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Original poster

Can constant nausea be caused by anxiety?

40 replies

emilylouisex1 · 20/11/2023 09:16

I've been feeling really really sick like I'm going to vomit for about a month on and off now, for the past few days it's been constant and I have a fear of being sick so it's really playing on my anxiety! I did see doctor about this but they put it down to ibs???? Not sure how feeling sick is related to ibs, evidently I am depressed, and anxious, could that cause constant nausea? It's really affecting my day to day and makes me want to stay in bed :( please no mean comments, im really down lately

OP posts:
justasking111 · 21/11/2023 08:51

emilylouisex1 · 21/11/2023 07:29

Now I'm really worried, I woke up at 3am this morning retching!!! I didn't vomit but I literally felt it in my throat like it needed to come out thus causing panic attack for me, I managed to get to sleep and now I'm up again with hot flashes feeling like I'm going to vomit. I just struggle to believe this could be anxiety! I am emetophobic and this is a lot! Seriously :(

Aha the plot thickens. This sounds like reflux my original thought until side tracked by your anxiety. @emilylouisex1

Original poster
emilylouisex1 · 21/11/2023 09:35

XiCi · 21/11/2023 08:50

3am by the way is prime time for waking if you suffer from anxiety. You are in fight or flight. Cortisol is unregulated so levels start to rise at this time waking you early instead of normal 7-8am. High cortisol levels can also cause nausea.

Did speak to my doctor this morning as it was the three week call for the anti depressants, I told him about my nausea and that it is constant and I'm scared to start them, he said that anxiety can definitely cause constantly feeling sick and I should try and persist with medication. I was borderline crying as the fear of being sick is a lot for me, but doctor said he thinks I'm basically stuck in fight or flight 😫

OP posts:
Original poster
emilylouisex1 · 21/11/2023 09:36

XiCi · 21/11/2023 08:47

It 100% could be down to anxiety because I've been there. Thats not to say it isn't something else, but it definitely could be the anxiety.

I'm wondering whether it's the fear of starting the medication thats made you feel like this? You've told yourself that while you feel like this you can't start the medication. You have a fear of starting the medication so your body has perceived this as a threat, and therefore the symptoms continue. Just a thought.

I just can't think of any other reason, doctor wanted to check I wasn't pregnant which I'm not, I did a test and I last had sex months ago with protection. I feel like anxiety is a more rational cause as I am evidently very anxious

OP posts:
Soonenough · 21/11/2023 10:22

I am surprised the Dr didn't prescribe you anti nausea tablets , like Stemcil. Seen no reason why you can't take it with the anti depressants . Unfortunately, any anti depressants can make you feel worse before you feel better , often for maybe a month , well known side effect which Dr should have told you about . And yes I got gagging nausea too but took anti sickness.

Original poster
emilylouisex1 · 21/11/2023 10:34

Soonenough · 21/11/2023 10:22

I am surprised the Dr didn't prescribe you anti nausea tablets , like Stemcil. Seen no reason why you can't take it with the anti depressants . Unfortunately, any anti depressants can make you feel worse before you feel better , often for maybe a month , well known side effect which Dr should have told you about . And yes I got gagging nausea too but took anti sickness.

It's not the anti depressant that is causing it, I only took one last night, I have had sickness on and off for about a month now

OP posts:
Soonenough · 22/11/2023 22:03

Yes , I meant he could have dealt with that separately and prescribed something for you. And it wouldn't affect your anti depressants.

Starrmix · 23/11/2023 08:34

Yes anxiety can cause nausea. I had terrible anxiety which caused nausea and wind. Treated the anxiety and it went away but I still had the nausea and wind. Because basically the long term anxiety had irritated my stomach and caused gastritis. So then I had to have Lanzoprazole for the gastritis.

It went on for months and in the end they said “this has gone on too long to be just anxiety induced gastritis, we need to put a camera in to check for stomach cancer”. Which they did, and of course there was no cancer, just gastritis. It took about a year for it to go away. All caused by anxiety.

