ongoing stomach issues - please help!

[anxietygirl91]

Hello all!

I have been a long time lurker as I've suffered anxiety for most of my life. A few years ago I became agoraphobic and didn't leave my house for 2 years. I managed to recover.

In August this year, I had my first GI virus at 26 years old. It was pretty bad.. but only lasted 24 hours. However, ever since I've had bad anxiety along with horrendous nausea every day. I don't know which one came first.. the anxiety or the nausea. I know anxiety can cause nausea, but I never thought it could make me feel SO bad. I spend most of my days in bed. sometimes, it will be mild and I can get up to clean my house and see my parents.

I've seen so many doctors and have had tests including but not limited to;
Blood tests, stool tests, X-rays, MRI's, ultrasounds, gall bladder HIDA scan, endoscopy, colonoscopy, urine tests just off the top of my head.
The only thing that came back was "hyperventilation syndrome" caused by anxiety after having my arterial blood gases tested. I already knew I had this as i've had the breathlessness for 4 years.

The nausea is non stop. If I go out anywhere I take a vomit bag with me and am constantly looking for toilets incase i'm sick. I haven't actually vomited since the GI virus, but I've felt very close everyday.I think I may have a vomiting phobia, but not sure. A lot of the 14 + doctors i've seen are saying this could be anxiety.. but the feeling is so bad and strong that I just can't accept that it is anxiety. I'm nauseous even when I'm not anxious, sometimes when i'm anxious, the nausea will trigger a panic attack sometimes.

I also am a little constipated. I also get cramps and wind sometimes.. this happens once a week or so, but my most prominent symptom is nausea.


I've had to quit my job and just stay home feeling sorry for myself. i'm supposed to be on a holiday in new york with my partner right now and feel that i've let him down majorly with this illness.

Can anyone tell me if they've had anything similar? I'm desperate for answers. I have lexapro but too afraid to take it incase it makes me feel worse. I was on .25mg of xanax but stopped taking it as it was doing nothing for my anxiety and nausea. The dose was probably not strong enough.

If anyone can let me know if they have experienced anything like this with their anxiety, please let me know. I'll be forever grateful!

[cjemc]

Hello all!

I have been a long time lurker as I've suffered anxiety for most of my life. A few years ago I became agoraphobic and didn't leave my house for 2 years. I managed to recover.

In August this year, I had my first GI virus at 26 years old. It was pretty bad.. but only lasted 24 hours. However, ever since I've had bad anxiety along with horrendous nausea every day. I don't know which one came first.. the anxiety or the nausea. I know anxiety can cause nausea, but I never thought it could make me feel SO bad. I spend most of my days in bed. sometimes, it will be mild and I can get up to clean my house and see my parents.

I've seen so many doctors and have had tests including but not limited to;
Blood tests, stool tests, X-rays, MRI's, ultrasounds, gall bladder HIDA scan, endoscopy, colonoscopy, urine tests just off the top of my head.
The only thing that came back was "hyperventilation syndrome" caused by anxiety after having my arterial blood gases tested. I already knew I had this as i've had the breathlessness for 4 years.

The nausea is non stop. If I go out anywhere I take a vomit bag with me and am constantly looking for toilets incase i'm sick. I haven't actually vomited since the GI virus, but I've felt very close everyday.I think I may have a vomiting phobia, but not sure. A lot of the 14 + doctors i've seen are saying this could be anxiety.. but the feeling is so bad and strong that I just can't accept that it is anxiety. I'm nauseous even when I'm not anxious, sometimes when i'm anxious, the nausea will trigger a panic attack sometimes.

I also am a little constipated. I also get cramps and wind sometimes.. this happens once a week or so, but my most prominent symptom is nausea.


I've had to quit my job and just stay home feeling sorry for myself. i'm supposed to be on a holiday in new york with my partner right now and feel that i've let him down majorly with this illness.

Can anyone tell me if they've had anything similar? I'm desperate for answers. I have lexapro but too afraid to take it incase it makes me feel worse. I was on .25mg of xanax but stopped taking it as it was doing nothing for my anxiety and nausea. The dose was probably not strong enough.

If anyone can let me know if they have experienced anything like this with their anxiety, please let me know. I'll be forever grateful!

I've been retching and dry heaving for the past 5 years now and like you I cant get a diagnosis. I've had hundreds of blood tests and a barium x-ray but nothing has been found.
Alcohol is the only "thing" that helps.
Sweets help by sucking on them I can keep the retching at bay but it doesn't cure the problem.
I was meant to have an endoscopy but I couldn't proceed with the procedure as I was retching and gagging.
Like you I cant accept that anxiety can be the cause of such a devastating/powerful symptom.
I am considering going back to my specialist and having an endoscopy through the nose into the stomach, I was offered this as an alternative to conventional endoscopy and with hindsight I should have had it done.
My life is a misery and I cannot go anywhere or do anything anymore because of the retching as I fear having a medical emergency such as a ruptured stomach in public. This has never happened in 5 years of suffering from this disgusting ailment but it is always on the back of my mind that one day I may retch so violently that I do internal damage.

[anxietygirl91]

im so sorry to hear you're going through this. It's truly horrible and i would prefer to have any other symptom as it can be so debilitating.

Im sorry, I'm from Australia and not sure what retching means. Does it mean you're actually vomiting or dry-reaching/gagging?

Im due to start anxiety medication tomorrow. Doc has given me Lexapro and i'm terrified to take it incase I do actually vomit or it makes me feel worse. Have you been on any anxiety medication to see if that is the cause?

[cjemc]

im so sorry to hear you're going through this. It's truly horrible and i would prefer to have any other symptom as it can be so debilitating.

Im sorry, I'm from Australia and not sure what retching means. Does it mean you're actually vomiting or dry-reaching/gagging?

Im due to start anxiety medication tomorrow. Doc has given me Lexapro and i'm terrified to take it incase I do actually vomit or it makes me feel worse. Have you been on any anxiety medication to see if that is the cause?

Hiya, by retching I mean trying to be sick and looking and sounding like I am going to vomit but nothing ever materialises, it scares the hell out of me. I am so scared that I am going to do internal damage. All my blood tests were normal, I am not anaemic so this rules out GI bleeding or ulcers, my Barium xray was normal as well.

[Cherryade]

Its the chicken and egg situation isnt it? Are you anxious because you feel sick, or are you feeling sick because you are anxious? Only way to find out is go back to the doctor and ask for medication for the anxiety. Have you been offered any in the past? Have you been offered CBT counselling? You have had a lot of tests in the past 3 months - has none of your doctors even mentioned health anxiety to you?

[anxietygirl91]

thanks for your reply!
you've pointed out what has plagued my mind for months.. which came first?
when I had the gastro, the following day the nausea AND the anxiety were there in full swing. A few doctors are convinced it's the anxiety.. I have lexapro on my bedside table waiting for me to start it tomorrow. I'm terrified but in a sense it's my last ounce of hope I have left. I'm worried about the side effects. Will keep you guys updated xx

[Annie0904]

I am just the same with anxiety....constant nausea.

[cjemc]

I am just the same with anxiety....constant nausea.

How long have you had this? Have you had blood tests or endoscopy to see if there is a reason why you are constantly nauseas?