View Full Version : Question - Feeling sick, can this be a sign of anxiety?
Hello all,
The reason I ask, I woke up Tuesday morning (4am) feeling sick, which I still felt sick Wednesday.
Thursday, I felt a lot better, did not feel sick at all but today I have woke up feeling sick again.
I have not been sick at all, just the feeling like i could be sick.
When the sickness feeling comes, a burp will be produced and feeling goes until next bout in say 5 mins.
Obviously, it has started to worry me because at first I thought it could of been a 48 hour bug
Could me focusing on it, make me feel sick?
Red
I can only speak for myself but anxiety makes me very nauseous when it's bad. I do tend to focus on it which makes it worse. My GP gave me some anti-sickness tablets which I can take if I need them and this has helped enormously.
spacebunnyx
09-03-07, 10:25
can't say i have ever felt sick from anxiety, but sometimes I do feel nauseous for no reason (an acid like feeling in the stomach) kind of gets confused with hunger pain. not sure if that makes any sense!
I often feel sick
Last week i felt sick the whole week, waking up feeling sick and it lasting the whole day.
I just thinks its my anxiety playing up, or the medication im on
mandie x
Hi,
Like Jessica said, it did feel like I was hungary kind of sick, which I need to eat, sounds strange..!!!
But since I'm worrying I do not even feel like food.
My mind is making me think that something serious is up as the sign of feeling sick for 3 days.
My wife has just told me, she was feeling sick last week, could this be a bug I have caught and how would I know if it's a bug or something serious.
Red
hi, i always feel sick when my anxiety is bad, but never actually sick. dont worry about it, i think you will find its "just another" one of the symptoms of anxiety.
take care
libbie x
spacebunnyx
09-03-07, 14:41
for some people it may be a symptom of anxiety but for most I reckon its just a slight tummy upset.. try eating something plain but stodgey like porridge or chips.. i find it can take the sick feeling away for a while. hey maybe your a miracle and are the first man to to be pregnant!:ohmy:
Hi all,
A few more symtoms have started over the last 24 hours.
I'm still have this feeling of being sick but I keep bringing up gases (kind of burping) and I can hear my stomach making funny noises as if I'm hungary.
Red
Freaky Chick
10-03-07, 13:17
Hi there
Feeling sick can be a side effect of anxiety, because your body releases adreneline and other stuff, to get you ready to fight or run form the perceived danger. That causes blood to be diverted away from your stomach ( a non essential area) to your heart and muscles etc, which would be needed to deal with the danger. This has the effect of making you feel sick, or nauseus or the butterfly feeling, because there is a reduced ability for your tummy to do the job of digesting food at that moment.
If you are anxious enough, then these symptoms can last a while, if you don't eat because of the sick feeling, then your stomach continues to produce acid to digest food that you haven't eaten and you get gassy tummy from that.
However, if you are getting more symptoms, like a temperature, or are actually physically sick, then you might want to consult your doc, as to whether it is a stomach bug. But if it is anxiety related then trying to regulate your breathing, calm down, and eating something light, and drinking so,ething like water or tea can help.
If the wind is bothering you, you could try antacids or windeze.
Hope this helps
Freaky chick
I also feel the sick/nauseous feeling with anxiety. Everytime i get anxious, i feel nauseous. I feel like i should eat something, but the mere thought of food or the smell of food makes it worse! I don't actually get sick though, that's how i'm sure its just the anxiety. I have this problem alot in the mornings, so I drink a carnation instant breakfast..as i don't have trouble drinking things, just eating. This helps, b/c then you aren't running on empty. hang in there! we all have to support one another!
hi reddevil~
i get this from time to time too ( my previous posts about it) especially when i wake up at night...ive woken up often at like 2,3,4 am and felt really unwell...i also get it randomly through the day...i try not to worry about it, cause i figure if i was actually sick, it would stay with me constantly, not come and go. i dont get nauseous, i just dont feel well, and feel hot, like a temperature, but when i feel my forhead, i know its not hot....
im fairly sure its an anxiety thing. its a horrible feeling eh?
take care.
