Chrisjs
12-23-2015, 10:17 PM
Hi to everyone, I'm pretty new, so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm female, 27. (Sorry, long post is long.)
I've been dealing with general anxiety and a few panic attacks for the past few years. I'm seeing a psychiatrist who has me on 40mg of Citalopram (Celexa) per day, plus 1mg of clonazepam (klonopin) each night (for chronic bad dreams). I'm also taking Marlissa birth control. As for any medical conditions, the only thing I'm aware of is that I have PCOS, which is the main reason I started the birth control.
Okay, so for the past year or two I feel like I've had more trouble eating than normal. I don't really feel "hunger" like a used to. I either feel "not hungry" or it's past hungry and I'm into shakes, sweating, trouble thinking or talking. So after some research I concluded the most fitting to this description is hypoglycemia. Now this isn't unlikely, I don't think, as one of the things they tested to confirm the PCOS was my insulin levels, which were high. I got a glucose meter and started testing daily and in general my blood sugar seems to run low. So I modified my diet (still in the process), plus I began to think perhaps the anxiety is partially related to the hypoglycemia, but I'm not totally sure.
Well I've also been developing what I think is a case of vomit-phobia. Can't remember the real name. But I tend to feel nauseous a lot. If I eat too much, when my blood sugar feels low, if I think about feeling sick. I also believe I have small panic attacks when I vomit, and that may be part of the reason I "fear" it. So I tend to remind myself that this common nausea is probably also anxiety-driven. But lately it's been a little more intense. I seem to get fuller faster, while eating less, I feel bloated throughout the day. Also I find my abdomen area (stomach and uterus area) are lately just...uncomfortable. No sharp pains or anything, just... if I press on my stomach or if anything is laying on my abdomen it doesn't feel good. This is to the point where I will often go without my jeans buttoned because the pressure bugs me (even though my jeans fit). Or if a shirt is too form-fitting over my lower abdomen I feel really uncomfortable. The best way I can think of to describe it is, my abdomen feels full. Almost like there is something in there. I don't actually feel anything (like lumps), but the sensitivity to pressure makes me feel like there is too much in there. Now this has been going on for quite a few months now. My bowel movements are normal though.
Here's my issue. I know from experience that I can psyche myself into feeling sick. At least I think that's what happens. If I am around sick people or think I'm feeling nauseous, BOOM, anxiety pops through the roof and I start to feel bad. That's why I've been ignoring the bloatedness and abdominal discomfort, since I know I tend to overreact with feeling sick. But for the past few days I keep thinking "it just doesn't feel right down there. my body is telling me something's wrong." But at this point I'm not sure I trust my body. Or my mind. I've already been to see my doctor about the possible hypoglycemia, and I recently had my annual vaginal exam. But the symptoms are still there pretty constantly. Am I psyching myself up? Are these (the bloating, discomfort, even the fear of vomiting) just physical manifestations of my anxiety? Am I doing this to myself? Or is something really wrong? I am thinking of going back to my doctor, but figure if I just go in and say "this just feels weird, or off..." with no symptoms for them to actually see, they won't really respond and it will be a waste of time and money in the end. Especially with my history of anxiety.
When you deal with something like anxiety, how much can you trust as far as what you feel? Is my anxiety turning me into a hypochondriac? It's so frustrating to feel like I can't tell on my own. I keep going in circles in my head about how I physically feel, how it's probably just in my head, but then it doesn't go away... So I worry about the symptoms and then get frustrated, thinking the worrying is what is causing them...
Does anyone else have similar problems? How do I separate what's a real "symptom" or problem and what is simply being driven by my anxiety?
I've been dealing with general anxiety and a few panic attacks for the past few years. I'm seeing a psychiatrist who has me on 40mg of Citalopram (Celexa) per day, plus 1mg of clonazepam (klonopin) each night (for chronic bad dreams). I'm also taking Marlissa birth control. As for any medical conditions, the only thing I'm aware of is that I have PCOS, which is the main reason I started the birth control.
Okay, so for the past year or two I feel like I've had more trouble eating than normal. I don't really feel "hunger" like a used to. I either feel "not hungry" or it's past hungry and I'm into shakes, sweating, trouble thinking or talking. So after some research I concluded the most fitting to this description is hypoglycemia. Now this isn't unlikely, I don't think, as one of the things they tested to confirm the PCOS was my insulin levels, which were high. I got a glucose meter and started testing daily and in general my blood sugar seems to run low. So I modified my diet (still in the process), plus I began to think perhaps the anxiety is partially related to the hypoglycemia, but I'm not totally sure.
Well I've also been developing what I think is a case of vomit-phobia. Can't remember the real name. But I tend to feel nauseous a lot. If I eat too much, when my blood sugar feels low, if I think about feeling sick. I also believe I have small panic attacks when I vomit, and that may be part of the reason I "fear" it. So I tend to remind myself that this common nausea is probably also anxiety-driven. But lately it's been a little more intense. I seem to get fuller faster, while eating less, I feel bloated throughout the day. Also I find my abdomen area (stomach and uterus area) are lately just...uncomfortable. No sharp pains or anything, just... if I press on my stomach or if anything is laying on my abdomen it doesn't feel good. This is to the point where I will often go without my jeans buttoned because the pressure bugs me (even though my jeans fit). Or if a shirt is too form-fitting over my lower abdomen I feel really uncomfortable. The best way I can think of to describe it is, my abdomen feels full. Almost like there is something in there. I don't actually feel anything (like lumps), but the sensitivity to pressure makes me feel like there is too much in there. Now this has been going on for quite a few months now. My bowel movements are normal though.
Here's my issue. I know from experience that I can psyche myself into feeling sick. At least I think that's what happens. If I am around sick people or think I'm feeling nauseous, BOOM, anxiety pops through the roof and I start to feel bad. That's why I've been ignoring the bloatedness and abdominal discomfort, since I know I tend to overreact with feeling sick. But for the past few days I keep thinking "it just doesn't feel right down there. my body is telling me something's wrong." But at this point I'm not sure I trust my body. Or my mind. I've already been to see my doctor about the possible hypoglycemia, and I recently had my annual vaginal exam. But the symptoms are still there pretty constantly. Am I psyching myself up? Are these (the bloating, discomfort, even the fear of vomiting) just physical manifestations of my anxiety? Am I doing this to myself? Or is something really wrong? I am thinking of going back to my doctor, but figure if I just go in and say "this just feels weird, or off..." with no symptoms for them to actually see, they won't really respond and it will be a waste of time and money in the end. Especially with my history of anxiety.
When you deal with something like anxiety, how much can you trust as far as what you feel? Is my anxiety turning me into a hypochondriac? It's so frustrating to feel like I can't tell on my own. I keep going in circles in my head about how I physically feel, how it's probably just in my head, but then it doesn't go away... So I worry about the symptoms and then get frustrated, thinking the worrying is what is causing them...
Does anyone else have similar problems? How do I separate what's a real "symptom" or problem and what is simply being driven by my anxiety?