Urgent help needed!!

[MikeyKlimek]

Hi, sorry for the long post but i want to describe things best i can so that somebody can offer help as the doctor just give me stomach soothing tablets which don't help at all.

Im 24 years old. From a very young age i have been brought up by my mother drilling it into me that being sick was bad and my stepdad used to hit me for it (my mother has various mental health issues, OCD, Anxiety and afew others)

I admit i don't eat as healthy as i should do and my blood sugar level came it at 6.8 the other day, but for the last 2-3 weeks i have been eating a very healthy diet (pasta, rice, chicken, steak, greens etc.) but for the last 3 weeks i have been experiencing really bad nausea 24 hours a day 7 days a week. it started off just in the evening times when me and my wife would settle down to watch tele but since that it has got worse and worse. It's at the point now where i cant sleep at night and i'm having time off work because it has just taken over my brain and controlling me, from my past experiences i am really no good with being sick or even feeling sick, i cry (not scared to admit it, i just need some help) i shake, my heart races, i pace up and down the hallway, and it basically just rules my life.

Its alot worse at night when i'm not doing things to take my mind off of it and once it starts thats it, no sleep because i'm up shaking, pacing up and down, having the urges to be sick but not actually being sick.

I have had no joy with my doctors, they just give me some stomach settling tablets, they dont realise its all just in my head and i need to control it even tho i have no idea on how to control it :(

Please help :( its putting a strain on my relationship and kids

Thanks in advance

[jackie13]

Hi hun

So sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment:(

Did you Doc speak to you about Counselling or CBT? It sounds like defo anxiety to me.

Anxiety can really put a massive strain on your everyday activities and life if not dealt with. Maybe go and see your Doc again? Did you mention to him/her your phobia about being/feeling sick?

I have learnt that once some issue from the past/present gets into your brain it can work away and create anxiety etc. No need to stress though, it can be dealt with by attending counselling, CBT or maybe just talking to someone, I did all this plus took meds.

Have a read around the forum, there are lots of usefull tips and help.

Jackie xx

[MikeyKlimek]

Hi jackie,

Yea i explained everything to my doctor and he just gave me 'upset stomach tablets' i told him they wouldn't help but he just said they would. He doesn't understand and just thinks its abit of a bug or sickness, he has no clue as to whats happening inside my head.

Unless he refers me to therapy i have to seek it myself and pay for it and i don't earn alot of money and i'm not working at the moment because of this problem. It really has taken over my life and i just don't know where to turn to anymore. i rang anxiety helpline this morning and they didnt help and said if i wanted more into i had to sign up to a membership n pay monthly. This website and speaking to others is really my last option, just to see if anybody has had the same experience and can offer any sort of advice or help.

Thanx for the reply Jackie :) really does mean alot to me.

[Oosh]

In your post you say for last 3 weeks you've been eating very healthily but also for last two to three weeks you've experienced stomach upset.
So is it related to the change in diet ?
Did you have upset stomach before this 3 week period ?
Sorry if I've misunderstood.

[MikeyKlimek]

yea i was having stomach upsets before but not to this extent.
I know what your saying about the change in diet but i had to change it otherwise i would be diabetic :/ i don't think it is the change in diet personally because surly eating better foods rather that high sugar ones would make me feel a better and healthier person?

[Oosh]

Well the way I see it is there's two sides to it.
Stomach problems and your past trauma related to vomiting.

It's understandable vomiting or even the thought of vomiting would bother you due to past experiences associated with it.
But surely there has been times when your stomach has been settled so fears about vomiting don't arise ?
Go on THAT diet. Even if it's just to settle your stomach again.

Just because foods healthy doesn't mean it won't disagree with you. A change in diet is probably THE time when upset can start. Your digestive system has to deal with new foods or you might have problems with individual foods etc

I think you should start by settling your belly. So back temporarily to a safe diet.

A dietician would then tell you to reintroduce any foods one by one until you discover what doesn't agree with you.

OR if this is ALL in your head and you're just focusing and worrying about being sick which is CREATING stomach upset then you need to
1 learn some new associations for stomach upsets, vomiting etc so doesn't affect you so badly.
2 distract yourself and never allow yourself to think about all of that area ever again. You control what you focus on ! Break the thought up before it starts, replace it instantly, bury it, forget it. Never think of it again.
It's useless to you. Serves no purpose. Vomiting is a mechanism to empty the stomach. It's effective, it's healthy, it's good. You have NO other associations to it.

I don't know if I'm helping but I'm trying my best :]

[Daisy Sue]

I think it's a bit like the chicken & egg dilemma.. which comes first? It's quite possible that you set off a bit of an acid/sensitivity thing in your stomach/osphagus due to eating healthier, and I presume having less bulky food such as bread, potatoes etc - all of which have an acid-absorbing action. I'm guessing you then started to feel anxious because you were feeling these new symptoms & it's grown from there.. plus anxiety can bring its own deluge of stomach related symptoms & feelings :(

Rather than having 'soothing' medicines from the doctor, can you ask for a course of acid-reducing drugs such as Losec or Zantac? If you had a proper course of something like that, it would tackle any excess acid if that's what's behind the feelings, and hopefully in turn your anxiety will calm down as you notice the nausea & other feelings abating.

[pas74]

So sorry you're feeling as you do it is so hard when you're in the middle of that vicious anxiety circle to imagine you'll ever be able to cope again. As suggested CBT can work it did wonders for me. I live in an area where it is possible to self refer so can by pass the GP altogether. There is a waiting list but the simple action of doing something and knowing that help was on it's way made kind of made things easier.

Use this link to find out if there's anything available in your area.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/free-therapy-or-counselling.aspx

Good luck :)