can anxiety really do this to me??

Ok so I had a very awful experience getting off of xanax and ever since then I have been dealing with awful stomach problems. I rarely have an appetite and when I am hungry and do eat my stomach gets horrible upset. I get so nauseous that I'm scared to be too far away from the bathroom. I take xanax occasionally and notice that I have far less stomach issues after I take it. I took one sat night after feeling really sick and was able to eat and fall asleep with no problems at all. Tonight I was severely nauseated and took half of a .5 xanax and my nausea subsided and I was able to have some chicken and a kitkat. Well now I think the xanax is wearing off and my stomach pains are coming back.

Can anxiety cause me constant stomach problems? If it does what can I do to control this? I'm terrified of eating because once I do I feel sick for hours and sometimes for the rest of the day. I do not know what to do.

[lanvin]

It may be withdrawal from xanax and yes stomach problems is a major problem anxiety can cause. If it is the anxiety , therapy might work or some other medication like an antidepressant that can help that won't be habit forming, also klonopin is a good alternative to xanax. Xanax is the worst benzo as far as addiction goes, physically I mean.

[cnote]

I love Klonopin! I've only been on it for about 3 weeks and already weaning down. Don't even really need it anymore. Plus my lexapro helps too! I lose appetite BADLY and get nervous stomach with my anxiety and can't eat, will gag, feel terrible cramps.. IBS symptoms. Sux. Wean slowly off the xanax. Talk to your dr. It's all good.

[j17c27]

Anxiety definitly can cause stomach issues.  I am the same as you in that i barely ever have an appitite and when i eat i get soooo nausious.  It sounds like this has something to do with your medication though, so i would talk to your doctor.
I'm on Pristiq and i know a big side effect of that is loss of appitite, just like many anti depressants.

[erin626]

Actually when I take the xanax I feel better which is why I'm so baffled. I didn't think anxiety could cause such horrible and constant stomach issues.

[jul04]

Yes, anxiety can cause stomach problems and they are extremely unpleasant.  Try eating smaller meals.  Also try yogurt but make sure it contains the live cultures (Dannon is a good one) it does help especially if you have alot of "bad" bacteria building up in your system.  

Try keeping a food journal.  It would be interesting to see if certain foods are making things worse for you.  Also try not to focus on it too much because if it is the anxiety causing it, it is only going to get worse if you think about it.  

Once you deal with the bottom line cause of your anxiety you will see an improvement in  your symptoms (assuming it is anxiety related).  I would suggest talking to a therapist to help you with this.

I hope you feel better soon.  Keep us posted....

[erin626]

Pretty much all I ever focus on anymore is how my stomach feels. That's all I think about so I'm sure that's not helping. I seem to take everyday stomach occurences and freak out about them. My stomach seems to be the worst if I eat and then don't really have anything to do so I sit around and pick out every feeling and noise and get myself concerned. I know its a vicious cycle...anxiety causes my stomach problems and my stomach problems then cause more anxiety. I don't know how to stop this cycle though.

[anonymous680]

Coconut water, DGL, and Marshmallow Root fixed my stomach problems that were supposedly from anxiety. It was the opposite. Stomach problems were compounding my anxiety. I fixed it myself.

It was the opposite. Stomach problems were compounding my anxiety. I fixed it myself. If you suspect an ulcer, you can add Manuka Honey UMF 15+ or greater. Manuka honey kills the bacteria called h pylori that can cause ulcers, stomach problems, and anxiety. You may also want to add a 12-strain probiotic to promote good instestinal flora.

80% of your immune system is in your gut. If your flora is a bit off balance with an overcrowding of bad bacteria, anxiety can result. Also, an stomach or duodenal ulcer can cause anxiety.

If your gut is compromised, you can get a never ending vicious anxiety loop. Of course, the anxiety can cause your stomach to cramp up, and that results in more anxiety.

I have a chronic disease that causes severe anxiety. I know people here don't like to talk medical, but the untold truth is that anxiety is as physical as it is mental.

You can get the products from a health food store (maybe not the Manuka Honey). All of them are safe, unless you are allergic to honey.

Coconut water helped me the most, and the pH and sodium content is nearly identical to your upper digestive tract so it's very soothing.

I would avoid spicy foods. If you are sensitive to wheat gluten (which really isn't uncommon), eliminating it from your diet may help. Breads have yeast in them too, and it could be beneficial to avoid that as well.

It's best to avoid acidic sodas and eliminate as much sugar from your diet as possible. Water is your friend. Though I can't give medical advice, if you are on a PPI (Nexium, Prilosec, etc), you might benefit from going off of them.

[jul04]

I know how hard it is to break the cycle but please know with hard work and determination you can do it.

Are you currently seeing a therapist?  If not I think that you should consider seeing one.  A therapist could teach you techniques on how to break the cycle and overcome the anxiety.  It isn't easy and it takes alot of hard work and time but it can be done.

I still would suggest that you keep a journal.  It really does help especially when you are anxious or stuck in that cycle.  You might want to try another techinique I use and that is allowing yourself "worry time".  Worry time is a time that you set each day that allows you to worry.  For example you might set 7:00 - 7:15 pm everyday as your worry time.  This is the only time a day you can worry about things such as your stomach or other anxiety symptoms.  If during the day the worries surface you write them down on a list and you onyly worry about them during your worry time.  I know this might seem silly but if you stay focused it might help you.

I really hope you start feeling better soon.