Feeling really down

[Jess11]

Hey all,
so my phobia has been pretty bad since January when my dad got sick with a stomach bug, I was sure I was going to get it (never did) but ever since then my anxiety has been through the roof, it doesn't help that this has been a particularly bad winter with the stomach bug. I was afraid to eat (and I used to eat a lot), ate very little and thought every twinge was "it". Well, I'm suffering from a pretty bad consequence from all my stress and anxiety: GERD, or gastritis, or heartburn, or all 3. It is so bad and is really affecting my life in a bad way. Me in September compared to me right now is like two completely different people. I'm 5'2, active, work out regularly, and am generally a very happy and positive person. I weighed 115 pounds in September, I now weigh 100 and am continuing to decline. I'm very underweight and people are starting to notice. I get scared to eat because of my acid reflux and stomach pains. I have been trying to manage my symptoms through natural supplements and remedies, as I like to avoid medication as much as possible. I am terrified and feeling so down, I have lost complete control of my body. I fear I may have to go on medication for my stomach, and it scares me because I've read online that it either doesn't work, or you're on it for the rest of your life. My parents are not supportive and get annoyed with me when I try to express how distressed my stomach makes me. My boyfriend is my only confidant now. I'm in a healthcare program and it was a very stressful semester, which didn't help my stomach. I felt much better when the semester ended, however I start a clinical internship next Monday and am feeling as bad as I did during finals week. I'm so afraid my symptoms will plague me during clinical. I don't feel mentally strong enough to do it, but of course I have to. I'm kind of hoping it helps me out a little bit to get me out of my head.

Anyway, has anyone on here experienced gastritis due to stress and anxiety? Did you go on medication and did it help at all? I currently take probiotics in the morning and at night, DGL tablets before I eat and even sometimes after, a natural wholefood multivitamin/multimineral, and I eat an extremely healthy diet. I'm at my wit's end, am scared, very depressed, anxious, and spend most of my days in my room crying

[mdgirl1977]

I am having the sme symptoms and am relying on tums. just OTC stuff. I know stress is my cause too (lost my job, money issues, etc).

[Mamafear]

So sorry you're feeling so weighed down by all of this. My husband has been suffering from extreme lethargy and gastrointestinal symptoms for years and after trying to figure out what was wrong through doctors, he started researching and read time and again that an extremely 'healthy diet' can cause as many gastro symptoms as an 'unhealthy' one. He began eating everything in moderation again and when he craves something 'unhealthy', he just eats it. He has never, ever felt better.

[psalm139]

I'm so sorry you are going through all of this. I have GERD and IBS mostly due to this phobia. I take protonix and be careful what I eat. Have you thought about going to a counselor or therapist?? I go to one and she has been extremely helpful. I am also on Prozac and anti-anxiety meds which help make things more bearable. You are in my prayers

[Rosedream]

Hi,
When you are all the time this nervous of course your stomach takes it all... it happen to me all the time. The healthy food doesn´t help so much if you can´t keep calm, try to do some exercise like yoga. I`m trying dance and it is really helping me. Try to think that this is a difficult period and it will not be forever this way. You will overcome it, =), I know is very difficult to think this way when we have this phobia, but think that the more nervous you get, the more your stomach will suffer for it. You can do it! i´m here if you want to talk.

[rebecca1976]

I was diagnosed with gastritis several years ago after an endoscopy, I was suffering with what I would call a 'sour stomach', my upper stomach would burn like I had drunk neat whisky, I burped a lot and had reflux, I was told to eat bland foods but it didn't make any difference, I lost a lot of weight, my doctor prescribed lansoprazole and it changed my life, from the 1st day of taking it I could eat pretty much what I wanted. There wasn't any side effects but there is a warning on the side effects saying that you may be more prone to picking up stomach viruses as the medication reduces stomach acid, I was taking lansoprazole for nearly 10 years and didn't pick up a bug so I'd say it was just a precaution.