Weight loss - Scared - please help

[DavinaR]

I am getting really anxious.
I have been suffering from anxiety for about 10 weeks. But I have lost so much weight and have had no appetite for most of that time. I had a about a week where i felt okay and appetite came back.
Doc did FBC tests when i first began to feel anxious and they were all okay.
Of course I have just done the stupidest of things and googled depression + weight loss + no appetite and one of the things it brought up as the C word.
I really need to know if anyone else has lost a lot of weight ( I was overweight -13 stone) but think i have lost more that 1 1\2 stone in about 10 weeks. I have been doing more exercise as well.
Was taking Citalopram for 6 weeks, but no difference and now on Venlafaxine for 3 weeks. Thought I was feeling better last week - was feeling more positive but so worried about the weight loss. My heart always seems to be beating fast and have no energy.
I will have to go back to Docs next week(again). He just says that he has done blood tests and there was nothing there to alert him to any problems. But can you tell everything by a blood test? Am so scared he has missed something and just putting it down to anxiety!

[anxietyoverload]

Hi

When my anxiety is at it worst, my appetite completely goes.
The first time it happened i ran to my mum freaking out, but she just calmed me down, and explained to me that teh mind is a powerful thing, try not to worry too much, i weight just over 8 stone before my worst bit of anxiety and dropped to 7 stone! but if you dont think its your anxiety see your doctor, but im sure its jst worry! maybe one day you didnt have an appetite, but your anxiety made you think something was wrong and therefore making it worse x

[Zee]

Weight loss is very common with anxiety and depression Davina. I lost 2 stones in 8 months 11 years ago but put it back on when I felt better. Great for 11 years and then 18 months ago anxiety came back. I have lost over 3 stones in 18 months.. I also had FBC done and my GP said I was physically very,very healthy.
The problem is its a vicious circle..Anxiety = weightloss and then weightloss = anxiety.. My appetite never went but I did discover that I had wheat and lactose intolerance which was causing some of the uncomfy tum feelings.. Then I got very anxious around food..concerned about eating anything with gluten or lactose.. however, provided I keep those ingredients to a minimum i am ok.
People I know who have been through anxiety/weightloss say it will come back but takes some time.

[miggymoggy]

Yes, don't worry you are not alone! I was just over stone at end of last year, by March I was down to 6.5 stone. I was convinced I was dying! Had gastroscopy and various tests but nothing found, in the end the gastoenterologist said it was anxiety. Apparantly anxiety increases adrenaline and that makes you lose more weight by burning more calories.
I also lost my appetite as well.
I have just started cbt after being referred by my doctor and have managed to get my weight back up to 7.1 stone butit's a struggle - I'm eating cream cakes, desserts, chocolate etc as I am SICK of people saying I#ve lost loads of weight!
Hang in there - if you read the posts on here you'll see it's a common side effect of anxiety.

[DavinaR]

Thank you all for your posts. I feel better about it now!
With all the anxiety I seem to put at the back of my mind that I am exercising so much more that before as well as not having an appetite.

I have booked in for some CBT sessions so hopefully this will help.

Thank you once again. Sometimes I don't know where I would be without your positivity ! X

[kah]

Hey,

I agree with everyone else. I've had anxiety for some time now so have been able to see a pattern. When I'm anxious the weight falls off me and when the anxiety is under control it goes back on. So now I don't freak out because my jeans are too big, I just wait for the anxiety to stop and before I know it the jeans fit again. One thing though, the weight seems to take so much longer to go back on than it did to lose it, which when your underweight isn't great!!

xxx