Hi everyone -

A lot of you know I have fear of vomiting, and all the sudden like 5 people at my work are sick with something or other and two people in my office are having stomach issues - one is going home. I am so paranoid about catching something...I am Purelling my hands like crazy and I am very healthy so i shouldn't worry, but I can't help it.

What are my chances of getting a stomach flu if I don't touch my mouth, keep my hands clean and stay very healthy?

Hi there,
Im the same as you, if my kids are sick i panic thinking im gonna catch it too.
I got myself a alcohol based handrub (you dont need to use water just rub it into your hands). The nurses at the hospital where i work use it to combat MRSA, so its a good product. You should find something similar at your local chemist/health store.
Try not to worry to much.
Linds

No one can tell you what your chances are. It's impossible to give you statistics like that. On a given year, most people don't contract a gastrointestinal virus, so your chances of not getting sick are good.

I used to be phobic about vomitting as well, until I got a stomach bug and vomited. Then I realized that puking isn't actually that bad, and I quit being so scared.

Hi lindsalou - thanks for the response, no one has been responding to my posts so i was wondering what the deal was!

That is what my Purell is - alcohol hand sanitizer. I will probably go through a whole bottle this week!! I'm not as concerned now, I just really worry about stomach bugs. Ugh.

ITs werid how that we all have the same thing but different fears... For me throwing up is a relif. When I am in the middle of a really bad panic attack I either throw up or make my self throw up and i feel alot better.. I dont do that all the time but at times I do...
I hate to get sick through I do freak out when I think about getting a head cold, becuase I fear getting dizzy...
Good luck
louane

Hi Timber -

Unfortunately my phobia seems to run quite a bit deeper - i have vomited in the past few years, and immediately after I think "what the heck was I scared of?" but then 5 minutes later I am back to fearing it. I think for me it is more the not knowing of whether I am going to or not. I almost never do because of my phobia - its almost like my body is programmed not to - so I never know if I will or not.

louane - I fear getting dizzy as well. pretty much anything where I feel i do not have control over my body freaks me out.

Hi mjewell, I work with 4 yr. olds in pre-school and I have had them actually vomit while sitting in my lap. I start worrying that I will catch it because I have been holding them and then helping them after they vomit. I've been lucky because I have avoided it so far this school year. I think the purelle will help a lot. I know I wash my hands many, many times a day at work. I think that prevents a lot of spreading of illnesses. As long as you are keeping your hands clean and staying away from their faces, ( as in direct contact when they are speaking) you should be okay. Keep a can of Lysol and spray things down. You can just tell everyone else you're trying to do everyone a favor and keep them from getting sick. Hope the best for you!
Kelly

Thanks Kelly, I got through the day and still feel good so I think I'll be all right! Also, the Lexapro is really starting to kick in so I'm not feeling much anxiety either. How are you doing on the Zoloft?

I'm not really sure how I like the zoloft. I used to take it a long time ago. I have to take an alprazolam with it or it makes me too nervous. I don't know if it will improve or not with time. Ironically enough, I am still getting hives, so it must be from stress or something else. I thought it was from the lexapro. I would like to try the lex again and I still have some in my cabinet, but how many times do you think you can go on and off these meds and them become less effective? It really is a great med, I think. The zoloft doesn't totally stop the attacks the way lex did. I'm glad you are feeling better!

Well I just found out my insurance doesn't cover Lexapro, so I called my doctor to ask if she could prescribe me Celexa or something since that seems to be the next best thing, and the receptionist tells me my dr doesn't work there anymore as of yesterday!! Well that's just great. Now everything will probably get all screwed up and I will end up with another idiot dr. Grrrrr.

Hi Timber -
I think for me it is more the not knowing of whether I am going to or not.


Yeah I know what you mean. I don't really fear the vomitting, it's the sitting around nauseous wonder if it's going to happen or not that sucks.

Oh, that's bad. I have no idea what it costs without insurance. Is there another dr. in that practice you could see so at least they would have your records and you wouldn't have to start somewhere brand new? If insurance would cover the celexa, maybe they will go ahead and call it in for you. Were you on samples before? You could just tell them you've been taking the samples for several weeks (?) and you don't want to mess up what progress you've made and have to start all over. Good luck.

I also have a fear of throwing up, ever since I was little and get over it... When people are sick at my work i try to stay away as much as i can, and i use that germ remover stuff..... believe me I swear the more you think about it the less likely you'll get it, for some reason I just feel that way.... I don't think you will get it.

