weight loss after panic attack

[HIBISCUS]

Hi there, wondering if anyone can help advise etc, I suffered a pretty bad panic attack last Monday racing heart was one of the worst I ever felt but ever since then I have felt shocking I cant seem to shake it off horrible feeling of dread and i keep imaging I have every cancer going aches and pains in stomach chest and alot of acid. Also I have lost 3 lb since the attack but have been eating the same so now I'm worrying about unintentional weight loss and cancer �� its awful I really need people who understand to speak to as I feel like I'm losing it struggling to cope x

[Clydesdale Epona]

Sounds like a sense of impending doom and intrusive thoughts,
i had a similar thing after my diabetes scare, the weight loss, acid and pain is most likely a flair up thanks to the anxiety x

[HIBISCUS]

Hi Aiden, thanks for the reply, I'm trying to think logically but as you know that all goes out the window with anxiety I have suffered with it for many years but always managing to have control of it but this past week it seems to be getting the better of me, just convinced I have some sort of cancer cant catch a nice breath wish I could get away from my own head just for a little bit

[HIBISCUS]

Hi has anbody else lost a few pounds after a panic attack? Starting to get scared now ��

[Elen]

threads merged

[Panicer]

Hi Hibiscus

I lost about a stone after my first panic attack about 4 months ago. I had so much nervous energy, combined with a loss of appetite the weight just dropped off really quickly. If you're new to panic attacks I wouldn't be at all concerned that your weight fluctuates a bit. My weight has stabilised now that I'm getting help for my GAD and PA's :winks:

[HIBISCUS]

Hi panicer thank you for reply I'm really struggling at the minute, I'm trying to eat more so I can see the scales go up as I'm convinced I have some sort of cancer, I also feel slightly nauseas. Feel like have a tight band round my upper belly just cant get this weight loss out my head feel like I'm losing it �� x

[Panicer]

Hi panicer thank you for reply I'm really struggling at the minute, I'm trying to eat more so I can see the scales go up as I'm convinced I have some sort of cancer, I also feel slightly nauseas. Feel like have a tight band round my upper belly just cant get this weight loss out my head feel like I'm losing it �� x

Hi again Hibiscus. The tight band is also really normal with panic attacks. I can have them for days afterwards. There's a page below that explains why anxiety causes weight loss. If you've not been to your GP about the panic attacks make an appointment to see them and you can mention the weight loss at the same time. But honestly I wouldn't worry about your weight being anything other than a symptom of the anxiety :bighug1:
http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms/weight-loss.shtml

[HIBISCUS]

Thank you panicer, I have suffered for years with anxiety and ocd but never really had a major panic attack nothing like last week anyway, my mum suffers with fibrillation and she wants me to go to be tested for that as my heart was so fast. I just feel so out of control at the minute as I'm laid here now I'm getting shooting pains in back, chest, side upper stomach, I also keep weighing myself. Its ironic as before all this happened I had a issue with my weight would get depressed if I put any on very careful what I eat and would weigh myself all the time to check the scale wasn't going up now I'm worrying as its gone down! I cant win feel such a burden to my husband and family

[up a ladder]

Me too...Not really a panic attack but the expectation of having one.
I can lose huge amounts of weight (I am no racing snake) in a couple of weeks of high anxiety and obviously the panic attack and then worry afterwards keep the body running faster than it usually does. It then consumes more energy
I am 6ft very heavily built and a tad "Chubby" I weigh in at 19 stone and since my first anxiety issue last week I have lost 15 pounds

I honestly would not worry and you may well lose some weight, but when the anxiety wears off so will the weight loss

[Panicer]

I think up a ladder has hit the nail on the head :D, our bodies when really anxious are just burning through the calories. My GP told me losing a stone was perfectly normal as I'd been sitting panicking, worrying, not sleeping for about 2 weeks before I went to see her and asked for help. I often feel right on the edge of a panic attack and sometimes the feeling can last for hours. I end up exhausted without really doing anything.

As for feeling like a burden on your husband and family that's totally understandable but if you can, remember you're not very well at the moment and they'll understand, especially if we explain it to them. If you had a broken leg nobody would think twice about you struggling with things, anxiety isn't a visible illness but it can be just as debilitating.

[HIBISCUS]

Thank you for replies everyone, I just feel literally sick to the stomach now my pulse is 100, I made myself eat a big tea of fried chicken in the hope the scales will go up tomorrow, maybe that wasn't a good idea I'm hoping its that that's causing the nausea and nothing more sinister it all just seems never ending at the minute, I just want to feel normal �� x

[up a ladder]

Just keep in mind that the big meal may cause some indigestion. Hope you have a good night

[PanickyGuy]

Yeah it's hard to believe one can lose weight with a panic attack, but it does happen. When your heart is racing like that and working overtime like your running a marathon, you're definitely going to lose some weight. Because it's burning some energy and calories, just like you were running. Then there is the after effects from a panic attack of going to the bathroom and getting rid of a lot of waste. That's another reason why we lose some weight too.

Every time I've had a full blown panic attack, I've lost anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. Yet the thing to keep in mind is, that when this happens and you lose some weight, but you don't lose anymore rapidly (unless you have another panic attack since then) and sometimes gain it back days later, then it's not likely to be something related to cancer. Just anxiety and panic disorder is all :)

Lol. Wish some of my weight loss from a panic attack would stay that way, though. I end up gaining it back later on.

[HIBISCUS]

Hi everyone, well first thing I did this morning was weigh myself and I weigh the same as yesterday, I was convinced all of the food I ate yesterday I would at least of put a pound on �� panicking again now. I have a weird tight empty feeling in my stomach worrying about stomach cancer now, I'm going to book appt at the doctors on Monday i cant take this anymore �� x

[pulisa]

Please don't keep weighing yourself? You'll quickly get obsessed with doing it and it serves no helpful purpose. Maybe get someone to hide the scales whilst you are going through this? It's very easy to lose weight at the height of an anxiety crisis, no matter what you eat..I speak from experience.

[HIBISCUS]

Hi pulisa, I know I shouldn't do it but I just cant help it, its so ironic as before this I hated it when the scales went up i would get depressed if my weight went up I have ocd also so I think its a control thing. All morning I've been googling stomach cancer symptoms �� x

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Convinced I something terrible i have a tight empty feeling in stomach the strange thing is I'm not bloated at all and before all this i would get bloating after meals etc so its strange for me, x

[pulisa]

With OCD anxious habits quickly become rituals. I'd strongly advise you to stop googling stomach cancer symptoms-you'll convince yourself that you have them all whereas you have very vague unremarkable symptoms which are easily part and parcel of pesky anxiety.

[HIBISCUS]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me pulisa, I know what your saying but its like a niggle always at the back of my head saying cancer, I have just been for a walk with my dogs and I daren't say it but I feel a tiny bit better, I just keep waiting for a new symptom to appear, and as daft as this sounds its also in my head that more weight will go on then I will be stressed for different reasons. I feel such a mess in my head at the minute think my husband had enough of me and I'm scared I'm passing my anxiety on to my little boy, I had a good cry this morning and felt better after that, sorry for rambling think I'm driving everyone crazy! X

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Hate myself