Hi,
I went chemist, they gave me PEPTO-BISMOL.
Did nothing but stopped as stools were 100% black like coal.
Red
i normal im sick every so often due to being anxiety and panick attacks
could be IBS.....have very similar symptoms as you and altho ive got tests to see if it is a stomach bug, it could also be IBS.
its made me all panicky for well over a week now and its a nightmare.
Hi,
How is it linked to IBS?
Red
the stomach and gut are closely linked - initially i thought i had acid reflux and was on meds for that - had trapped wind, feelign sick etc etc - now docs seem to think (after meds giving me diarreoha) that it could be IBS.
personally, i think its too much stress, a rubbish diet and not giving myself time to recover but it woudl be worth lookin into IBS - im awating some blood tests so will let you know how they turn out
I'm seeing a doctor at 5pm today, so I will see what he suggests.
I'm getting more worried if i'm being honest as it's not my usual doctor but I will see what he has to say.
Hope it goes well at docs this evening
Hi all,
I went to see doctor, he was nice and understood about my anxiety.
After I told him about me feeling sick and burping etc, he said it sounds like acid in my throat pipe, which is causing it.
He has given me two weeks supply (capsules, which reduce acid), I have to take one a day. If this does not work, he said to come back as i I might need a six week supply.
He said nothing serious!
I went to pick up the medication and the lady said they should work in two hours, which has caused me to panic. I'm worrying that it might not work in two hours etc.
The doctor did not look in my throat etc but I guess he could tell by the symtoms and reading Darrens post has got me thinking LOL.
Red
nomorepanic
12-03-07, 19:18
Hi Red
What medication did he give you can I ask?
Hi,
He gave ne 20mg OMEPRAZOLE.
Red
nomorepanic
12-03-07, 19:42
Red
Excellent ! I take them a lot and yes they can work as quickly as a few hours. I swear by them! I get a lot of indigestion and stomach pains and these sort it every time for me.
Hi,
Thankx for that Nicola, appreciated.
I took my first one at 6pm and I'm still feeling sick but the burps have slowed down (i think).
Do you think they will take time to work on the acid?
I wonder if I'm making the sickness feeling worse?
Red
nomorepanic
12-03-07, 20:04
Ok well give it a bit longer to take effect.
I usually find after taking just 2 the acid is much better and I know you are supposed to stay on them for the course but I rarely need to take more than that to settle things down.
You should stay on them for the course that the doctor recommended.
Make sure you are eating small meals regularly as well and mainly plain food for now.
Nicola,
Thankyou for your advice.
I'm just trying not to google acid reflux, I'm trying to browse the forum instead as I don't want to start another thread.
I guess I was hoping for them to start asap, but like you say, I will take the course and if no change then go back.
Red
hi red,
im also on one tablet a day meds for acid reflux.
i have spoken to someone else on here who suffered from this badly last year. she said that the tablets can take up to 6 weeks for all symptoms to go away. im now in my 5th week on them, and symptoms have almost gone.
so if it takes longer, dont fret.
i also take antacids on occasion. plus i started at the gym, and this last week, ive started to feel better, not so sick.
take care
oh, and i forgot to say, i also have ibs, and personally for me, these acid symptoms are quite different from the ibs symptoms.
ok, now im done, i hope...lol
sorry to put different thoughts in your head reddevil, but the docs took the same route with me, except gave me lansoprazole, which messed with my stomach once the dose was upped (as 15mg wasnt touching it) .....
glad to hear your feeling better!
Hi,
Can this acid reflux cause long term damage?
Red
Well, I went back to see my doctor.
He checked stomach for lumps and said there is a lot of sickness bugs going round at the moment and mine should settle in another week.
The problem is, I did feel better yesterday, which I told him but today, I have woken up to the horrid sickly feeling again.
This is causing me to stress again!
Hi all,
Still suffering with this sickness and burping problem, so I decided to look on the web for symptoms of anxiety. Detailed below is a list of symptoms, which are caused by anxiety, which can affect the stomach and I was surprised to see gaseous and belching mentioned, which I guess is why I’m burping.