Hi,
I am an emetophobe too. It is a very common phobia, and a lot of people have it. I am 28 and have suffered from it for all of my life. Now, here's a little reassurance for you - I have not thrown up since I was about 5 and even survived a pregnancy and natural delivery without getting sick. I have been exposed to stomach bugs and have always managed to fight them off. I take acidophillus every day (you can get it at the health store) to promote intestinal health. My psychiatrist also prescribes me Compazine in case I do get a bug. I have very rarely had to take it. I always use Purell hand sanitizer and am very careful to wash my hands. I have worked with people who had stomach bugs before and didn't catch them. I also cared for my son when he had a bug and didn't catch it, though my husband did. Handwashing really does help. Antianxiety medications, online support groups for emetophobia and antidepressants have helped me to deal with my emet. It is a horrible phobia, I know exactly how you feel and how terrifying it is to be around sick people. Try to relax - in my online support group most of us have been exposed to viruses many times and panic for nothing - very rarely do any of us get sick because we are so careful about handwashing.
Good luck :)

I would just like to state that gosh, this must be one of the worst phobias to have during the winter months!

Wow! I have the same phobia and I am so tired of it. I have always hated vomiting but now it is more about my kids. It really started 1.5 yrs ago for me when my 4 yr old got the stomach flu for the 1st time. I don't work because of it. I am too freaked out about germs. I do have to say that I am doing better with it. I went to a hypnotist. I am not taking any meds but I have Xanax if needed. I feel for all of us that have this phobia, it is awful. Well I guess all phobias are awful, sorry.

Katt

well mj unfortunately the nasty stuff is in the air bigtime too when the sickys are around lol.since october my whole family has had two viruses each and a cold.Let me tell ya too when the first kid got sick I went out and bought several cans of Lysol,not the small cans the BIG cans lol.and other disinfectents.I was cleaning my rump off and spraying the lysol like a mad woman I also worse cleaning gloves during all this.........washed my hands like compulsibly and STILL ugh it spread like wildfire I was second to last to get it though each time.I was kind of grateful I didnt have it at the same time my kids did thats a nightmare.We got through the first bout and then early this month BAM another icky virus.I also fear hurling its not so much the hurling though as it is these dang hot flashy things i get.Matter of fact I think I had a panic attack the last time i hurled ugh I got all hot flashy and then I had to run to my bed because I felt extremly faint so needless to say i got sick all over my bed ellllllllllllll hubby aint too bad of a guy afterall he cleaned that gook lol.anyway,i know how ya feel you may not avoid getting sick BUT yeah the cleaning of hands and things and cracking a window or two I believe does help. good luck hope you have a merry christmas sickness free!!

Well, I feel for you with kids, it seems pretty inevitable that it will enter your household during the winter. I want to have kids soon but i am pretty nervous about that. Fortunately hubby is VERY good about it. Doesn't bother him in the least, so we made a pact he will clean up all barf when we have kids, LOL. Actually, do you think it has desensitized you a little now that you have kids? When I was younger even my dogs throwing up would send me into a crying panic, but now I can clean it up and not bat an eyelash.

Wow - I am EXACTLY like mjewell!! You are not alone! And thank you kkelly for some great info in your post! I had no idea i am a emetophobia (never heard of it before), but i certainly am!!

I ALWAYS feared getting stomach sick and stomach bugs. And mjewell, i feel for you. I work in an office setting with a lot of people and stomach flus/bugs go around from time to time. they FREAK me out. I try and avoid all contact with people who have it and i wash my hands and use Purrell ALL of the time too. This is a horrible phobia. I have contacted it a couple of times myself and beleive me, it is horrible. And yes, for me, the throwing up part is still bad. its horrible. but it least it only lasts for a couple of seconds at a time. its the anticipatation of "maybe" throwing up that kills me. But i hate the constant nausea that comes with a stomach bug. Thats what affects me. 24-48 hours or constantly feeling like that.

Regardless, i spend the bulk of my day trying to avoid this stuff. It is horrible!!! So, mjewell you are not alone.

{REMOVED}

I tried my best to avoid the 'nasty bug going round', but it got me. Ive spent the last 48hrs in the bathroom.
Oh, i thought i was dying, my hubby, sister, mum and nephew had it, so i was like 'stay away from me' .Of course, i had it 100 times worse than everybody else. Kept phoning (only phone conatct was allowed) asking them 'did you feel like this or that', well mine was more serious of course! (lol)
Anyway, i survived, it didnt kill me . Hooray

glad you made it through it!

i only hope i don't get it!! :nono: