Health problems making life miserable

[RichardW]

Hi, I'm a newbie, and currently going through a really bad patch. I've always been an anxious person for as long as I know, and I remember going through a very bad spell when I was a teenager. Since then its been mostly controllable up until the last few years.

It started with a diagnosis of IBS. However I was getting severe stomach pains on a night, and I wasn't convinced. I had to keep on at the GP for a couple of years before they finally sent me for an ultrasound, where it was identified as gallstones. I had my gallbladder out and seemed to get back to normal.

That was until the pain started again. This was diagnosed as retained gallstones - i.e.. they'd left some in my bile duct. This had to be fixed with an operation called an ERCP, and unfortunately that gave me pancreatitis, which is an awful condition. I recovered, and seemed to be doing fine.

A year on, however, and I'm not doing fine. I am in a cycle where I lose weight, then have to have antibiotics which cures me for 3 months, before I lose weight again. The doctors don't seem to have a clue. I'm at my wits end, and everyday I just dwell on it and my mind churns away. I'm losing more and more weight, and I think a lot of that is because I'm running at 100% all the time, I can't relax.

The GP has put me on Citalopram, but so far that's just making things worse and I can't sleep. Every morning I wake up and as soon as I do I feel this awful empty feeling and start to get nervy again.

I feel weak and pathetic. I don't know what to try. I've tried reflexology. I used to play sports, but my stomach problems have stopped that. Unfortunately I have a job where I have a lot of time to allow my brain to wander, which isn't good. I know if I'm occupied I'm usually a lot better.

If nothing else, its been nice to put these thoughts down, thanks.

[LeeBee]

Hi Richard, first of all, welcome to NMP. You'll get lots of help and support in here.:)

Gosh, you've been through a lot in the past few years. I'm not surprised that you're suffering with anxiety. Have a look at the Citalopram sub-forum by the way, under the Medication forum.

Anxiety can definitely cause you to lose weight, as you say you're 100% all the time and it just burns through your energy.

The doctors must think you have a bacterial infection when you go through your weight-loss cycle, as they are prescribing antibiotics? And it seems to do something, as you are able to put weight back on for a while. Has your doctor told you what he/she thinks the bacterial infection is that you've been given antibiotics for? And where?

[RichardW]

Hi LeeBee

Thanks, its reassuring to know some of the weight loss is exarcerbated by the anxiety.

The specialist I was seeing just told me I had bacterial overgrowth, but no reason was given as to why this was happening. I'm worried I'm overusing antibiotics and will end up resistant, although the GP said it was fine. I also worry that there's an underlying cause, which is damage to my pancreas or bile duct. For obvious reasons I don't want to have another ERCP operation!

I know rationally that I'm making things worse, and that I might have to live like this and just deal with it. But I can't seem to persuade my damn brain to switch off. Its causing my life to slowly close down now, I do less and less.

[RichardW]

Anyone have any good advice for learning how to cope with illness? I'd like to not dwell on it so much and get on with life more, but just can't seem to. There's always something to remind me I have gut troubles.

[LeeBee]

Hi Richard, I can understand your worries. I was ill with a virus for around 3 months this year. The doctors didn't know what it was and I just didn't seem to get any better as the weeks went by. It ratcheted up my anxiety to a level I've never experienced before, and it was mainly to do with my health - I thought I must have something terminal or crippling, and that I'd never get better. Eventually I did and my HA has eased a lot, but I seem to have been left with some - every lump, bump, itch, pain switches me on to a checking and worrying frenzy. I can usually logic the thoughts away because the symptoms are usually either anxiety, which I recognise now, or don't last long. But I can imagine that, for a time, my virus had a similar effect to your stomach issues.

I think for most people it's a case of trying different things to find a strategy that works for you. Have a look at the Therapies and Remedies sections in the main menu to the left of the forum. I think the underlying principle to most of the treatments and strategies is finding a way to deal with the thoughts that are the source of most of the anxiety and stress. Good luck and keep us posted. :)

[RichardW]

I think professional help is really what I need, and should have asked the GP for it. I was feeling a lot better yesterday, but this morning my stomach decided to play up and now I feel sick and anxious again. Not sure if that's the Citalopram at work, if so I'm not sure I want to stick with them.