It has helped me calm down a little reading this list and does anybody agree with me that the word gaseous means burping or could it mean the other end?
Red
Mouth/Stomach
· A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste.
· Choking.
· Constant craving for sugar or sweets.
· Constipation.
· Diarrhea.
· Difficulty swallowing.
· Dry mouth.
· Feeling like you cannot swallow or that something will get caught in your throat.
· Frequent upset stomach, bloating and gaseous.
· IBS
· Lack of appetite or taste.
· Nausea or abdominal stress.
· The thought of eating makes you nauseous.
· Tight throat, lump in throat.
· Vomiting
A different website detailed Bloating, belching, flatulence or abdominal pain.
Hi Red,
sorry you are still suffering. I go through stages of waking up feeling like i have morning sickness so i can totally sympathise with you.
My hubby gets a lot of indigestion and gets trapped gas which he always wants to burp up. I definately think gas can make you belch, and i definately think all the symptoms you mention are anxiety related.
love anx x
When my anxiety is bad I suffer from nausea and sickness which is usually at its worst first thing in the morning. I'm glad I'm a bloke because otherwise I'd have spent a fortune on pregnancy kits lol! A big part of my social phobia is a fear of being sick in public so these feelings I get don't help matters. Like you I find it very difficult to take my mind off feeling nauseous and it is often not until I've been sick that I start to feel better. Having said all of this I am certain that my feelings are due to anxiety because once the event which is causing me concern has passed I feel fine.
I know I've not offered any advice but I'm hoping this post will reassure you that you're not alone. It has certainly made me feel better to learn that others suffer from sickness because before reading this I thought I was the only one. :D
Take care,
Freaky Chick
17-03-07, 19:17
Hi Red Devil
Yes a gassy stomach, and burping are similar.
The gassy is caused by the stomach acid, and the food you eat having a chemical reaction. The result, depending on what you ate is water, clorine, hydrogen, carbon, it then mixes in the intestine with bicarbonate from the pancreas. Depending on how much acid you havce produced, (anxiety can cause you to secreate more acid into stomach!" then the chemical reactions produce hydrogen gas, and carbon dioxide gas, all of which is harmless, but can be uncomfortable if you have lots - the easiest way to then get rid of it is to belch or mix with the normal bacteria in your intestine and produce methane gas which comes out the other end!!!
Omeprazole helps to neutralise acid, and helps to switch off the glands that secrete stomach acid, so you get less in your stomach to cause gas production.
Milk can help settle acid tummys and ginger and peppermint are good for the sicky feeling. So ginger and lemon or homey tea, or peppermint tea can really help with the nausea or a ginger biscuit.
or you could try those probiotic yoghurts and drinks, all of those contain calcium, which helps to neutralise the acid in the stomach. As well as the omeprazole.
Hope this helps.
Love Freaky chick.
Hi all,
My dad has been speaking to me yesterday and he told me the following, which I kind of want to grasp and use to help me:-
1) If you have been feeling sick for two weeks, then you would of been sick by now if it was serious.
2) If you had something wrong with your stomach then you would be in bed feeling very poorly.
3) The doctor has seen you, if he was worried then you would of been sent to hospital.
4) Anxiety is properly causing you to feel sick and burp with acid.
Does anybody think these are true and should I grasp them and ignore symtoms?
I have also just read the section on the forum under symtoms on the info pages, does explain that stress causes acid, which makes you feel sick and burp, was not aware of the info pages.
Red
Hello all,
Just after a little help if possible.
I'm still suffering with feeling sick and burping (not actual been sick and I'm not bed-ridden).
I just find this hard to accept as being anxiety, I want to ignore it but I'm worried about doing that, just incase it is something serious.
Fellow sufferers, should I go back to the doctors again this week or not?
Red
I went to re-visit my doctor today and told him I'm worrying about stomach cancer, took my wife for support.
