anxiety and appetite loss - anyone relate to this?

[Tavsy]

I'm a newby but would just love to know if there's anyone out there that can relate to this.
I often get a wave of anxiety sweep over me, usually just before a meal. It's so powerful and then I struggle to eat which makes me distressed and then I feel down.
Emotions and eating have always been troublesome for me but to have it in my own home (supposedly my haven) is just horrible.
I'd like to know if anyone has taken an antidepressant that helps with appetite loss and lifts mood too.

[existential crisis]

Tavsy,

I don't know about your emotional troubles and eating but one thing I will say is that when you suffer with a high level of anxiety it definately affects appetite. I know that before Christmas, my anxiety was sky high down to various stresses and strains, and this greatly affected my appetite. So much so that even the smell of cooked food made me feel like puking! Also, when I did force the food down, chewing it and getting it down was hard work because I was nearly retching with every mouthful. Good news is that as soon as the anxiety goes down, your appetite should return, as mine did. Hope that helps. xxx

*I think, therefore I am.*

[clickaway]

Heightened anxiety affects my appetite too, but fortunately my episodes are infrequent and only last two or three days.

Just try your hardest to get some nutrition down you.

Take Care,

Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[cattttt]

Yes! I've struggled with my weight for years, but since the anxiety hit, I've not felt like eating so much and have lost weight, which means that I've hit the junk food, not good for the anxiety.
been a bit more under control recently, so I'm managing to eat more high energy healthy food-peanut butter instead of choc cake!!
Struggle with chewy food as I often think I'm having an anaphylactic reaction and can feel my tongue swelling..........HA is a drag.

[kittykat]

The answer is a definate yes for me. When my anxiety , especially the health, kicks in i go completely off my food, my stomach churns, cant eat its awful. Since being on meds they have helped abit but even at tht i still get episodes where im so worried bout something i cant eat.
Only thing is when i feel better i tend to overcompensate for this hence i put weight on, its a vicious circle and really gets me down some days, another side effect of this horrid illness to cope with. Hope you feel better soon.

Take care

shirley xx

'' I am an optimist, but I'm an optimist who carries a raincoat. '' - Harold Wilson

[lin]

Hi Tavsy

I can relate to this when my anxiety was bad my appetite went, i lost 2st in weight i just couldn't eat, even eating little amounts would make me feel bad but i had to try and eat which i did but struggled. When my anxiety started to get better my appetite started to come back too.

Hope you feel better soon.

linda x

[seeker]

Yep, totally - I had a reduced appetite for onths and months, sometimes struggling to eat anything at all. I found doing quite strenuous activities like walking and going canal boating helped, as I was starving becasue of the energy expended, and they distracted me from whatever I was anxious about. I have also found that the anti depressant I am on has helped lift the depression and my anxiety, and my appetite is returning now, whcih is great. I also found that making myself yummy scrummy food (really luxurious) hleped, having lots of little tasty things, a glass of wine before dinner, and if all else failed, soup and smoothies. For days on end!