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    Anxiety attacks - medications - feeling hopeless

    For the past 3 or 4 years, Every few months I seem to have some sort of depressive, anxiety or stress triggered stomach problem. At the moment I have been sick now for about 2 months as of writing this. Bad stomach cramps pretty much all the time. Sometimes worse than others but almost always there. Feeling nausea sometimes but no vomiting ever.

    Back at the beginning of september my gramma fell and spent a few weeks in the hospital and she ultimately passed away. I felt a lot of stress at the time for my mom because she was very close with my gramma and obviously had some sadness myself for losing a family member. Work and money were giving me additional stress at the time and I started to feel my stomach starting to go bad like it has before. I also had a CT scan for a node in my lung that was giving me some pretty bad anxiety waiting for the results. Foolishly, I waited and tried to not worry about it hoping the stomach pains would go away on its own but once I start thinking about it all the time it only seems to get worse and worse. I often use acupuncture and massages to de-stress but my health coverage had ran out and I dont have funds for that stuff as it can be quite expensive going once a week.

    Now here I am, 2 months of bad stomach aches, hours of missed work, and down almost 25 pounds. Having a stomach ache for that long almost 24 hours a day is SUPER stressful and I get pretty depressed about all the dietary changes I have to do to minimize the pain. Going from eating whatever I want to being dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, fat free and alcohol free is really hard. Cutting all that stuff out makes me lose weight crazy fast and in turn makes me anxious about all the weight loss. I get a little depressed every time I see a food commercial or if my wife is having a beer after work. I miss good food and a casual beer so bad its driving me crazy.

    I have had a million tests done on my body and the results are almost always the same. Negative. They always say IBS and stress/anxiety. Im not a medications guy but Im currently on a Trintellex and Ativan regiment to keep my stress and anxiety down. I think its working somewhat. I also visited a naturopath (who was very expensive) and he ran some tests for SIBO, parasites and a few other things but I have been waiting weeks for those results and its starting to weigh on me. Waiting is the hardest thing when you have health anxiety. Im starting to get pains in my lower rib cage area now and I get really fearful of having liver, spleen or pancreas problems.

    Today Im pretty sure I had an anxiety attack out of the blue. I had been feeling a bit better the last few days but I have been worrying excessively about my health and I woke up feeling uneasy after having some stressful dreams. Within an hour of waking up I felt like I was going to die. Irregular heart beats, numbness in my leg and arm, chills, dizziness, delayed eye movements and a fear that I was going to actually die or have a heart attack. I nearly went to emergency but once the medication kicked in I started feeling a bit better.

    Has anyone else ever had these brutal stomach problems that last for weeks upon weeks after a stressful/depressive/anxiety episode? Even on the medications I still worry a lot that I might have some type of cancer or organ problem. The blood, urine and stool test results never come as quick as I want and it leaves me worried all the time while I wait for them. Im kinda hoping that they actually find something like parasites or bacterial overgrowth in my gut but at the same time if they dont find anything I guess I have it narrowed down to just stress/anxiety/depression.

    I just want to get over this so I can get back to being myself. Eating normal food, not having stomach aches all day, not worrying and not wanting to be isolated all the time. I know my wife and child are getting sick of it too and I worry that it's straining those relationships. If I have to go on like this for another two months I don't think I want to be alive anymore. Hopefully all those test results come in soon and I can move on to getting healthy again.

    #2
    Hi Oilerfan and welcome to the forum. That stomach pain sounds awful. Have you been seen by an internist or a gastorenterologist?

    Do you have anyone you can talk to about your health concerns and anxiety around that?

    Whatever is going on, physical and mental health issues are really affecting your overall well being. I hope things get sorted out for you soon.
    AJ

    Humans punish themselves endlessly
    for not being what they believe they should be.
    -Don Miguel Ruiz-

    Comment


      #3
      I have been to a gastroenterologist but I saw him when I was feeling completely healthy because it took so long to get an appointment with him. He told me to do the Fodmap diet and come back in 6 months. Thing is, when Im feeling mentally and physically fine I can eat and drink whatever I want so the Fodmap diet wont really tell me much during that time. Now that Im sick again I have tried that diet and it seems to help somewhat but Im still not sure if my constant worry over the pains just keeps the pains going regardless of what Im eating?

