Anxiety and stomach issues

Posted , 3 users are following.

Hi all,

Has anyone dealt with a severe loss of appetite and some nausea from anxiety?  I've been dealing with this for about 2 weeks now.  I have spoken to my psychiatrist and I'm on a treatment plan for anxiety with medication and meeting with a therapist as well.  I've been forcing myself to eat and not vomiting but I have a severe phobia of vomiting as well.  I'm 35 years old and I literally have only vomited 3 times in my entire life so it's strange that I would fear it but it's a deep rooted fear.

I often worry when I eat thinking things like, "what if I get sick", "what if I lose control", etc. I also fear getting pregnant due to the possible morning sickness.  

It's really hard to get over this, harder than I thought.  Anyone struggle with this?  And if so what has helped you?

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Renee, When my anxiety first came on, I lost over 30 pounds. I am a large woman though. I could not stand the thought of food at the time. As I learned to better control my anxiety, my appetite came back. I have heard of the fear of vomiting but I have never experienced it. Have you talked to your psychiatrist about it? 
    • Posted

      Hi there,

      Thank you for your reply.  Yes, I have spoken to my psychiatrist about the fear of vomiting.  I have an appointment with a therapist at my psychiatrist's recommendation to further dig down to the root of those issues.

      It's always nice to know that I'm not alone.  I'm very frustrated about the lack of appetite because I love to eat and enjoy my food.  I've just been forcing myself to eat small meals and easy things the best I can until the anxiety lessens more and my stomach can recover.  I always hate it when there is not a quick fix sometimes to the things we feel.  

  • Posted

    Renee, You are definitely not alone. There are so many of us here who are going through similar issues. Keep talking on here. It will help. My anxiety is so bad right now, I don't know if I am going to make it. My psychiatrist says that I need to be patient. I am running out of patience though. I need to feel some relief now. 

    • Posted

      I understand.  Are you taking medication for it?  I do and it is beginning to help a little.  I get very concerned because I'm a smaller person and I don't want to lose too much weight.  I have no desire to starve myself and I want to have the desire to eat.  How long did it take you to regain your appetite when you had that problem?  At least I'm eating, and I'm trying to eat protein rich foods and calories so I don't lose weight.

  • Posted

    Hi sorry you feel so horrid, the symptoms with the nausea I know how it feels when I get anxious thats the first thing that happens to me it gets me so down, I can't eat, drink, sleep I shake get hot cold and want to throw up and sometimes i can't do anything. I hate it and I to get so scared that I won't get better, won't be able to look after my kids. I'm on three different types of meds for my anxiety but sometimes I feel they don't work but do not want to try any other ones due to the side effects you get when you start them. I Was given dizapam and that did help me function but sadly don't have any left and my GP won't give me anymore. Went back to the docs yesterday and they gave me sleep tabs as I wasn't sleeping at all and no sleep can mess with your mind. This time of year is always hard for me as I had a breakdown two years ago which resulted me nearly doing something silly but when I thought of my kids I just couldn't. From that day forward I promised I would get better for them. I am currently waiting to see a lift counseller which helped me in the pass and also having accupunture which also helped a great deal. You are not alone. When I read your post I was relieved that I found someone with very similar symptoms. It's hard when you feel that no one else understands you but I so do. I know how it feels and trust me I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I have looked at a lot of posts and not a lot suffer with the nausea symptoms but I know that nausea or anything connected with the tummy is quite a common thing but it's finding someone who has the exact nausea symptom.  If you aren't happy at the docs defintely see another one and have you got a good support network.

    • Posted

      Hi Susan,

      Thanks for your reply. I've been reading a lot of articles that say it can take some time for your stomach to get back to normal after a severe anxiety attack. Actually longer than most people think. It's frustrating because I let the anxiety gets so bad that it affected my digestive system. I thought I was pregnant at first because I missed my cycle but all the tests I've had for pregnancy were all negative so I definitely know it's due to the anxiety. I take medication as well and I'm working with a good psychiatrist who just upped my dose of a medication and added another supplement to hopefully help me. I also do a lot of praying and reading the Bible and this helps to bring me peace as well because I believe that anxiety is not from God. I'm believing for deliverance and victory! Hang in there.

    • Posted

      I am like you I do feel like it's winning but we need to play them at there own game easy said than done. I have a daughter (10) she suffers with gad, OCD and has a eating a disorder  breaks my heart seeing her going thru it and that's when my anxiety hit I was constantly worrying and seeing to her needs and not myself so it was a time bomb wenting to go off on my head I still have bad days when I do I feel I cant drag myself up. 

      Finally waiting 3 years for her to be seen by the correct child mental health team she is currently working with them but it's slow steps.  Having anxiety sucks big time sometimes I can't tell if I had a bug or if it was the anxiety.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.