Health anxiety and regular anxiety HELP please

[kkleco]

I am so anxious that I feel as though I have a serious health problem, I have been to the ER twice and talked on the phone with a doctor once.
It won't go away--- I can hardly eat, and when I eat I get full super fast then feel too full when I have hardly had anything to eat.
I need this to go away but I don't know the trigger.
I wonder if the shooting that occured 2 weeks ago down the road from us (people vandalized a rock post, nobody was harmed) triggered anxiety because I was in combat zone 5 years ago from being in the military ???
I got all my panic attacks after the flu shot a few days ago
Anyways I am 25 female mama and I can't keep putting my family through this
just today at the store I got SO overwhelmed by everything like my eyes couldn't focus on one thing and I felt kinda dizzy
What the hell is going on
I have always had manageable anxiety but it has gotten BADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[gypsylee]

Hi and welcome :)

The shooting could well have triggered the anxiety if you've been in a war situation. Then with the flu shot on top of that (not that I think vaccines cause anxiety directly).

Also, do you know where you are in your menstrual cycle? PMS can make this whole thing ten times worse!

Hope this forum helps..
Gypsy x

[kkleco]

Hey! I just ended my period 2 weeks ago-- it isn't PMS
I literally went to the hospital last night-- nothing was that serious but I had a full on anxiety attack from my symptoms
I keep having little muscle spasms in the same spot on my left foot.
Yes she shot sent me into a tail spin because I have health anxiety
I refuse to take anxiety meds at all even for panic attacks bec.
I did notice on the occasions I had to take a pain med (not even a heavy one) that that helped my ANXIETY

[BlessedBackyard]

Hi and welcome. For what it's worth, my anxiety tends to spike during ovulation and on the first day of my period, so every 2 weeks. But my hormones are also screwy and are one of the causes of my anxiety.

The difficulty eating -- is that only right now when the anxiety is so high or have you been experiencing that for awhile? Anxiety tends to slow down or nearly cut off the digestive process, making you feel full faster. But the digestive system is also closely tied to mental health. An imbalance in the gut flora can cause or increase anxiety.

There could be a trigger, like the shooting, or it could be a perfect storm of things that built up and exploded as anxiety. Are you seeing (or considering seeing) a psychologist, in case there is a mental trigger? Even if you don't find that one trigger, there is lots of advice on this forum about lifestyle changes that have helped others. I hope you find what works for you!

[kkleco]

Blessed backyard thank you!
It may very well have been the perfect storm actually as other stressful things were occurring right at that time.
The tailspin happen after that flu shot- then the twitching that happened after it. Im convinced something is wrong health wise with me but at the ER everything came back fine.
I am making an apt. with a psych today. I bet there is something going on with my digestive system..
do you have any tips etc.. how do I reach out to others??

[BlessedBackyard]

Maybe I'm preoccupied, but I'm not sure what your question is asking with "how do I reach out to others." What do you mean?

Excess stress can certainly cause or aggravate anxiety and digestive problems. Stress isn't a bad thing, but the problem comes when we don't allow enough of a recovery period -- including enough sleep, socialization, moments to relax and enjoy ourselves.

I'm a big fan of herbal teas and liberally using herbs/spices in my food. Many on here recommend chamomile or lemon balm, but I like to alternate with teas that support other organs as well, like Yogi tea blends for digestive support or liver support. Carminatives are herbs that help with digestion and include things like dill, cumin, cardamom, ginger, peppermint rosemary, cinnamon, fennel, etc. I think herbs and spices are a highly underutilized resource for healing the body and mind. I just started taking Gaia milky oat extract, and it seems to help. During particularly stressful times, I also take an adaptogen herb, like eleuthero, maca, rhodiola, or ashwagandha. They're supposed to help the body handle stress better.

Other than that, just healthier eating in general can help. I don't know what your current diet is, but limiting processed foods, caffeine, and sugar usually helps both anxiety and digestion. If my budget allowed, I'd be eating grass-fed meat, pasture-raised chicken, organic produce, etc., but I have to pick and choose on those things. I did remove conventional wheat, and that made a big difference.

Your body is an incredible piece of work, and it's designed to heal itself. Without conscious thought, your muscles move, your lungs bring in oxygen, your heart beats, and your cells carry nutrients and information to wherever they're needed. And the better we support our bodies, the better chance it has of keeping things on track and healthy. Try to keep that in mind when you start worrying over a potential health crisis (I know, much easier said than done). I had a health scare a few years ago, and a dozen doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me (turned out to be mold exposure). I did so much research about what could be wrong, which stressed me out that much more. Eventually, I flipped it around and researched how the human body works -- how incredibly complex and amazing it is. It changed my perspective and helped me to trust my body more. Intuitively, I think we often know what our bodies need, but we get so caught up in the latest craze (or health scare) that we push aside instinct in favor of logic.

I hope your psych appt is helpful!

