Nausea, can anxiety really cause this? Please help :(

[daisyflower]

Hello,

Can someone please offer me some reassurance as I'm getting myself into a massive state. For the past week, I've been feeling SO nauseous. It's starting as soon as I wake up and sometimes easing in the late afternoon.
I have a massive phobia of doctors/tests so haven't been yet.
Can bad anxiety really cause this? I'm getting so frightened. I haven't actually been sick yet, just feel like I need to be. My tummy is acting up too so I'm having a lot of intestinal cramps and going the toilet a lot.
I'm 31 with 2 young children and so scared that this is something serious and I'm going to leave them with no mum :(
Thank you

[swajj]

There are many reasons why you might be nauseous. Most of them are not serious. You should go to the doctor. No one here can tell you what is wrong and you might just have a virus. Anxiety can definitely cause nausea and an upset stomach. Make an appointment with your GP.

[daisyflower]

I know I should I'm just so terrified of going :( It's childish and irresponsible, I know

[swajj]

Not as bad as going to the doctor everyday like I did a few years ago lol

If you have Health Anxiety then you very likely have nausea due to that. Don’t be afraid to go to the doctor. Remind yourself of how much better you’ll feel after you do. Doctors start with the most logical and simple explanation for a patient’s symptoms (my doctor told me that). So he or she isn’t going to say “nausea and an upset stomach, we better do tests”. So nothing at all to worry about going along and seeing your doctor.

[Annaboodle]

It sounds like you have an upset stomach bug to me. There's loads doing the rounds at the moment and you have 2 kids (I have 3 and get everything going). If it were me and I could manage food, I'd have a really bland diet like steamed chicken and rice for a few days, only drink water and ginger tea to settle my stomach and see how I am after the weekend. Hope you feel better soon.

[daisyflower]

Thanks, everyone :) I was brave and called the doctors and typically there are no appointments left. Always the way when I finally pluck up the courage.

[Annaboodle]

Good you called. I hate phoning the doc. I need to call in a repeat prescription later today and I don't even like doing that! Hope your symptoms ease off soon. Rest up if you can (easier said than done with small people around I know). Even 5 or ten minutes with your feet up here and there though I find can help.

[daisyflower]

Thanks, Anna :) Trying to block out negative thoughts of bowel cancer etc and it's so hard when I can't stop going the toilet and feel so nauseous.

[poppadr3w]

Yes, absolutely. I always encourage people to still go to a doctor, as it can help clear their mind when they get an "All OK" from them, as I did, too.

A few years ago I had intense nausea before being diagnosed with anxiety. I went to a myriad of medical professionals, from general physicians to specialists to alternative practitioners. I had a battery of tests run on me, too. My nausea was so bad at one point that I couldn't walk more than 50 feet without doubling over due to the intense sensations of nausea. I couldn't even sit in a car without feeling the heavy onset of nausea sometimes. At one point I even went to the hospital to get a CAT Scan and could not even walk across the hallway to the bathroom at some points due to the intense nausea. All anxiety. All tests came back A-OK.

So yes, it can definitely be anxiety. In fact, gastrointestinal issues are quite common due to anxiety. Some believe that it is due to the fact that we have an array of neurotransmitters in the gut. Other people believe that it is due to the body pulling blood away from the stomach during chronic times of anxiety (this happens during the Fight-or-Flight response to make sure there is adequate blood flow to the muscles and organs for certain situations, but anxiety sufferers have these sensations chronically without proper provocation). I think it's a combination of those, at a minimum.

[Duchesskitty]

I get nausea and even vomiting at times of high anxiety. My saviour: gingernut biscuits! Sounds daft but when I have morning nausea because of anxiety, I eat a few of them and they really help to settle my stomach. Plus the sugar seems to help with being shaky etc.