Scared and in need of reassurance

[oscrazymum]

Hello,
I posted a few days ago about my cancer fears and am still having sleepless nights. I have managed to convince myself I have stomach cancer because I have lost my appetite and feel mild nausea when I eat at the moment. I lost my appetite after a bout of dyspepsia where I had discomfort in my upper abdomen that was made better by eating. My GP gave me some omazeprole when it hadn't gone away after a week and that fixed the pain so I stopped taking it after a week. But, after that, I just lost my appetite. And now, I seem to feel slightly sick after I eat a meal (that I have to force myself to eat because I'm starving hungry despite having no appetite). My GP has ordered blood tests to reassure me it's not stomach cancer. I had a panic reaction to the discomfort I was experiencing and googled a lot and convinced myself it was cancer. I wonder how much of it is stress and anxiety, because the pain I went to the GP with, convinced it was cancer, has gone, but after that I got this appetite loss and nausea. I wake up early every morning, anxious, heart pounding, hot, and panicky scared about what's wrong with me. Is it possible that loss of appetite and nausea can be caused by a panic reaction? I don't know whether I should be freaking out this much about loss of appetite and mild nausea, or whether this is a totally unreasonable reaction. I'm new here, but would love to get other's views! Thanks!

[Hypo]

Hi. I am currently in anxiety hell. Not sleeping, not eating well, constant panic attacks and kinda wishing I could sleep until this is all over because life is hell right now.

I just want you to know that you are not alone with that. I think I have tongue, mouth, throat and cervical cancer.

I can relate to you eating issues and it really does seem like anxiety. I lost 5 pounds last week because I couldn't eat. I felt sick when I ate, crap when I didn't eat and the cycle just went on and on. My GP said this is totally normal with anxiety.

Please try to keep away from google. I rarely google because it just isn't helpful. I know the compulsion can be strong and hard to resist but google usually gives you the worst case scenerios.

I hope you get some relief soon. What you are feeling is so common and as your anxiety settles down your appetite should come back. In the meantime, try eating small snacks and drink lots.

You are fine. It's anxiety. Trust your GP :)

[oscrazymum]

Thanks for your words, it helps to know I am not alone. I hate how my mind takes me to worst case scenarios, and no matter what people tell me, it just stays there. The cycle you describe sounds very familiar to me - I feel sick when I eat, but crap when I don't eat. I'm hungry but uninterested in food. It's so hard to believe that I could, through my anxiety, make myself feel this rubbish.