Anxiety is getting very low... but still having some issues...

[cnote]

26 Male.

So my anxiety is lifting greatly! I had a really really good weekend with my wife and daughter... and spent time over at my folks house... grilled out... My appetite has been coming back...  I was having a change in bowel movements for about a month... and my Dr. said it was just anxiety related. Maybe a mild case of IBS. He said the brain and the stomach are very very much connected with anxiety and digestion etc.

So since I've been feeling better, and eating a lot more... my stools are getting better... but today I had another bad one... and I know this sounds gross... but I feel I can talk about this here... lol. So here it goes... I ate a salad for lunch... and I had to go to the bathroom about 6 hours later... and it was a very loose stool... and I was ticked, b/c I've been having such good luck. And I havnt had an anxious stomach at all.

Well, my stool had lettuce in there... floating on top of the water with other skins of olives and stuff that I ate with the salad...

I've had this problem with salad for the past month... but why the heck isnt it digesting?

Are some things just harder to digest at times in your body as you get older?

Or do you think its just my stomach getting used to eating again? B/c I didnt each much at all for an entire month b/c of my anxiety.

I've also been experiencing a tightness in my throat... and have also been having post nasal drip... but it feels like I wanna gag sometimes... not b/c of the post nasal drip per-say, but it just feels like the back of my tongue is swollen, or my throat muschles are tight or tense or swollen? And it's sometimes hard for me to even talk w/out having the sensation to gag...

But I think most of it is psychological, b/c today when I was busy, and having a good time at work... I didnt have it, but when I was home by myself this evening, I had it... then my wife came home.... and I didnt have it.

Why still symptoms of anxiety when I'm feeling better?

[cnote]

Birdie0907, thank you so much! I needed to hear that. =)

Julie359, I took a benedryl last night, and this morning the drainage doesnt seem to be that bad at all. =) If it returns, I'm gonna try sudafed b/c thats more of a decongestant.

[Julie359]

For your nasal problem why don't you get a nasal spray from your local chemist, this will dry up all the excess mucus and may help with your belly too, especially if you feel you are swallowin alot and this is causing your runny poo.

Just ask ur local chemist, tell them  the other med's ur taking and i think you will find after a couple of days you will notice a huge improvement.

[birdie0907]

Hello again cnote. (This time I won't make any erroneous posts about Lexapro, like I did a while back, lol.)
I just wanted to tell you I have had those digestion issues you mention for multi-decades and am still kicking, so you will be fine.

[cnote]

Didnt sleep good lastnight...

Not much of an appetite today... had diarhea... This stinks! I feel nauseated at the moment. But I've also been swallowing lots of sinus drainage.... it doesnt seem to stop draining down my throat.

My stomach just gurgles, and squishes... and makes strange noises... I'm gassy... etc.

Like I said, I'm supposed to go to the Dr. for an anxiety check up in October. But I may go earlier.

Maybe it is anxiety... I dunno... It's hard for me to determine If I'm having anxiety, or just feeling like cr ap b/c of my bodily issues?

I keep having the fear that it's something terrible, and non treatable, and it could be stomach cancer, or colon cancer because I smoke....

That's how anxiety starts though with me... anxious thoughts... fearful thoughts...

[cnote]

Thanks so much everyone. I'm really trying to focus on the good. But even if my anxiety is low or even seems to be gone I still have the stomach issue. For instance, tonight I excersised and soon after that I started cramping and almost like I was gonna barf. Then I went to the bathroom and poo'd haha. Sorry. Poo is such a funny word. I must say, it wasn't diarhea. So that's good. I do think it's more than anxiety. Just bc certain foods do it to me. Oh well. My next doctors appt is in October. So I'm hoping it's gone by then. Thanks again everyone.

[Peterbndrs]

hey those salads are the cause i think. in order to reduce anxiety try meditating . i will help. i wish you a happy and fast recovery

[nursegirl6572]

c-note...salads typically don't fully digest....that is 100% totally NORNMAL!  It's just like corn...same thing.  Personally....every time I eat salad...I end up "seeing" it again later.  That is nothing to worry about whatsoever.

What you need to be doing is focusing on all of the GOOD stuff...how you're improving, etc...and try not to ruminate about the small stuff.  It will all continue to improve as your anxiety does.

[cnote]

No Julie, you are very helpful. =) Thank you.

[Julie359]

Sorry wish i could of been more help... it's hard to know sometimes what to say..maybe you could put this question to the doctors forum, see what they have to say.  I'm only a trainee nurse maybe a fully quailfied doc will maybe be able to give you the answer you need.  Good-luck and all the best x

[cnote]

It's not the meds. This is the reason my Dr. put me on Lexapro again. But I've been on it now for about 2 - 3 weeks? My anxiety is getting lower... but when I seem to be "getting better" in the "bowel" sense... then I have a "disappointing morning" or something... I get anxious... b/c I keep thinking "what the heck is causing my digestive issues?" I also get a slight ache/pain in my left side... I don't really think it's anything... b/c my Dr. would have found something in my blood work. For a while there, it was my left lower side... just below my belly button and to the left near my hip. Now the pain is on the left side, just behind the bottom of my last rib. And of course the anxious thoughts come when I feel that. And I lose appetite etc.

I've also been getting hypersensitive gag reflex issues from time to time. I'm sure this is a mixture of anxiety and post nasal drip. Feels like my throat is tight. Havnt had that issue yet today. =) But have been kinda anxious today. =/

Thanks for all of your responses.

[9DodgeFan]

Hi, yeah, maybe it's kind of gross, but it's reality!  Anyway, I think it's very possible that your anxiety/nerves could be playing a big part in your digestive system.  I know I sometimes have the same type of symptoms when I'm nervous or under a lot of stress.  And I think that the nasal drip or whatever could have a big role too.  I think more mucus causes looser bowels and whatnot.  If I have a lot of mucus, I usually try to eat more bread and cheese and that seems to help.  Not sure if it works for everybody, but maybe worth a try.  Hope things keep getting better for you!

[Julie359]

Also erm... med's can cause upset tummies, especially if you have just started them.  So it may be the leprexo.... if this is the case time is needed for you bod to get use to the drug.  Soon everything should settle.

[Julie359]

Well i'm glad i wasn't eating my lunch when i read this...LOL na sorry only teasing... erm, salads don't take a long time to digest because they are high in fibre and all the right kinda stuff to be easliy past through., maybe you have a touch of Irritable bowel..this is very common with anxiety.  Personally i wouldn't stress too much about it, i mean as long as your not loosing major amounts of weight, not passing blood or having extreme pain upon passing bowel motions just eat and drink normally and try and forget about it.

When i'm bad with anxiety and panic attacks this happens to me, everything i eat isn't properly digested and it feels like an hour after i've ate it, it is facing me in the loo...  just with time when your anxiety is under control things will harden and be more slowly digested....  

[cnote]

had VERY vivid dreams last night... could this be the Lexapro 5mg? Had lots of post nasal drip... can't seem to get rid of it... and woke up this morning with diarrhea again... it *****!

I'm wondering if the post nasal drip is causing the morning diarrhea? From swallowing so much mucous?

Sorry so disgusting... =(