      I get my test results back from the Naturopath on monday (3 days from now) so we will see what he found, if anything. I also had a blood test from my regular doctor during my yearly physical that will check a lot of things so I will see him in a week, or sooner if they found something urgent and call me before that. Im pretty convinced whatever is going on is triggered by stress and anxiety but after its been triggered it becomes something else beyond the stress and anxiety related physical symptoms, weather thats bacterial overgrowth in my gut or stomach acid problems or whatever, who knows. Waiting on results is super hard for me. I cant stop thinking about it all day every day. I'm usually super relieved once I get them because in the past it never seems to be anything too serious physically. I guess for now i will stick with the Trintellex daily and the Ativans when I need them and hopefully this all passes like it has before. This time around has been more painful and for a longer period of time so Im constantly worried that I have done some serious damage to myself. Maybe in a weeks time I will have some answers.

      I saw a therapist back in January when I was having these same problems and I think it helped a bit but after a few sessions I felt it was enough and wasn't getting much out of it anymore. At the time it was nice to just unload some stress on that therapist and have a good cry once and a while. Therapists charge very high rates and none of it is covered by healthcare so I really just cant afford it either. Maybe I will see her again but after what I learned from her the first time I cant see her teaching me much else beyond just having someone to vent to.

      My everyday life, work and money aren't really causing me any stress at this time so Im guessing all my anxiety right now is purely from worry about my personal health. Its so hard not to think about it though when its always there. Im constantly wanting to google my symptoms but that only adds to the worrying because google searching almost always leads to cancer rated symptoms or something bad like that. The diet Im on is really depressing for me too. I miss pizza and beer and ribs and burgers and cheese. I cant go out to eat most places for fear of getting the cramps again.

      I also want to add that I smoke marijuana. Sometimes heavily, sometimes not at all. There isnt a ton research on the long term effects it has on the body and the withdrawal that comes with quitting. I was smoking fairly heavily through the summer and its a great stress reliever but I have read it can eventually make anxiety quite a bit worse. I have quit before after long term use and the withdrawal is very real. Stomach problems, irritability, insomnia among other things. I started tapering off of it right around the time my stomach problems started again this time so Im wondering if that also has something to do with it? Doctors and naturopaths dont have a lot of input on the subject. I wont ever go back to smoking all day everyday like I did this past summer because I let it get a bit out of hand. At the moment I maybe smoke 2 or 3 times a week but I will probably just stop all together for now until this stomach stuff gets resolved.

      I will follow up here when I get all my results back and hopefully I will be feeling better mentally and physically by then. Thanks for reading.
      Last edited by OILERFAN; November 15, 2019, 01:05 PM.

      Comment


        #4
        Oilerfan please keep us posted on the results and how you're doing.
        AJ

        Humans punish themselves endlessly
        for not being what they believe they should be.
        -Don Miguel Ruiz-

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks for checking in on me AJ. I have been feeling a little better the last couple days. The trintellex still hasn't fully kicked in I dont think because I find myself feeling anxious so I have been taking Ativan for now to curb it. Seems like I have a pretty good day or a good half day followed by a bad one.

          I got my results back from the naturopath yesterday. No parasites. Some food sensitivities including milk which is a tough one because milk is in so many things and I love cheese. Turns out I have what's called SIBO. Bacterial overgrowth in my gut. Its amazing the effect your gut has on things like depression and anxiety and stress.They say SIBO can be triggered by a bunch of things like poor diet, stress, alcohol. I also think the heavy marijuana use I was doing in the summer may have contributed because weed apparently slows your gut down a bit. Im pretty much smoking zero weed now and I haven't had an alcoholic drink in over a month. I decided to go the naturopathic medicine route rather than the antibiotics to cure the SIBO so we will see how it works out. Antibiotics are hard on your body and sometime have side effects which I really dont want. Not to mention the particular antibiotics for SIBO are very expensive and not covered under health plans or healthcare. Not to say the naturopath is cheap either but he seems to have found what other doctors haven't over the last 3 years. Im feeling optimistic about getting my gut and head back to normal again so thats a good thing. I likely cant ever go back to they way I was eating and drinking before so that has me feeling a little depressed but thats life I guess.

          Thankfully I have a pretty good support system around me including co workers and immediate family and friends. I see my family doctor next week and I have some appointments booked for massages to help me relax a little bit. Hopefully the anxiety meds and natural meds for my stomach kick in a little better in the coming weeks and I can get back to eating a few more things without cramping all the time.

          Comment


            #6
            Oilerfan, is it possible/have doctors checked out an allergy to the active ingredient in marijuana? In terms of the psychological effects, apart from the anxiety you said your doctor mentioned, I also read some research that reported a negative effect on motivation/concentration.

            Comment


              #7
              Hello OILERFAN and Welcome. I don't have any great advice. My son had stomach problems that were partially caused by polyps. For a long time he couldn't get any body to believe that he had a physical problem. The doctors insisted that his problem was caused by poor diet and anxieties caused by bipolar disorder and that he was to young to have polyps.

