxiety and therefore your gut problems. Good luck

[Marygulliford]

Hi, I've suffered for years and decided to take anxiety tabs from doctor (not for everyone I know) but they help and are my crutch! It's a case of management of symptoms and finding what works for you best. I can't tolerate brown bread. So just get ordinary white. I wish you well x

[Sore-guts in reply to Marygulliford]

I’m on fluoxetine for the last week, started a new job too so my anxiety is absolutely flying at the moment. I’m finding I’m using the toilet 1st thing in the morning then all day at work, once I get home my symptoms calm down. I have noticed a slight change in colour of my stool in the last week, they have gone a lighter shade of brown, were dark brown, covered in mucous and constipated last week.

[Tish123]

Hey,

So I also suffer from health anxiety and doctors did say from my symptoms it could be IBS but I to don’t 100% believe what the doctors have told me. They have done bloods, stool and ultrasound and everything has come back normal.

I get a lot of backche in my lower back and left shoulder blade. I have recently been experiencing muscle spasms and sometimes pains in my joints. I do believe these are symptoms of stress.

If anyone has any suggestions of ways to deal with health anxiety I am open to many as I can’t live my life in fear for ever!

[Sore-guts in reply to Tish123]

I’ve recently been put on fluoxetine, they ain’t helping with the anxiety yet or it’s minimal so far but I’m going to give them time, they have dumbed my emotions down somewhat though and I find it very difficult to get upset/cry. Also my GP has referred me for CBT but it’s up to an 18 week wait on the NHS. I’ve been listening to YouTube hypnosis, downloaded a few mindfulness apps etc but I don’t see any difference in that either. It’s now causing problems at home with my partner as I’m kinda uninterested in anything except myself.

[weegmack]

Oh I really feel for you. I have health anxiety too - as well as OCD and Generalised Anxiety Disorder. And IBS 😳. The health anxiety is so hard to tackle and live with, I really sympathise.

I totally understand that you don’t 100% trust the doctors. I’m exactly he same. I’ll go to my GP, be reassured for about half an hour and then I’m questioning it already.

If it’s any help, I all sorts of pains in my gut, my back, my pelvis, my ribs. I also have terrible neck pain and daily headache. I put all this down to a mixture of stress, tension, anxiety and IBS. They all hit off each other.

You mentioned the colour of your poop - don’t worry. When your gut is moving a little too quickly due to anxiety, it tends to be lighter in colour because your gut isn’t absorbing all the right stuff from what you’re eating. Also the gallbladder and liver don’t get the same chance to process the fats, other waste etc, so there will be more bile in the poop (that’s how it was explained to me, so I hope I’m making sense).

In my experience, it’s best to try one type of self-help thing at a time and give it a few tries before you feel it’s not working for you. CBT will help you, so do hang on in there. I’m not a great one for mindfulness and meditation, as I’m too much of a footer to sit at peace. Have you tried occupying yourself with something like colouring, puzzles, crosswords? That helps me to direct my thoughts at something other than myself! X