Went to the Dr. today....

[cnote]

25 Male. Suffers from anxiety spells from time to time. Usually caused by WORRY/STRESS.

Main symptom nervous stomach (knots in stomach) and loss of appetite (usually b/c of the nervous stomach)

Developed sharp pains in my abdomin area about 4 days ago or so... and have been extremely bloated... and gassy... i get sharp pains on my left and right side... even in the center of my intestinal area.

I also had a scare last week, when one of my stools looked like it had blood in it. Most of the stool was brown, but there was two little pieces that were red. And there was some red inside of the center on one piece of the hard stool. THAT REALLY SENT ME INTO ANXIETY MODE X100. Got diarrhea after that. (That there shows you how anxiety and a nervous stomach can mess with your digestion.) Started thinking about it, and the day before, I had tomato sauce 3 times that day. So this was probably some discoloration of the solid stool. But it still lingered in my mind.

I didnt have anymore red in my stool since then. But the thought still has been lingering with me, which has caused an even more anxious and nervous stomach... which now im experiencing these horrible gas pains and digestion pains... i have NO appetite barley... and when I do eat.. .even a peanut butter sandwhich, i get bloated almost immediately...

This has been concerning me EVEN MORE... causing MORE ANXIETY... which led me to finally go to the Dr. today for a clean bill of health.

Well, the Dr. asked me how have things been going in my life... I told him the following

"I started working on a film project with a big entertainer in my town... worked on it for almost 2 months... his marketing lady, was HELL to work with... and I do mean HELL... Anytime I saw her call me, my stomach DROPPED... and bad butterflies were everywhere... So there was a lot of stress involved in this project... and I had a lot of responsibility in making this "entertainer" and his marketing lady happy... and my boss happy with this project.. so that was Stressful... This project just ended. Thank God."

"I started to get a stiff neck, then that moved to my shoulders, and I worried about that... then I got a soar spot in my neck near my lymphnode for about a week, and I "worried" about that... (thinking that any ache or pain in my body could be cancer or something terrible.)"

"Then I started experiencing the major loss of appetite and fatigue about 5 days ago.. with the stomach cramps/bloatedness/pains... and I had the stool scare."

After saying these things to my Dr. I then showed him the picture I took of my stool... and he said "Well, it's hard to tell by looking at it... it could be a little blood... or it may not be.... but at your age (26) a little blood in your stool is nothing to worry about, unless its a lot. And at your age stomach and colon cancer is not likely. I think its anxiety."

So he gave me some more Lexapro, and told me to move up to 5mg... and possibly 10mg... b/c he knows I don't like to depend on a whole lot of drugs to feel good. lol.

He then said "See you in two months."

He then also said he was going to send me down to the lab to do a little blood work.

I got "nervous" when he told me that and I said "what's the blood work for?"

He smiled and said "anxiety." lol. "Quit worrying so much. That's your main problem."

Then he explained to me that it was just a normal blood test like I did last year just to make sure my blood sugar was good, potassium levels etc.

He's such a GREAT Dr.

He called me last year on Easter! Just to see how I was doing and feeling. Most Dr.s don't treat their patients that well, to take time out of their Easter Sunday to call.

He told me he would call me either tonight or tomorrow.


So I have a question for you guys. If he said "See you in two months...." Do you think he is not that concerned about my stomach and doesnt think there is anything wrong? and more concerned about my anxiety?

Thanks SOOOOO much for listening.

[cnote]

Thanks Br2509.

Here are my symptoms out of that list that I am having.

Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
Feel the need to pace around.
Fears about irrational things.
Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
Difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, following conversations
Obsession about sensations or getting better (BIG TIME)
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
Depression (From the anxiety)
Feeling down in the dumps
Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason - (A couple times.)
Have no feelings about things you used to
Not feeling like yourself
You feel like you are under pressure all the time
stomach distention
Diarrhea - OFF AND ON... not so much anymore.
Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous (BIG TIME RIGHT NOW)
Lack of appetite or taste
Nausea or abdominal stress
The thought of eating makes you nauseous


So I noticed tonight, that when my stomach gets nervous (knot in the stomach)... this one area actually hurts in my gut... just left of my belly button about 3 inches over and down an inch, near my waist line kinda.

Can having constant worry knots in your stomach cause actual abdominal pains?

[br2509]

Just for a advice when you experience a problem with anxiety..Go look at the anxiety symptoms its called anxiety centre and it has 100 symptoms of things that can happen while having a anxiety attack...

[cnote]

Thanks fltricia! =)

[fltricia]

Nothing is wrong with you except you were born a worry wart!  I am too.  Just remember you'll be fine!

[cnote]

Thanks so much. You are totally right. My wife and I were talking lastnight... and she hit it right on the nail.

She said "when this started a year and a half ago... everytime you get bad anxiety spells, or when you go see the Dr. about your anxiety... it's always something that you think is wrong with your health."

She is so right! It's always health anxiety....

So she said, "try tackling it this way,.... get healthy! work out everyday or every other day! start eating right! even if you dont have an appetite, eat what you can of good healthy food. Quit drinking soda, quit smoking as much. You will feel better knowing that you are HEALTHY!"

So, I'm already feeling better today Silverberg. =) My wife is amazing.

Sounds like your partner is a good support system as well. =)

Thanks again for writing!

[silverberg]

whats funny is I had the same thing and I have been panic free last 8 months, then me and my partner started talking and it only happened, AFTER I started going out to places I have not been to since my attacks, so it was nothing more then being nervious, also with my panic gone, it was like (my partner said) and he was RIGHT, I was LOOKING for things to be wrong, I have been free of Panic and was waiting for something, so I FELT EVERYTHING,

Now I just let it go and move on with my day, that is the most critical thing to do!! IGNORE it as a normal body function, give it no VALUE and move on with your day, and it works!

p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[cnote]

feels like acid maybe is in there? could be causing the pain/bloating/gas.... especially when i have an empty stomach is when it hurts too.... maybe I should try an antacid pill?

[cnote]

Youre right. When he said "see you in two months" obviously he's not too worried. lol.

My stomach still hurts though dude. Like abdominal pains. But maybe those will go away when anxiety lifts?

[silverberg]

from your post , he already stated Anxiety. this is the time like I said before, YOU NEED TO REALIZE ALL THAT WORRY WAS FOR NOTHING! NADA! ZIPO!! I really hope you put the energy into the responses you get as you do into the worry you bring on yourself, as I stated before, STOP LOOKING AT YOUR STOOLS, go to bathroom, wipe and flush. end of story, NO EXCUSES (ESPECIALLY NOW) SINCE YOU JUST SEEN DR.

I say the above, because this will help you grow in your anxiety and also RETRAIN YOUR MIND.

GLAD to hear NOTHING wrong with you! again glad to hear NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU ARE HEALTHY. period ;=)

[br2509]

well i am a 26 yr old female and i just started experienceing pantic attacks a few months ago wow its amazing what pantic attacks can really do to a person... I have gone to the ER twice from being so scared and i have gotten a cat scan and blood work thank god everything came back ok.... But its still scary

[cnote]

sorry, at the beginning I said I was 25 male. I just turned 26 lol.