Been Sick for two months now - Am SO miserable and scared. HELP!!

Hello All. This is my first post on here. Thank you for any who read and respond. So before I go into my current symptoms I will give a little background. I am 32 years old, married with two sons. Back towards the end of 2012 I ended up splitting up with my wife and moving to another state away from my wife and children. For the first month or two I was fine, no anxiety or real stress. During this time I started smoking Cigarettes and Marijuana everyday. Over time I started to have severe anxiety while smoking Marijuana. Instead of stopping smoking, I began smoking less thinking that the anxiety would go away, but it didn't until I had to stop. During the 2nd half of January I was under the weather, kinda sick but okay (still smoking marijuana occasionally during this time). At the very end of January I started to develop a respiratory infection which made me pretty sick and very worried. On February 1st I went into a clinic to be diagnosed. By this time my anxiety was on full boar, non stop, I was terrified and very scared. They prescribed me antibiotics (for bronchitis) and Hydroxyzine for my anxiety (which did nothing). I experienced horrible side effects to the antibiotics which made my anxiety even worse, but I decided to stick out the antibiotics. After my health began to improve, my anxiety did not and was horrible, like nothing i've ever experienced before.

So about a week or two into February I started develop stomach issues. My symptoms were/are, Upper abdominal pain (more discomfort and pressure than pain), bowel and digestion issues/discomfort, mild nausea, mild lack of appetite and feeling sick and not well. Before this happened I was pretty obese and my eating lifestyle was not very good, lots of fast food (3-4 a week), loved soda and candy, , you get the drift. After I started feeling sick I couldn't eat those things, , but also I wanted to get better so I did a complete 180 with my eating. I started juicing, started reading up on herbal supplements that improved digestion, bought probitics, enzymes, even did Dr. Shulze Colon/Bowel Cleanse. Basically spent a lot of money I didn't have on these things. Basically though during this whole time I had pretty severe anxiety also, , and my symptoms never seemed to improve much.

On March 13th I went to the ER cause the anxiety and upper abdominal discomfort was too much for me. They did complete blood work (5 vials of blood), gave me an EKG, UA, and performed an ultrasound on my gallbladder, liver and one of my kidneys. Basically everything came back as normal. They gave me antibiotics for h.pylori (per my request) and gave me some clonazapam (also per my request).

Since then I have moved back closer to my family and have been trying to work things out with my wife. But my symptoms haven't gotten any better, if anything they seem to have gotten worse. Last week I went to a local Doctor at a free clinic. He Felt my stomach and talked to me a little and prescribed me lexapro 20mg and basically told me to keep doing what I am doing and I will get better.

I just don't see how my symptoms can be caused by anxiety and stress. Since I started the Lexapro I have become super nauseous and have no appetite whatsoever basically all day every day (which I had this before but it wasn't as severe). I have to force myself to eat, , but even though I am really only eating about 1 meal a day. I am hoping that the nausea and lack of appetite are due to the Lexapro and that it will pass after a week or two (today is day 6), I almost feel like quitting the Lexapro becuase I have been miserable with this nausea, , completely debilitating.

My current symptoms are basically the same, however the abdominal pain/discomfort seems to move around to other portions of my abdomen. For example for like two weeks straight it was only in my upper abdomen on the left and right side. Then for two weeks it was only on the left upper side, kinda right under my rib cage, , now I only have occasional discomfort that comes and goes, but not all the time like it was. I feel sick everyday, nauseous, no appetite and feel like I have digestions issues.

So my question to anybody who have made it this far (thank you) is should I try to be getting more tests done? I can't afford to see an Gastroenterologist. Could anxiety actually be causing all of these symptoms??? The Idea is so hard for me to grasp, because I am absolutely miserable with this nausea and feeling not well/sick.. and how could this be anxiety?? Also, there are whole days that I don't feel anxious, yet the symptoms remain, , I would think that if the symptoms were being cause by my anxiety that they would reduce or go away. My wife keeps telling me that I am going to be fine that I have to give this time, , but I don't know how to do that... I have never been sick for more than a week or two and I am so miserable, , I just want things to go back to normal. Please help!!
BTW I have an appointment on Tuesday to see a Counsler/therapist, I am praying that something gets better soon... I am terrified of death, , but lately it seems better than what I go through and deal with every day... Thank you for anyone who read to the end.

Jesse

Anxiety can cause this. Google 100 symptoms of anxiety. You'll be amazed. I myself am going thru the exact same thing. I have no apatite I've lost 28 pounds in 2 months, stomach issues pain in rib cage and about 20 more symptoms that come and go like chest pain. I've actually read today that anxiety start in the stomach.

Hi Jesse, and welcome!!!!

Sounds like anxiety-related IBS, to me. Read up on diets that are helpful for those who have IBS. My sister had a bad case of that, changed her diet, and started to exercise more and the IBS symptoms went away. One thing to note also is that one of the side effects of most SSRIs,like Lexapro, is gastro issues. When I used to take Zoloft, I had terrible stomach upset and my appetite was diminished quite a bit. I'm sure your doctor told you that it will take about 4-6 weeks for you to get the therapeutic effects of Lexapro.
I experience anxiety as well, but not the gastro issues as a presenting symptom....but still, the two things that have helped me the most were exercise ( I never really exercised on a regular basis, but once I started, I felt great....no anxiety).....and meditation. I take a meditation type class and have an app for it on my phone. Those two things have helped me the most.

I am 17 days on zoloft & the first few days on it i had horrible nausea and stomach upsets i carried a bowl around. What felt like heart burn or indigestion ? Couldnt tell u which. I didnt go to the toilet for 12 days (wasnt nice at all) i lost all appetite dropped 6kgs off an already thin frame in a week. But it has got better. I am having a crappy day today. Feel headaches a bit constipated and sore eyes but i was told that it can be a bit up and down for around 2 months before u settle on it. So im telling myself tomoro is a new day so enjoy today.
I also get bloated now. I walk at least 45-60mins a day & have noticed this has helped too.
I hope u get better. This is all new to me. Only the last 8 weeks this anxiety and panic flared up. But all the symptoms u list can be symtoms of anxiety. If u are clear from everything else. Sorry to hear ur feeling like this. Stay on this forum & keep talking to everyone.

I hate this so much, , I feel so miserable. Can me being sick like this 24/7 really be a symptom of anxiety and depression? The stomach discomfort comes and goes on and off throughtout the day which is good cause for a few weeks it was constant, , but the Nausea, no appetite, feeling sick, , I feel like this almost all of the time... can this really be anxiety and depression?

You will be amazed what effects anxiety and depression can have on your body, and if you have had health checks done and they can't find anything physical, then it will be anxiety and depression. You should consult your Dr who knows your medical history on your best way forward because it could be tablets or it could be other therapies such as talking. There are lots of different tablets and it is best to get good help and support in finding what will work for you. Also you can try meditation, reflexology, acupuncture, essential oils and things like that too. So best to talk to someone who knows your medical history about what is best for you to try. You can get lots of advice and support from people on this forum who have lots of the same symptoms as you and have found ways of dealing with them, and that really helps too because people on here understand how you are feeling.

I hear you my friend - this has been the worst experience of my life! There are many similarities between your story and my own (I'm also 32, relationship troubles, job loss). The beginning of 2013 has been absolutely down hill for me; and I often wonder at this point, is this really anxiety?

I've also gone to the hospital and had extensive blood work and an EKG done.

I'm praying the nicer weather lifts my spirits a bit, because as pathetic as it sounds - I'm starting to hate getting out of bed in the morning, just to deal with the same ol' BS everyday.

Hope this finds you well.