Stomach aches related to anxiety?

desertflower · 05-12-2005, 11:58 PM

Can anxiety cause a person to have problems with their stomache? Like nausea, indigestion, gas Etc..... I seem to have alot of stomache problems but I am also stressed out a big part of the time. I have had anxiety disorders for years. Anybody out there have the same thing? Any advice?

Thanks,

DF

Dragonflyzz2003 · 05-13-2005, 12:42 AM

Hello, whenever I have an episode of extreme anxiety, feeling sick to my stomach is usually the first symptom that I have. It really is a bad feeling....I mean it feels like you have a stomach virus--sometimes I actually do throw up. I have been debating whether to take medication (like an SSRI) or not. Luckly I just finished this semester of school so I have the summer to experiment if I do decide to go on something. I have Klonapin (.25 mg) and I have only taken it once and it helped a little but not as much as I expected...maybe I would need to increase the dosage? Just wanted to let you know your not alone with the anxiety & nausea...

desertflower · 05-13-2005, 12:48 AM

Thanks Dragonfly for responding. I feel some type of anxiety/worry most of the time, not panic attacks or anything just mostly the generalized anxiety type, so the stomache discomfort(of some kind) is there alot. Could this type of anxiety cause stomache problems? Again thanks for responding.

I also think maybe increasing your Klonopin could help with your situation. Have you tried Xanax? I take it real infrequently but when I am really anxious it works wonders. As far as the SSRI's go I have been taking them for a while and I actually think it has made my stomache worse. Sometimes that is a side effect but it may do wonders for you so you should give it a try and see what happens. I here the new one Cymbalta is supposed to be a very good one and I am thinking about checking it out. I DO NOT recommend EFFEXOR as it is so hard to get off of. I have been trying for several years to come off but the withdraw is a nightmare and I am on a very low dose.

DF

littlejmb · 05-13-2005, 01:03 AM

I have it too DF. I have had stomach problems most of my life and have had upper GI's with the light twice, but they never see anything. They just told me it was a "nervous" stomach and gave me Xanax, Tagamet and Bentyl. I felt like I was doped up all the time and my stomach would still hurt quite a bit, so I quit taking all of it. Then later I went to another doctor, got tested and he said the same thing - "Nervous Stomach". But, he did give me a med to take that is called Levbid, that actually makes it quit hurting when its like that. My stomach feels like an ulcer, it hurts to the point of it feeling like it is clenched up right in the center of my stomach, under my breasts. Sometimes I get nauseated with it too. When I've been stressed it acts up more than other times. When I get really stressed, I get nauseated like you too. I have general anxiety like you, as well. Now I am on Lexapro and the anxiety is really gone, but - I still have the stomach problems. Looks like it's just something I am going to have to live with

desertflower · 05-13-2005, 01:45 AM

Litthotwm,

It is really the pitts isn't it. I was supposed to have a colonoscopy done but lost my health insurance in March. I wish there was a magical pill we could take. I can't even go back to the docs right now which is really depressing me. I will call though and ask them about the med your taking. They did give me something for the spasms(Robinul Forte) but I was afraid to take it as the side effects sounded worse then the actual stomache ailment. I swear I have either lower cramping, nausea, acid reflux or gas constantly and I am really getting tired of all the worry that I have something really wrong with me but I guess I would be dead by now if it were serious. I keep hearing about this new antidepressant called Cymbalta that is supposed to help with IBS symptoms, have you heard anything about it? Thanks for responding.

DF