Has anyone ever heard of getting a panic attack in your stomach? My mother who suffers from panic attacks believes my attacks of pain and diarrhea are just panic attacks.
I have a lot of stress but I've tried stuff like meditation and it doesn't seem to help my sickness. Stress does trigger it, but I'm not sure if less stress would eliminate all together.

I believe it. I have suffered from anxiety for years and have these enormous "butterflies" in my stomach, thus causing diarrhea.I just started taking paxil so I'm hoping it, along with other relaxation methods, will help it.

good luck

design_eye

Everytime I have a panic attack or if I am really nervous I ene up on the toilet forever. I have a very nervous bowel.

Willow, the brain to stomach reaction in anxiety is immediate. When I get a pang of anxiety, the first thing I do is expel gas. A minute later, I am in the bathroom. One time I had a panic attack in a car because the person driving got lost. When we arrived at the house, my mouth was dry and was too young and at the time not open about my panic attacks.

I went up to this person's bathroom and had such horrible runs that I actually had to get in their tub and wash up, all the while hoping they didn't hear me run the water.

For years after that I was afraid to get into a car, train, anything with no bathroom. When I boarded a plane this year I got scared and was in the bathroom a second later with the runs. This is VERY common with anxiety, even people who don't have anxiety disorder and panic attacks or even IBS.

[This message has been edited by moderator4 (edited 08-21-2003).]

ABSOLUTELY! I have both. I know they go hand in hand...my stomach causes me to panic, then make my stomach feel worse,then I panic morse....biiiiig circle

I am there with you. Once my nerves get going it's all over.
I take zanax for anxiety which has helped a lot with keeping calm.

September 11 was HORRIBLE for me. I was at my boyfriend's house and saw what was going on on TV and immediately went to the bathroom with diahrea. I know that a lot of people throw up when they're nervous, nope I get diahrea. Lucky me

Same thing happens to me soon as i get nervous lookout bathroom here i come.

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Suzy,
There is a connection that has been well established between the mind and gut. Anxiety, stress or nervousness can cause diarrhea but not in everybody-- thank goodness!!

The treatment is to give a very low dose of an anti-depressant like 10 mgm of Elivil. Whereas, 150 mgm is the normal dose used for depression.

Dr.Marvin Schuster,MD the recently retired head of Johns Hopkins Gastro Department did alot of research on this -- he worked there 39 years.You may want to look into his work???

Harry



[This message has been edited by Harry (edited 08-27-2003).]

There are lots of natural methods out there that do work that are very good for treating your stomach and anxiety situaitons rather than having to resort to taking antidepressants however low the dose.

Good luck

Thanks harry for the ifo will look it up.Take care.

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Thanks harry for the ifo will look it up.Take care.

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Info i meant.

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