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Simon_1212
08-08-12, 03:32
I am 30 years old, male, and generally healthy... but there are two (possibly interrelated) problems that I am dealing with. The first is anxiety. I tend to get anxious if I have to lead a meeting, give a presentation, or go on a work trip. I also get anxious sometimes in more social/relaxing situations like going to a restaurant for dinner with friends (and the anticipation of these events).

The other issue I have is that often in the mornings I feel unwell. Sometimes caused by anxiety, other times I think not.

I don't know where is best to begin, so I'll start with the second issue. First some relevant information... I am quite thin and have a very high metabolism. I tend to eat a fair bit as a result, though find it hard to gain weight. Not necessarily a problem and I'm sure many are envious. However, it is a source of frustration as I feel I need to eat a lot to keep going and can get run down easily if I don't get enough fuel. So, the problem.... I often wake up in the morning feeling tired and nauseous. Or, I feel a strange mix of nausea and hunger, if that makes any sense. It isn't unusual for me to wake up during the night feeling hungry, so I wonder if feeling unwell in the morning is just the result of being hungrier than I should be?

I find I need 20 minutes or so before I feel hungry, but usually even then I can't eat too much or too quickly. I tend to find that once I get some food into me, get my stomach to settle, and can then eat a more proper meal (usually by lunch) then I start to feel normal. But I'd rather feel that way right from waking up, rather than having to make it through the morning first. Usually for the first part of the day, I will feel "tippy" if that makes sense - like I could tip over, a bit off balance, but not dizzy per se and I don't think I'd actually fall over and i don't look abnormal when I walk or anything! I'll feel a bit detached and it will be hard to focus (along with stomach being unsettled).

I feel that if I could just eat a proper breakfast in the morning, I'd have a much better foundation for the day...yet I just don't feel like eating that much in the morning. My body must need it since I can wake up at 4am and be really hungry (so I assume I'd still be needing food a few hours later once I finally get up);

The other issue is that because I can also get anxiety, which makes it even harder to settle my stomach in the morning. The main problem I have with anxiety is more the physical symptoms rather than emotional or psychological symptoms (I don't have too many worries, I just get nervous easily!). If there is something that day that can cause me anxiety, I might be feeling unwell (nauseous, lack of appetite) due to the anxiety. In which case I might know I need to eat, but just don't feel hungry, or actually feel outright nauseous to the point where eating could actually make me throw up. So, anxiety seems to exacerbate the first problem I described.

Sometimes in the morning I will not feel well and I just can't tell if it's because I need food, or I am anxious, or I am actually sick. Very frustrating and makes it hard to know how to tackle the feelings of the moment.

I have some Ativan that I take on occasion as needed. Try not to use it too often. Maybe twice a month or so.

Is there anyone else who experiences these feelings? Anyone have advice on how to approach any of this (even if your advice only corresponds to one of the issues)?

Thanks very much for taking the time to read this!

flossie
08-08-12, 08:02
Hi Simon. Have you talked this all through with your doctor. That would be the best idea just to rule out that this is all anxiety related and not a problem that should be treated medically.
Having said that, all that you have described sounds very familiar. It is common to feel nauseous and light headed on waking. When you wake the first thing to do is to get up and have something to eat - I know you don't feel you can stomach it but it will start to rebalance your blood sugar levels after the overnight fasting. Just a piece of toast will do if you can't face milky cereal. It really is important to have breakfast. Eat every couple of hours, just something light like a yogurt or piece of fruit between your main meals. This will also help to maintain the blood sugar levels throughout the day. Also have a light snack an hour before bed to help your body through the night.
I used to wake during the night feeling anxious and once I realised that it was due to hunger I kept a packet of biscuits beside my bed. When I woke I'd have a couple of biccies which seemed to calm my system again and I would feel much happier.
Hunger will cause nausea. A teaspoon of sugar might help the nausea but eating would be better.
Hope some of this helps.

Sillymummy
08-08-12, 09:40
Hi, I think I know how you are feeling because I experience the same and I know if I et it will settle my stomach but that's easier said than done. I had an awful day yesterday I missed out on a day at the Olympics just because I felt dreadful1st thing and couldn't handle the train journey and hundreds of people around me! It seems with me that if I have something arranged like that or going out for a meal then you can guarantee I will feel dreadful! I'd love someone to wave a magic wand over me and make it disappear so I could enjoy life again like I used to be able to.

rockydog
08-08-12, 09:47
Hi there, I always woke with nausea and experienced the hunger during the night when i couldnt sleep, even though I had eaten normally. I was told that because of the anxiety your system uses more energy and produces that feeling of hunger. Also the high level of body chemistry makes you produce extra acid which can lead to the feeling of nausea.
I would also suggest, if you havent already, to have the gp test your blood just to rule out basic things that could contribute to that.
I would worry that these symptoms were down to diabetes or something similar until i had a full blood test.
I think it is quite common for people with anxiety to feel better after eating, i have read that in several places and i know it affects me massively. I think again that is down to the nervous system using so much energy. When i first started to go out again after being iside for several months i would physically shake and feel unable to carry on walking when I became hungry.
take care :)

Simon_1212
13-08-12, 01:09
Hi there, I always woke with nausea and experienced the hunger during the night when i couldnt sleep, even though I had eaten normally. I was told that because of the anxiety your system uses more energy and produces that feeling of hunger. Also the high level of body chemistry makes you produce extra acid which can lead to the feeling of nausea.
I would also suggest, if you havent already, to have the gp test your blood just to rule out basic things that could contribute to that.
I would worry that these symptoms were down to diabetes or something similar until i had a full blood test.
I think it is quite common for people with anxiety to feel better after eating, i have read that in several places and i know it affects me massively. I think again that is down to the nervous system using so much energy. When i first started to go out again after being iside for several months i would physically shake and feel unable to carry on walking when I became hungry.
take care :)


Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, I've been to the doctor and they did a number of tests (on a couple of different occasions) and everything always comes back normal.

Yes, I often feel better after eating. It just becomes frustrating when anxiety prevents me from feeling hungry (or worse, when it makes me feel nauseous) even though I know I would normally be wanting food. Combined with the issue that going out to restaurants with friends or co-workers seems to be a trigger, causing me to eat less in those occasions. Topping it off, my high metabolism seems to punish me when I'm not able to get food when I need it. Those three things seem to feed off of each other really.

But I am trying to force myself up earlier to give me time to eat and let my stomach settle before work. And also to make sure I get exercise since I find that helps reduce anxiety.

Thanks again for your suggestions.
S