severe anxiety and ibs flare up

[kaylasmum]

hi,
I've posted here a few times recently about a health worry. I've seen 2 gps and been examined, also spoke/seen 5 other gps, who all said the same thing. I have health anxiety which at the moment is taking over my life. Since this anxiety has hit me a few weeks ago, i've had a really dodgy stomach.

I've had ibs for 20+ years now and have had flare ups over the years. Usually some constipation for a few days then a bout of diahoreah and things settle down again. Over the last few weeks i've had loose stools or diahoreah around 3 times a week with days inbetween of normal bms. The anxiety has completely taken my appetite away so i've barely been consuming more than 700 calories per day and as a result i've lost over a stone in 5 weeks.

my citalopram has just been increased from 40mg to 60mg and i have a cbt appt on the 11th of july.

Now i feel like i'm in a vicious circle, i worry about having diahoreah my anxiety heightens and i have diahoreah then i worry more and on it goes.

Really struggling atm, we're on a family holiday and its so hard having to put on a happy face when all i want is to lock myself away in a room and not speak to anyone.

I have mentioned the loose stools to every gp i've spoken to and they all reckon its the anxiety

Anyone got any words of wisdom?

hi catx2

I'm glad you've had a nice day with your kids and well done for staying away from the internet, wish i could.

I will go back to the gp if things don't improve but i'm so scared. My gp did say today that he does'nt think i need tests,
But obviously if things don't settle down i'll have to.

Hope your blood tests come back fine.

Hi.
I hope you can relax a bit and enjoy your holiday.
I'm hoping I feel better as soon as the school holidays start as I'm off then too.
I hope you stay in touch even though some people adviced us not to discuss things. But like you I feel it helps to share your thoughts and experiences with someone. I haven't bothered telling anyone close this time, not even dh, as they will only think it is me going crazy again.
Take care.

hi,

Of course i'll stay in touch, it does help to have someone to talk to.

Let me know how you get on with your blood tests.

Kayla

Firstly I do think your physical symptoms are the result of your HA.

Secondly I think that, do to the fact you have lost weight and are having the symptoms you are that it would be sensible to request a colonoscopy to put your mind at rest. I did and it turns out I have haemorroids which was what was causing my bleeding.

I had a endoscopy last year (not pleasant but glad I had it) and it found nothing but I dont want to be on meds for my GERD forever so I am trying to alter my diet.

I totally understand what you mean re: being on ADs mean that GPs and HCPs put all your symptoms down to HA/depression but I went to my GP earlier this year after a bout of nasty vomiting and pain (very unusual for me) and he referred my straightaway for an USS and turns out i have gallstones!!!

Just keep going to your GP...if they are not doing anything, see a different one.

Good luck x

becaroooo - thanks for your reply,

Have you suffered from health anxiety yourself? I'm not really too concerned about the weight loss as i know its because i'm not eating, some days i'm only eating once a day. Everytime i go through an anxious spell like this i can't eat. This happened to me 2 years ago when i was convinced that i had rectal cancer,i lost weight then too. I'm about 4 stone overweight so i'm not going to fade away any time soon! As soon as i start to eat again the weight goes back on.

If i really have to have a colonscopy i will but obviously if things settle down then i would'nt put myself through that.

just to add,

I've seen/spoken to 7 gps who all reckon the loose stools are a result of the ibs/anxiety. Plus i've just increased my citalopram from 40mg to 60mg and this could be aggravating things.

I'm also not having any bleeding and the diahoreah is intermittant. I suppose the fact that i'm barely eating is going to disrupt my digestive system too.

I have done in the past, and, like you, lost lots of weight (was down to 8.5 stone at one point)

I think the proceedures/investigations will put your mind at rest and therefore help your HA.

CBT is a good idea....cant get it where I live!!!!

hi,

I've stopped eating a number of times in the past when my anxiety has taken hold, i don't know why this happens, i just find it so hard to eat, the thought of it makes me feel sick. Before this anxiety started this time i was eating fine, struggling to stick to a diet even! So i know the appetite loss and and weight loss is definately down to the anxiety so thats not really worrying me.

I spoke to a dr last week and he said its the anxiety causing the bowel change and that he would not be sending me for any tests.

The gp i spoke to yesterday said that he was'nt worried about the diahoreah as he thought it was anxiety related but if it does'nt settle then to go back and some tests can be done. Though he did say he does'nt think i need them.

i'm desperate to get started on my cbt as it really did help before.

In my experience ADs made my anxiety WORSE and you should consider this option. This then had the knock on effect of IBS worse.

Increasing the dose can only make you worse and once again in my opinion GPs dont understand anxiety and depression and I would asked to be referred on your mental health or pay privately for cognative therepy. ADs should be a temp increasing the dose - where does it end?

As for IBS its due to your personality which is 50% inhereted hence if you come from a family of sensitive personalities or high achievers then its bound to have an effect on you. Mine was prob flarred by a nasty bug I picked up in Tunisa when I was 15 since then my bowels have been ultra sensitve. Plus stress that started when I was 19.

hi bacon,

I'm pretty sure my ibs started when i was about 22 after a stomach bug. Not sure about it being inherited though as i don't think either my mum or dad suffered from bowel problems.

I've been on citalopram for 7 years now and the gp increased it to see if it would help calm me down a little.

I have a cbt appt next monday, only had to wait a week or so for the appt. I had cbt a year and a half ago which did help but i've just relapsed in a big way.

I know the ads can have an effect on my ibs as its happened before but my flare up started before the increase, it started when my anxiety started.

IBS is related to people with anxiety/stress whether they are on ADs or not. There isnt a cure only a bit of self help, a change in diet & life is the only relief.

Is there anyway you could do some of your own CBT? Obviously there are reasons for your anxiety. There are good books - I had one ages ago called cataphophe living (sp???) an amercian book. But simple note taking can be done anytime - I am sure you can download the basic stuff yourself.

You can also change your life in the way of diverting your energy into something you love or enjoy doing. Now that I am so busy I dont have a lot of time to be anxious or depressed and I spent too much time resting which made my situation worse.

7 years on ADs is a long time and wonder what yr doctors long term goal is with patients. Again I'm not convinced that ADs help anxiety and if you havent improved after a year or so on them then is this the way forward. I still am prone to anxiety but I have leant to divert the negativity. I would never go back on them as there has to be side effects to something that controls the brain. Good for when I needed them but I didnt want to rely on them.

I truely believe you can control this and make your IBS better.

hi,

Do you have your ibs under control? I get flare ups with stress/anxiety and sometimes its food related. I have health anxiety which is really bad at the moment. I have been trying the breathing techniques but not finding them too helpful at the moment.

The citalopram did help in the beginning but i've felt over the last year or so that they have'nt been working too well. I've spoken to the gp about coming off them but they advised me not to at that time as there was a lot of things going on in my life and the gp thought it would be better to stick with them until things got better.

I really want to come off them eventually.

Hi Kaylasmum.

Just wondering how you are doing?

My IBS is pretty under control now. My life has changed a lot too even though I am very busy and have two mad children I seem to keep it well wrapped. Got worse with the last pregnancy but soon calmed down. I have a strict feeding regime, good diet and menally a lot better. (I had anxiety from teenager, got married, had CFS, divorsed then remarried and had children). So my life is better all around. All pills have side effects but slowly cutting down is better than stopping. The ADs made me terrible but I really am concerned that yr doc has increased your dosage as what is he trying to achieve?

You obviously know what triggers these attacks but what are you doing to change your life - to improve it? Have you any aims, hobbies or something that you can throw yourself into??? Until you have this then the anxiety will fester.