[kkleco]

Wow that was incredibly informative and helpful message you sent me.
I clean eat 70% of the time but I am not good like I used to be, and from the looks of it I need to get that back on track...
Was the mold exposure in your home?? That is crazy what symptoms were you having?
I think that is a fine idea, I will actually start to educate myself as well.
For the herbal teas and medicines etc.. I just bought some calming tea and oils for my humidifier, the steamy oil infused water thing. I got lavender, spearmint and eucalyptus.
Before all the anxiety kicked in I was feeling SUPER tired all the time, and I still am...
I am not depressed though-- but I seem to keep reflecting on my life etc.. I am married with 2 kids and we are all doing well but something is very unsatisfying about where I am in life right now-- When we lived in NC 2 years ago I never had anxiety or anything, I had a routine etc.. but we had no family or friends there,
Anyways you're awesome thank you

[BlessedBackyard]

It's so easy to get off track with a healthy lifestyle, especially during the moments that we feel fine! We feel better, think "Oh, I can indulge a little," and then it spirals to more than a little, until we feel rough again and realize we need to get back on track...at least that's what I've done multiple times.

Do you feel like you're sleeping well enough at night, or do you wake up still tired? Not enough sleep is a big problem for anxiety, but poor sleep can be just as bad. Dunno if you're familiar with them, but there are apps to tell you how well you're sleeping. I've considered looking into them, just haven't yet.

Mold was under the carpets and in the foundation of the bathroom. It started with crazy symptoms, like silent migraines and full-body muscle spasms. The longer I was exposed, the more body systems it affected, so I ended up with digestive problems, hormone imbalance, brain fog, etc.

At 25, I had what I coined a "quarter-life crisis." I wasn't anywhere near where I had expected to be by the time I was 25, so I think I understand what you mean about feeling unsatisfied and discontent. Seeing a psychologist helped me a lot with this, to accept where I am and realize life doesn't have to go where I plan. Because of the experiences and situations that I didn't expect (i.e. mold and anxiety), I've learned and grown more than I would have if my checklist of a "plan" had been accomplished. Anyways, any idea what your dissatisfaction may stem from? Some of the other more common reasons are 1) a lack of hobbies or "me time." 2) marriage/kids/adult life not being quite as expected. 3) Getting so caught up in the busyness of life that we miss the important moments.

I'm home alone all day because of agoraphobia (working on this with baby steps). This forum helps me have someone to talk to or read about who understands some of what I'm feeling, so I'm glad to help in return. On a side note, I've been wanting to get a diffuser. Spearmint, in particular, sounds like it would smell amazing in my home.

[kkleco]

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I highly recommend essential oils, they are so soothing and calm. I get lavender, Eucalyptus, spearmint and grapefruit. I also purchased a necklace at earthbound that you can put essential oils in and smell it all day
That is funny about the quarter life crisis I went through one, I'll be 26 next month so it has passed but apparently that is a normal thing to have!
I went to the DR yesterday, he is saying I have a form of PTSD and need to go to the VA for treatment but I am a little embarrassed
Anyhow the anxiety is still not good- It sometimes has me googling medical symptoms for hours :/ ...........

[PhunuSEO]

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I highly recommend essential oils, they are so soothing and calm. I get lavender, Eucalyptus, spearmint and grapefruit. I also purchased a necklace at earthbound that you can put essential oils in and smell it all day That is funny about the quarter life crisis I went through one, I'll be 26 next month so it has passed but apparently that is a normal thing to have! I went to the DR yesterday, he is saying I have a form of PTSD and need to go to the VA for treatment but I am a little embarrassed Anyhow the anxiety is still not good- It sometimes has me googling medical symptoms for hours :/ ........... topic rất hữu Ã*ch. up để bay xa nhé

[diaz2121]

welcome. sorry to hear that :(

[ACG0514]

Hi -- I've been suffering with anxiety since around the beginning of the year. Had my first panic attack in Feb 2016, trip to the ER, etc... I won't go through my whole journey; I just wanted to say that I had the "super full" problem for a while, too. I lost weight from it. Not a diet I'd recommend, LOL! I also had pain in my chest, burning, etc... I saw a gastroenterologist, had an upper endoscopy plus some swallowing tests (one where you go around for 24 hours with this tube through your nose and down your throat, awful)...all of which determined that I don't have excess acid or anything else wrong in the upper GI area... so most of my GI symptoms are down to anxiety (some are just middle age, yay). The doctor gave me a low-dose antidepressant to take at night (it causes drowsiness) because she said it has helped ppl with anxiety before. Apparently with anxiety we can unconsciously misinterpret normal, everyday esophageal movements and spasms as pain. In other words, the anxiety makes something wrong where it really isn't. And I have to say that while I didn't really want to go on meds, it has helped. Plus I sleep better, haha... Anyway, I started that med in the summer (it's nortryptiline, by the way). Aside from that, I see a counselor every 2 to 3 weeks, I journal every day, I do vigorous cardio exercise at least 3 times a week, I meditate, and recently I added yoga. I'm 47 and peri-menopausal, but I do think there might be a hormonal component, as I seem to cycle through symptoms. But I haven't put my finger on that, yet. Anyway, I wanted to tell you all these things so maybe something would help you. As for a trigger? You might not find a trigger, but it sure sounds like that shooting was what got it all going. I'm so sorry about that... and thank you for your service to our country.
Take care,
A.

[kkleco]

I go in tomorrow for a CT scan to look at my abdomen (I am scared)
I am just that anxious about my body......... I went to the eye dr today, turns out I am farsighted in my left eye with astigmatism !
Ugh

[ACG0514]

I understand. At one point I was considering a CT scan, too. Keep us posted!

[Kirk]

Good luck with the CT scan. I am sure you will be OK.