Easier to get sick when anxious?

[Eric Altvater]

Hey everyone. This is my first post here. I just wanted to throw a question out there: Does anyone find its easier for them to get sick when they're going through an anxious cycle?

I've had anxiety problems since I was 18 off and on. Im 26 now. Lately, it seems like I've been sick wayyy more than usual. I know stress can mess with your immune system. I'll have at least once a month where I feel like I have a bad cold or mild flu. I'll get body aches, really fatigued, my eyes will be really dry and blurry, I'll get a low grade fever, and just generally feel like crap. I don't usually get the sinus symptoms, but sometimes I'll have a runny nose and sneeze a lot. Taking Advil will make me feel better for a few hours until it wears off. Also, when the advil kicks in and I start to feel better, I also start to sweat alot. I don't usually sweat when I take Advil for a headache or whatever. When I get like this, It *feels* like I'm actually sick. I would imagine if this was just some kind of anxiety symptoms and not a virus the Advil wouldn't make me feel better like that. And its usually the feeling like crap that makes my anxiety worse, not the other way around.

This past week I was realllly anxious over some stressful life events. I went to the gym a few times this week for the first time in a while to burn off some steam. I could of picked up some germs there. It ALWAYS seems like within a week or so of trying to get back into a gym routine I get like this too.

Can anyone relate to getting sick at the drop of a hat when anxious?

[Ahlstrom]

No, you cannot get more sick. Even though your body feels and tells you otherwise from the anxiety. Rushes of adreneline are not going to make you more susceptible to disease.

[frankzito]

I never get sick with a anxiety, just the opposite for me. Just a minor cold for a few days and that's about it. I was gonna make a thread about this very thing. I used get sick pretty bad a few times a year before It. Greetings

[mykids12]

Maybe that's just your anxiety symptoms and not necessarily and illness? Because I get body aches and feel like I have a cold when I'm anxious too. I've recently started having the dry/ blurry eyes feeling as well. I generally just feel like crap. I'm fact I had that very thing happen today and I just kind of go with it because I'm sure it's because I'm anxious.

[krayziee]

I never know when im sick because of the anxiety symptoms, haven't had a fever in years though.

[raggamuffin]

Apparently ti can weaken the immune system. Think about it, anxiety stresses your body out to the point you get symptoms, aches and pains. It stands to reaosn with a body adn mind working over time 24/7 for prolonged periods would make you more susceptible to colds or flu etc. That's just ym opinion anyway.

Ed

[str8trippin]

I understand where you are coming from, Eric. For me, having just gone through a four week period of MAJOR anxiety, I definitely think that it compromises your body. I don't think the anxiety itself is what makes you more susceptible to getting sick, but I know for me when I'm going through anxiety like that I don't eat well or sleep well, and that definitely compromises your body's ability to fight off bugs or whatever because your system is weakened. I get more headaches, more stomach aches, more allergies...and in turn I get more anxiety because I can't always decipher one symptom from the next considering they are all the same. Not only is it amazing what toll anxiety can take on your mind and body, but its also a reality check as to what a toll exhaustion can take because I know for me, anxiety wears me out.