He looked in my throat (flem present, which he gave me antibiotics for), felt around my stomach and asked me a few questions:-
1) Have you lost weight?
2) Does food get stuck?
3) Pain in the stomach?
4) Blood on the stools?
I said no to the above questions, to which he replied that no alarm bells ring for cancer and he is not going to require a camera down into the tummy as he said there is a risk with it and it's not needed.
As I left the surgery, I turned and said I'm still worrying and he replied with try to block it out, it will settle.
Why can I not block it out, still worrying that it is not anxiety?
Hi Red,
sometimes when you get reassurance it can actually take a couple of days for you to relax and accept it. When the negative thoughts come into your head try to keep busy and push them away or do something distracting (i sometimes suddenly start singing :D )
You know your gp is right,
love anx x
To me its plain obvious you have anxiety for two reasons.
1) Asking questions about your sensations for reassurance, some times asking same question twice... without realising. This is common anxiety to find reassurance, no one here is a doctor. Also you ask if it was a stomach bug.. how would we know?? This is why i think its anxiety, your so fixed worrying about it your asking questions that we obviously cannot answer unless we knew you in person.
2) Irrational actions/thoughts.... "Stomach cancer" you convinced yourself and then you were stuck with your thoughts about until the doctor re-assured you that it was not.. classic thing people with anxiety do. Assume the worst.
And the other classic "hypochondriac" reading about something such as acid reflux or even anxiety and then matching it your your symptoms, then worrying that you may have that problem.. such as acid reflux.
Now when you feel sick experiment with it things like:
1) When you feel sick, go do some excercise for 40 minutes. If it dies down, that could because of reduction in adrenaline which is increased with anxiety which causes all sorts of problems.
2) When you feel sick, EAT EAT EAT any thing... don't eat something plain and light thats an avoidance method. Eat something heavy... drink a beer with a pizza perhaps.... lets see if you throw up or not. Anxiety increases stomach acid, so eating should reduce the stomach sensations as the acid is used up with food. Light food won't use up enough.
Until you confront these, your mind will constantly question if you have anxiety or something worse.
p.s stop searching up your symptoms on the internet, because then you will get irrational thoughts all the time, the stomach cancer one was exactly that.
It's very common people who have a heart palpultations with panick attacks (Specially their first big panic) they go "im having a heart attack". It's because everyone knows what a heart attack is about, few people know about heart palpultations, which are not all that much to worry about. But do feel unpleasant.
Knowing too much about symptoms is never a smart idea unless a doctor has diagnosed you with it, then reading about it can help you prepare etc.
In simpler words don't become obsessive about it
I would just like to say to Welshguy that it is easy to say to someone to ignore these feelings when you don't have them. I feel the same as Reddevil and it is impossible to ignore these feelings when you feel like you are going to be sick.
Reddevil, how are things?
Just been reading through this thread and this could have been me a few weeks ago. The doctor prescribed those omeprazole for me too and they seemed to work but just when I was getting back to normal again he gave me strong antibiotics to get rid of some bacteria in my stomach and although it's nearly 2 weeks since I've been off the antibiotics I've got a different symptom now which I am wondering if the antibiotics have caused because I felt fine before I had them.:unsure:
Im so glad I came onto this site. I thought it was just me feeling this way. Ive had all the same symptoms. Ive been feeling sick since last thursday and cant seem to shake it. Im getting waves of sickness throughout the day, but not actually being sick. I first thought it was just me being paranoid and thinking i was feeling sick psychologically but have come to realise that it is an actual feeling of sickness. I went to the out of hours doctors on saturday and he subscribed me with Buccastem (Anti-sickness tab) the first one I took worked but the feeling just keeps resurfacing..its soooo annoying and really starting to get me down. I have no temp and am eating normally. Can someone PLEASE, PLEASE suggest something that can help. Cheers!! x
hi very one
i've been feeling sick since january and its slowly got worse now im actually being sick i cant eat im scared.
what could it be?
hi red
i think you've got whatever the hell i've got im so so sorry but i hope you don't but if you do try to keep your head up.
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