Hard to believe this is caused by anxiety/stress

[ElectricAlice]

I posted a while ago about feeling like I had a virus. It lasted about a month and then I experienced the same thing again in April. Well now it's back again.

Symptoms are:
Very bad nausea
Loss of appetite
Feeling like I want to wretch when I try to eat
Severe fatigue
Lightheadedness
Muscle aches
Hot flashes

I'm really worried I have Lyme disease. Because apparently it can come and go? I've had the nhs test but I've also read it is very unreliable.

I don't know whether I thought myself into feeling this way or not...

Can this all be caused by stress? How can I feel better? I can't cope with this lasting a month again :(

[ankietyjoe]

They all sound like very common symptoms of stress. Amongst THE most common in fact.

Something to consider is that your brain and digestive symptom are very closely linked. So close in fact, that some now consider the stomach to be part of the brain, and vice versa.

If you feel stressed and/or anxious, you will have digestive symptoms.

The key to alleviating stress or anxiety is to find a way to relax that works for you. Some people that's going for a walk, others it's meditation, yoga, breathing exercises.

This isn't something that you can fix overnight, but you can do something about it. Searching for a more sinister reason than the obvious one right in front of you (anxiety/stress) isn't going to help matters.

A virus can also take a long time to get over, weeks or months if it's a bad one. Eat healthy food, take 10-20 minutes a day to relax, get plenty of exercise and your symptoms will improve over time.

[HullSimplibus]

I posted a while ago about feeling like I had a virus. It lasted about a month and then I experienced the same thing again in April. Well now it's back again.

Symptoms are:
Very bad nausea
Loss of appetite
Feeling like I want to wretch when I try to eat
Severe fatigue
Lightheadedness
Muscle aches
Hot flashes

I'm really worried I have Lyme disease. Because apparently it can come and go? I've had the nhs test but I've also read it is very unreliable.

I don't know whether I thought myself into feeling this way or not...

Can this all be caused by stress? How can I feel better? I can't cope with this lasting a month again :(

This can be caused by anxiety and stress. Multiple times I have experienced not being able to eat, nausea, fatigue e.t.c during panic attacks, before or after, or just in general.

Though, if you are worried you can go and see your GP. Though, I don't think it is anything serious I think it is most likely anxiety and stress, possibly caused by worrying about your health a lot :yesyes: :)

[Fishmanpa]

From the symptoms article. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms)

Symptoms are:

Very bad nausea (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Digestive_systemNausea)
Loss of appetite (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Lack_of_appetite_or_taste_a_tinny_metalli c_or_ammonia_smell_or_taste)
Feeling like I want to wretch when I try to eat (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Digestive_systemNausea)
Severe fatigue (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Chronic_Fatigue)
Lightheadedness (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Dizziness_or_light-headedness)
Muscle aches (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Muscles_muscle_tension_stiffness_muscle_t witching_tight_scalp_or_neck)
Hot flashes (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Temperature_waves_sweating_feeling_cold_o r_chilled)

Look into the articles and links provided on the site. There is a wealth of information.

Positive thoughts

[ElectricAlice]

Thank you everyone for replying. I really appreciate it.
I think the thing I can't get my head around the most is why the symptoms come and go and always seem to last 4-6 weeks and then I'm better for 4-6 weeks.

Also they seem so strong that it's hard to believe it's anxiety.
Because I have been anxious and depressed before and not had these symptoms... I am just so fed up of feeling sick. When I don't feel sick for these 4-6 weeks I feel great! I still get anxiety but I don't get bad physical symptoms like this.
It feels like I have the flu but I don't...

[Fishmanpa]

the thing I can't get my head around the most is why the symptoms come and go and always seem to last 4-6 weeks and then I'm better for 4-6 weeks.


Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

Positive thoughts

[ankietyjoe]

Thank you everyone for replying. I really appreciate it.
I think the thing I can't get my head around the most is why the symptoms come and go and always seem to last 4-6 weeks and then I'm better for 4-6 weeks.

Also they seem so strong that it's hard to believe it's anxiety.
Because I have been anxious and depressed before and not had these symptoms... I am just so fed up of feeling sick. When I don't feel sick for these 4-6 weeks I feel great! I still get anxiety but I don't get bad physical symptoms like this.
It feels like I have the flu but I don't...


It's simple. Symptoms change. Some days they will be stronger, other days not. Some days they will be different than the day before.

[ElectricAlice]

So you think it's possible to feel THIS unwell from anxiety?
I'm just confused as to why I didn't feel like bad during the stressful event. I feel like the reason I am anxious is BECAUSE of these symptoms.
And then I go weeks or months feeling fine...

[ankietyjoe]

You're just asking the same question over and over again.

You can choose to believe that anxiety is causing it and try to recover, or you can keep trying to second guess people who have been through the same thing (and much more) and recovered.

[ElectricAlice]

I know. I guess it's the same loop that happens in my head. I just want it to stop. :(

[ankietyjoe]

You can stop it by changing habits.

Next time you feel the need to check, look up symptoms or reconfirm information you've already received, say a mantra to yourself.

It can be anything, like 'I know this is just anxiety, I know these symptoms will pass'.

It sounds almost stupid, but it does work. It's something you have to do over and over again.

Anxiety comes from the 'old' brain, the caveman brain. It's a dumb subconscious that reacts to things faster than your rational thinking brain can respond. You can't stop the initial pangs of anxiety, but you can intercept them and tell them things are ok. It's like a child that gets into a state over something trivial (which happens about 20 times a day if you know children....). You can't tell them their trivial subject matter is fine, they won't listen. You have to slowly and calmly bring them back down and make them giggle. You have to do the same thing with your subconscious. That's the part of the brain that's constantly looking for danger.

My personal belief is that most (if not all) anxiety sufferers keep the flames burning by joining in with the old brain. I used to say out loud 'oh shit oh shit oh shit' when panic struck. Literally the worst thing to do. It's like seeing a child fall over, and then running over to them screaming and panicking, the kid will get worse. You have to divorce yourself from your instinct and say calm things, even if you don't believe them. It does work over time.