Yarnle · 09/12/2023 13:28

Hey OP!

come on here to look for answers for my symptoms and they seem so similar to yours, however my story is slightly different. I had hyperemesis in pregnancy and thought I’d stop feeling sick at birth… I didn’t. Since birth (3 weeks ago) I’ve had all day nausea, feeling so down, heart racing particularly in a morning, no energy or interest in anything anymore. Feel like I’m suffering from PPA/PPD. Been prescribed Sertraline but like you I’m so scared to take it cause of the nausea side effect.. it’s a viscous circle but my life is on hold while I’m suffering from this, I literally can’t do anything plus I’m looking after a newborn 😭 it’s near on impossible. What I’m asking is, did anything help you? Medication wise if you ended up taking any?

justasking111 · 09/12/2023 13:48

Yarnle · 09/12/2023 13:28

Hey OP!

come on here to look for answers for my symptoms and they seem so similar to yours, however my story is slightly different. I had hyperemesis in pregnancy and thought I’d stop feeling sick at birth… I didn’t. Since birth (3 weeks ago) I’ve had all day nausea, feeling so down, heart racing particularly in a morning, no energy or interest in anything anymore. Feel like I’m suffering from PPA/PPD. Been prescribed Sertraline but like you I’m so scared to take it cause of the nausea side effect.. it’s a viscous circle but my life is on hold while I’m suffering from this, I literally can’t do anything plus I’m looking after a newborn 😭 it’s near on impossible. What I’m asking is, did anything help you? Medication wise if you ended up taking any?

Please take the sertraline. I had post natal panic attacks agoraphobia after all three babies. After the first I tried to cope for far too long with all your symptoms. When my husband finally got me to the doctors he prescribed something. Three weeks later I was hopping on and off buses,, walking around the shops and felt normal again.

My GP put it simply. Your batteries are flat the meds will help your body recharge them.

Yarnle · 09/12/2023 13:51

@justasking111 thanks for the reply! what were your symptoms? I’m so fearful of the side effects of the medication whilst looking after my newborn 😞but I think I need to take them to make me feel more normal. I have never experienced anything like this in my life and it’s absolutely awful!

justasking111 · 09/12/2023 14:02

Didn't notice symptoms because I was in such a bad place to start with. I had racing heart, overactive bladder and bowls, nausea before I took the meds. If I'd turned green I might have noticed. Husband was brilliant, shopping for food I just clung to him hyperventilation

Original poster
emilylouisex1 · 09/12/2023 14:37

Yarnle · 09/12/2023 13:28

Hey OP!

come on here to look for answers for my symptoms and they seem so similar to yours, however my story is slightly different. I had hyperemesis in pregnancy and thought I’d stop feeling sick at birth… I didn’t. Since birth (3 weeks ago) I’ve had all day nausea, feeling so down, heart racing particularly in a morning, no energy or interest in anything anymore. Feel like I’m suffering from PPA/PPD. Been prescribed Sertraline but like you I’m so scared to take it cause of the nausea side effect.. it’s a viscous circle but my life is on hold while I’m suffering from this, I literally can’t do anything plus I’m looking after a newborn 😭 it’s near on impossible. What I’m asking is, did anything help you? Medication wise if you ended up taking any?

Hey! Sorry you're going through this, for me I figured out I am slightly emetaphobic, I have a fear of being sick and I read it can cause constant nausea. My doctor also said anxiety can cause it but as I said I was too scared to take it, I still haven't got the courage to take it and cancelled my follow up for the medication with doc. Sickness is just one symptom I can't handle 😭

OP posts:
TeaWithASplashOfMilk · 09/12/2023 14:52

Sorry OP - constant nausea is horrible. Mine is one of my long covid symptoms though. Had a whole bunch of ongoing weird stuff about a month after infection. I don't find ginger helps me, but someone suggested ginger chewing gum helped them.

Original poster
emilylouisex1 · 09/12/2023 15:21

TeaWithASplashOfMilk · 09/12/2023 14:52

Sorry OP - constant nausea is horrible. Mine is one of my long covid symptoms though. Had a whole bunch of ongoing weird stuff about a month after infection. I don't find ginger helps me, but someone suggested ginger chewing gum helped them.

I find chewing gum does help, it does suck

OP posts:
NotDoingOk · 09/12/2023 15:34

I get terrible nausea and diarrhoea when I'm under a lot of stress, so I end up eating very little which perpetuates the cycle.

Ginger beer helps and if needed I get buccastem from the chemist. It's a tablet that you tuck in your cheek to absorb.

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