              Finally he found someone who would order up a colonoscopy. Turned out that he had a large number of polyps. The end result was that although they removed them all, he had to go on a modified and restrictive diet in order to return his gut to normal. While he is still suffering he is getting better and his dietary choices have increased. Take care. paul m
              "Alone we can do so little;
              Together we can do so much"
              Helen Keller

              Comment


                #8
                Hi OILERFAN. Thanks for the update. It sounds like you've made some changes that will be helpful to your general well being and GI system.

                A couple of years ago I had an ischemic bowel attack, (Which is the bowel's equivalent to a heart attack). It landed me in hospital feeling very sick. My GI system has never fully recovered to it's previous state. Knowing where the bathrooms are and dietary changes are part of my daily routine now. I understand how difficult it can be to manage.
                AJ

                Humans punish themselves endlessly
                for not being what they believe they should be.
                -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                Comment


                  #9
                  Wow, AJ. I never heard of ischemic bowel attacks. My sister had a transient ischemic attack (like a precursor to a stroke), and I've heard of abdominal migraines, not ischemic bowel attacks. I'm sorry to hear it brought on permanent changes in functioning.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thanks Lady in Blue. I manage okay. I do pay for not being careful about what and how much I consume. Some days there is no rhyme or reason for a bad 'bowel' day. LOL

                    A relative had what was most likely a TIA while I was on the phone with her. Scary!

                    Has your sister had any more Lady in Blue?
                    AJ

                    Humans punish themselves endlessly
                    for not being what they believe they should be.
                    -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                    Comment


                      #11
                      That sucks AJ. I feel bad for you. Im yet to be hospitalized for anything and thankfully never need to rush to any bathrooms.

                      Thanks everyone for the replies. Mentally I have been feeling decent the last few days. Still a little stressed over the money I spent on that naturopath and whether or not what he has me taking will actually help but trying to stay optimistic about it. My stomach finally started making sounds again so I think whatever im doing is actually starting to work a little bit down there. I have an appointment with my GI doctor on monday so I will get his perspective on things too.

                      As far as having my stomach checked out, I have had almost every test imaginable over the last 3 years. Colonoscopy, Hida Scan (gallbladder), ultrasounds, couple CT scans, 2 types of breath test for H-pilori and SIBO, Barium swallow tests, multiple X-rays, blood tests, urine tests, stool test, food allergy test. They all come up with nothing other than the SIBO test recently and some minor food allergies.

                      I have tried muscle relaxers specifically for bowels, stomach acid reducers, multiple anxiety meds and antibiotics. Most anxiety meds make me feel terrible so its been hard sticking with those. Whatever I have seems to come back every so often so for now im going with the SIBO diagnosis from the naturopath and then possibly antibiotics if this natural stuff fails to work. Its really unusual because I can go months at a time feeling great, eating and drinking anything I want and then BAM, stomach turns.

                      I saw my family doctor yesterday and my blood work all checked out good so other than my stomach pains my body is otherwise healthy and functioning fine. He did say I could step back from the anxiety meds just to see if the naturopath stuff is actually working and its not just anxiety/depression/stress but he gave me the option. Haven't really decided on stopping the meds or not.

                      I my opinion, a combination of stress, anxiety, poor diet, poor sleep, drinking alcohol and heavy cannabis use followed by quitting cannabis has created some kind of rift between my mind and stomach. This time its just taking longer to repair itself than usual and causing more weight loss and pain. As far as I know there is no test for any type of cannabis allergy but I do know that quitting cannabis after a long period of everyday use can really cause some havoc to your mind/body relationship. I mean, going from always having something flowing through your system to suddenly none at all has to be a shock to the senses. As of right now I have been completely cannabis free for two weeks and have only smoked it once or maybe twice in the last month. I know that I can never go back to everyday use but maybe occasionally with friends or sometimes in the evenings once Im back to normal again. I was never a heavy drinker, usually 1 or 2 beers a day or none at all. Sometimes 4 or 5 when out with friends but I dont think alcohol played a major role.

                      For the next month or so it will be the FODMAP diet, exercise, no smoking, little to zero alcohol consumption and naturopathic supplements. Then maybe antibiotics or whatever else my GI doc might suggest when I see him next week. When my work health plan renews in January, I plan on doing acupuncture and a massage once a month. I may even try these tranquility floats I have heard of. The road to recovery always feels way longer that it actually is but I think Im getting there slowly. Hoping by christmas im back to normal but that time of year always brings on its own stress so I will have to be careful to manage that as it comes.
                      Last edited by OILERFAN; November 22, 2019, 12:46 PM.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Good luck with the FODMAP diet OILERFAN. If you have trouble with it, I found a dietitian a great resource.

