Wow! Just come across this Emetophobia site, so just registered. It's great to finally be able to discuss my huge fear and get advice and answer other people's questions over something all of us on here have a genuine huge fear over. I have been suffering with a fear of Vomiting for more years than I care to remember. The fear is so bad that I will not do anything that might possibly make me sick. If I am around anyone that feels sick for example I seriously panic and hide away. If I feel sick myself I will become very anxious and try to do anything to stop myself being sick, including staying awake all night if I feel sick at night.
I suffer extreme anxiety, not just due to my fear (however the anxiety related to vomiting is huge), but I suffer generalised health anxiety. And my recent Anxiety is over sleeping. I have been suffering Insomnia for the last month, and the anxiety around it has got so bad. I have been to the doctors and I have been prescribed Citalopram which are anxiety tablets. However I am just too scared to take them. I know it is important to take them if I want to start to feel less anxious and to feel able to cope with life day to day, but the fear of being sick on them is preventing me too. One of the common side effects as in 1 in 10 suffer Nausea on them, and another side effect but less common is Vomiting. so by being told by a doctor that it's wise to take them feels like somebody telling me it's wise to stick my fingers down my throat to make myself sick. I have spoken to three doctors now, and all I get back is 'you should take them, all tablets can get side effects and if you want to get better in the long run then a few days of side effects is better than long term anxiety' one doctor did say that a lot of people do not get side effects. But then a part of me says she is just saying that so I take them So that doesn't help. Apparently the side effects if you get them only lasts until the tablets have kicked in which is a few days, but as I am sure everyone on here will understand, a few days is more than enough, half an hour is bad enough!!. Has anyone been on Citalopram and know what it's like? I feel pathetic not taking something I know I need to take, but each time I see the tablets and try to take one I just hear the words 'these tablets will make you feel sick and vomit' that soon stops me taking them.