Constantly feeling sick it seems like

[vballxlauren1014]

Okay, I am just losing it here. It's winter...I'm sure I write a post like this every year, but I don't know how I even make it through the winter each year. Over the past week or so, I have heard about sooooo many sv's, people posting on social media about being sick, and just hearing/seeing people in general complaining that their husband, wife, daughter, son, grandson, niece and nephew and every other person is sick and doesn't it just make you feel like it's seriously some apocalyptic disease trying to get to everyone and kill of the entire population? The entire winter I am on edge feeling like ANY SECOND OF EVERY DAY, every single little twinge and "bad feeling" is going to be the worst day of my life because I'm going to catch it. I don't know how to get through this. I don't. I don't feel strong enough mentally and physically it's taking a huge toll on me. I have been so tensed up, my body seems to be in a constant slight 'shake' or like full body quiver as if I'm cold or chilled but it's my nerves. The thoughts are constantly filling my head and I cannot escape them. My mind is 100% negative right now and I honestly can say that I feel like I'm slipping into a horrible depression that I will never come out of. I constantly have this sense of "something bad is about to happen". I wake up in the middle of the night with it, I have it at random times throughout the day, I feel it when I first wake up, and it just seems to never go away. These bad feelings and negative thoughts are making me feel physically unwell and are adding to my already large list of health problems. Does anyone else feeling constantly n is times of high stress? Can anxiety and depression both cause n? How do you guys cope with it? I have taken a Zofran (I have them prescribed) and it still hasn't made the feeling go away (I think because it is a lot mental so it probably has little to no effect). I can't deal with this. My stomach is in knots, I'm uncomfortable, my hands are so dry they burn and sting from washing them, I don't want to leave my house or go to work because I know when I get there someone will say something that triggers me again and the cycle will repeat. I just recently got engaged to the love of my life, but I feel like I can't even be happy..because my mind is so preoccupied with this dreadful feeling 24/7! Why do we do this to ourselves? It is awful!!!! I can't take it! I think I need to seriously get some medication to help me through. I have never taken meds for anxiety/depression for fear of other worse side effects. Any recommendations? I have to do something. I also need to find someone to vent/talk too that I won't burden and that can help bring me back to reality when I feel disconnected from real life because of this phobia. I need this winter to be over, I need something positive, I have to find a way to overcome this or I will not be able to survive every winter for the rest of my life feeling this way, it is a miserable way to live. And I also feel like my anxiety has a never ending list of random new symptoms that will just pop up out of nowhere and make me even more crazy than I already am because then I am dealing with that too on top of everything else I'm feeling. I am so scared. I don't want to be sick. Every day feels like a battle that I'm never going to win.

[Afdpt]

You sound exactly how I was the last 2 winters. And I want to tell you that this year I'm not having that experience AT ALL... so there is hope. You don't have to live that way forever! I promise you it can get better if you're willing to give it your all!

Different people are going to have different paths to getting better. It will take different amounts of time and different methods will work better than others. It's not a linear process either. You're going to have moments where you feel like you're doing REALLY WELL and are so proud and happy, but then there will be times where you feel like you've slipped right back down to where you were before. This is normal. Just dig yourself back out of that hole each time and focus on the ups more than the downs. Always keep moving forward.

One thing that helped me a lot in the beginning was to sit down and realize - I'm going to get sick some day. I will vomit someday. But most days I won't. Today I probably won't. And when it does happen, I'll get through it. I'll live to talk about it. It won't be that bad. This was really important for me because it broke me out of the false idea that I could avoid vomiting forever. That's just not realistic for most people. It's going to happen, so you need to let go of thinking you can prevent it. This is actually liberating because it puts you back in control (and isn't control one of the biggest issues for most of us with this phobia?) Plus, when you live your life trying to avoid sickness, germs, etc. It really doesn't make you feel better does it? Do you ever feel confident that you've done enough to ensure you don't get sick? Or do you feel like there's still a chance it'll get to you? That's why the avoidance method doesn't work - because you never feel 100% about it. No matter how careful you are - you're still afraid you may get sick. However, when you accept that it may happen today, or any day, and focus on your attitude about it (something you have complete control over) it makes everything a lot easier!

If you're really interested in trying to work through it and get better - send me a private message and I'll try to guide you as much as I can with different methods and techniques that helped me out. Again, I was exactly the same last year - living in constant fear for no reason every single day. This year, while not 100% where I want to be I'm so much better. Sickness is rarely on my mind, unless I've been directly faced with it.

[Iluvijb]

I don't have many words of wisdom really, but just know that you are not alone and I go through the exact same things you are describing. I had an incident about a week ago where I almost v* and have barely slept since with anxiety and fear. The worry combined with lack of sleep is really wearing me down. I also have two kids and I am just waiting on that ticking time bomb when one of them gets s*.

Posts like afdpt's are encouraging to see that it is possible to overcome this, even though it may not feel that way right now.

[vballxlauren1014]

You sound exactly how I was the last 2 winters. And I want to tell you that this year I'm not having that experience AT ALL... so there is hope. You don't have to live that way forever! I promise you it can get better if you're willing to give it your all!