                        I haven't heard of tranquility floats. What does that entail?
                        AJ

                        Humans punish themselves endlessly
                        for not being what they believe they should be.
                        -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Tranquility float is a new thing in my area. Its basically a deprivation chamber where you float in water at a specific temperature. I believe there is minerals or something in the water as well but I would have to research that. Its basically a different kind of meditation and supposedly very calming and relaxing (unless you have phobias about water or being in a closed-in space of course).

                          I have been feeling a bit better lately. Less stress and anxiety and I think my stomach is getting a bit better but still having cramps often albeit less painful and not as long lasting as before. I have good stomach days and bad ones. Really missing a little chocolate and dairy though but I should be able to have those again in due time.

                          One other thing I wanted to mention was Naturopathic doctors. I believe this does work for some people and at this point I cant really say if what the Naturopath gave me for my stomach is actually working or if its just a temporary placebo effect. It could just possibly be that my stress and anxiety levels have come down and my stomach is working itself out on its own from that? It seems weird to me that taking 13 herbal pills a day along with a chalky drink and some fish oils is a "natural" thing. Dumping all this random stuff into my body has me having second thoughts about the whole thing. I also feel very misled about some of the stuff the Naturopath has told me and the tests he had me do. I really wish I had researched a little more prior to seeing him but in my extremely stressed out state I think I wanted to believe anything that would help me at the time. All the people at my work raving about Naturopaths didnt help either but they went to him for different things so maybe my experience is different. I went in thinking it was all science based and the tests were legitimate but after seeing my GI doc, my family Doc and doing hours of online research Im now feeling a little pissed off about the money I have spent. The naturopath convinces you that you need this stuff done and him being such good salesman its hard not to believe him. He convinced me I needed this IgG food allergy test to see what foods were bothering me. Turns out that food allergists and labs all over the world look at this test as totally bogus. My doctor chuckled and rolled his eyes when I told him about the test. My GI doc wouldn't even agknowledge it! He wouldn't even look at it, saying those labs aren't up to standard or recognized by the health care system. Its pretty frustrating that a business can recommend this stuff when its largely unproven and completely disregarded by medical professionals. Shame on me I guess for falling for it as I usually do lots of research on things before spending a bunch of money. Another thing he told me was the antibiotics for my stomach bacterial problem were not covered by health plans. Wrong again. He knew I had a health plan through work and suggested I would have to pay $400-$800 for the antibiotic anyway. Turns out its covered and only about $100 out of pocket. Again, my bad for not researching ahead of time but I trusted this person to be giving me truthful information. The one thing that may be legitimate was the stomach bacteria test he had me take. Even though my GI doc wouldn't even look at that test because its from some random lab, he did say the bacterial overgrowth is a real thing and heath care offers their own test for it that takes a few months to get into. My GI doc offered me the antibiotic that the naturopath recommended so it must have some merit. Im going to stick with the herbal stuff for a bit and see what happens and I have the antibiotics to back me up if the herbal remedies are bogus.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Thanks for the explanation on tranquility floating.

                            The plan I used to have at work covered naturopathic treatment. I have never seen a naturopath. My first thought is the our health professional standard of 'do no harm'. Beyond that, I like to do my own research, from reliable resources, which is sometimes a challenge. My questions are usually similar. Will it hurt to pursue this? For how long? What about cost? What measurable evidence do I have that it is worthwhile?

                            Our whole being is a complicated interconnected entity. Nothing happens in isolation. There are so many things that can go wrong, and it is an absolute miracle that most of the time things come together as they are designed to do.
                            AJ

                            Humans punish themselves endlessly
                            for not being what they believe they should be.
                            -Don Miguel Ruiz-

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Stress indirectly affects all organ systems in the human body. DiluenStress indirectly affects all organ systems in the human body. Diluents affect nerve endings, they send impulses to the brain, and those, in turn, produce a response. In recent years, many doctors have talked about such a phenomenon as psychosomatics. Most likely, you are faced with it. In addition to the fact that you need to reduce your stress level, try to contact a psychologist or a psychotherapist. You can cope with stress and this condition; the main thing is to want to get better. Good luck!ts affect nerve endings, they send impulses to the brain, and those, in turn, produce a response. In recent years, many doctors have talked about such a phenomenon as psychosomatics.
                              Last edited by RunningKnitter; June 19, 2022, 09:36 AM. Reason: Commercial link

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