Anxiety, nausea & emetophobia

[AnnaZV]

After suffering a massive clot two years ago I was diagnosed with APS (Hugh's Syndrome) and put on warfarin for life. Five months after the clot I started suffering from severe anxiety and panic attacks. I had postpartum depression many years ago with the accompanying anxiety and panic attacks, but managed to overcome it and be symptom free and well for over 20 years - until the clot.

My Achilles heel is nausea and emetophobia. And I am wondering if it is the warfarin which causes the nausea, the anxiety or both and if there's really something wrong with my stomach. Since being on warfarin I also have constipation, slow digestion and can't smell or taste much of anything. Not to mention incessant belching. Needless to say, I'm miserable.

Aside from having tests done (I can't imagine having a tube shoved down my throat), can someone suggest anything I can take to alleviate these symptoms? When severe I take .2mg of Xanax but do not want to continue doing that because it's so addictive. Funny thing, when I take the Xanax the symptoms subside, which leads me to believe it's probably provoked by anxiety.

At my wits end and would like to avoid taking antidepressants but looks like it may be my only alternative. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Kay8010]

Hello

I have been on warfarin for over 16 years now, I suffered 4 DVT's and PE's in my lungs, since then, my anxiety has been on and off but for the last year it has been at its worse.

I too have massive belching however I think that is because I have had my gallbladder removed about 16 years ago also.

I have had blood tests, chest xray, endoscopy, lyranoscopy, colonoscopy all this year for anxiety related issues and my latest is a lump in the breast (which is not anxiety) including nausea and a 'roller coaster' feeling, I was diagnosed with vertigo a few years back so wondering if it has re-surfaced. I have been offered citralopam and it gave me hideous headaches so stopped.

I now have a SPo2 monitor including a bpm monitor together with a blood pressure monitor and I use them every morning just to make sure that I am ok......

I wish I had the answers as I am seeking some myself......

I just wanted to let you know you are not alone with taking warfarin etc....

[AnnaZV]

Thanks so much for replying, Kay! And it does help knowing I'm not the only one - even though a solution to our "issues" would be great. Oh well...back to the drawing board I guess. Still wondering if it's due to warfarin or anxiety related and hope it's nothing worse.

Thanks again. Would have felt really lonely out here had it not been for your response. Hope we can find some peace...if not answers to our problems.

[Kathryn313]

There are solutions but they take work and a lot of it.
CBT has helped me but also quite a bit of self care in the early stages...

Daily walk
Fish oil supplement
Massage therapist
More water, less caffeine
Nightly you tube meditations
Adult colouring book (distraction technique)

The CBT worked as it addresses some of the factors that led me to my anxious thoughts and challenged by belief in certainty of wellness. It also asked the what if question and tried to come up with plans of how to make the most of the time you have left on this earth, be that a day or 50 years! I am not cured of HA but I am more willing to accept it for what it is.

Good luck, the only person that can help you is you. Xx

[AnnaZV]

Thank you for your reply Kathryn. Aside from the CBT, I have tried most of the other suggestions. Daily walk (three times a day) is always in the program because I have a dog. I tried the fish oil but would burp it up. When the full, queasy stomach results after eating I suck on ice cubes (more water), which I hear helps speed up digestion. As for coloring books - I'm an artist so I'm at the easel most of the time. If I could, I'd go for those massages on a daily basis as well!

I'm glad to hear you have progress through CBT. As you have described it I think it would probably be beneficial to me as well, so I will look into it. I am willing to do the work - no matter how much - because living this way is really not living at all.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

[ScaredLizard]

I'm so sorry you are having such anxiety as well as physical issues. Anxiety makes me very nauseated. Even if I'm not actively scared but just vaguely worried