Different people are going to have different paths to getting better. It will take different amounts of time and different methods will work better than others. It's not a linear process either. You're going to have moments where you feel like you're doing REALLY WELL and are so proud and happy, but then there will be times where you feel like you've slipped right back down to where you were before. This is normal. Just dig yourself back out of that hole each time and focus on the ups more than the downs. Always keep moving forward.

One thing that helped me a lot in the beginning was to sit down and realize - I'm going to get sick some day. I will vomit someday. But most days I won't. Today I probably won't. And when it does happen, I'll get through it. I'll live to talk about it. It won't be that bad. This was really important for me because it broke me out of the false idea that I could avoid vomiting forever. That's just not realistic for most people. It's going to happen, so you need to let go of thinking you can prevent it. This is actually liberating because it puts you back in control (and isn't control one of the biggest issues for most of us with this phobia?) Plus, when you live your life trying to avoid sickness, germs, etc. It really doesn't make you feel better does it? Do you ever feel confident that you've done enough to ensure you don't get sick? Or do you feel like there's still a chance it'll get to you? That's why the avoidance method doesn't work - because you never feel 100% about it. No matter how careful you are - you're still afraid you may get sick. However, when you accept that it may happen today, or any day, and focus on your attitude about it (something you have complete control over) it makes everything a lot easier!

If you're really interested in trying to work through it and get better - send me a private message and I'll try to guide you as much as I can with different methods and techniques that helped me out. Again, I was exactly the same last year - living in constant fear for no reason every single day. This year, while not 100% where I want to be I'm so much better. Sickness is rarely on my mind, unless I've been directly faced with it.

Honestly. This was so refreshing to hear. Especially from someone who has the phobia and not just a "normal" person who doesn't quite understand what we go through. This gave me hope honestly, and it makes it seem not as scary. But now, I just need to be able to figure out how to get my attitude changed and this is what I struggle with the most. I need a therapist or some kind of support system to help my apply this to my life or I don't know how the way I feel towards this will ever change. Thank you for sharing with me, it really means a lot and I really appreciate the advice it was very helpful and reminded me that I don't have to be crazy, and that things can be different.

[vballxlauren1014]

Yes, that post was very helpful. It kind of just reminds you that you don't have to be this way but you have to be strong enough to make a change or else it will never get better. It takes effort. It's exhausting and really, really hard. But thanks for making me not feel so alone, I know how you feel. I'm constantly on edge lately waiting for either me or someone in my family, or my fiancé to get sick and waiting and worrying kills me and drains all my energy and happiness because that's all I think about 24/7. It really stinks.

[crd08]

If the zofran isn't helping thats how you know. I used to pop zofran like crazy and sometimes it did help (like with an ibs flare up or PMS nausea) but a lot of the time, nothing. And that's when I realized it's all just in my head so to speak. I totally get your struggle. I don't think I go a day without feeling "sick" and it's truly frustrating. But like afdpt said, sometime you just need to sit yourself down and be honest with yourself. YES you (and all of us) MIGHT throw up someday, and probably will. BUT we feel sick every single day, we worry every single day and we are NOT going to throw up even close to every single day! lol We waste so much time and energy and emotion on something that rarely even happens.
I recently decided enough was enough. I am in therapy and today I took the first dose of medication. A pill that I had been given a month ago and was just going to not take and lie to my doctor saying it made me sick and that medication just wasn't for me. But that's not fair to me or the people trying to help me. I feel very anxious having taken it, I felt nauseated the second i swallowed it. And you know what I MIGHT get sick, but those odds are so low. And I sure as hell am not going to let my own mind make me sick (which we tend to do a lot). So I am going to think positive and be positive and hope for the best
You have to do the same. Be real with yourself, be honest with yourself. It takes hard work, it is not easy. Some days will be better than others but we can overcome. Kids get sick,pets get sicks, we all get sick. But in the grand scheme of things, it's so small. Think of all the great memories and things that lie ahead of you. Those are the things to focus on, not getting sick.

[Razzle]

Oh my god this is me right now. I've been feeling sick almost every day lately - I still function and go to work but I feel slight n* headaches, always on edge and tense...I don't do well in winter usual as it is but this year I feel so weird in a crappy way, like I'm not myself and I'm always fretting. I wash my hands over 10 times a day lately and can't touch public doorknobs without feeling some type of way. It makes me really sad because this is the worst I've been and it's quite scary to feel this way AND sick (anxiety is so cruel isn't it? ) I too feel new symptoms daily and always find something new to worry about. When I'm feeling fine, bam! A thought will creep in my mind if something slightly off or abnormal that happened or that I'm feeling and it sends me reeling. OP you said it best- it makes you feel so disconnected from reality. I NEVER thought it could get this bad.


I'm not sure why I'm so bad this year but just know you're not alone, we'll all get through this and feel "normal" again.

[Koizumiii]

So sorry to hear that you're going through that... and also a blast from the past! About three months ago I was thinking the exact same things. Luckily it randomly decreased at a very opportune time (I started Zoloft but I'll get to that in a second) and I found some things that really really help.
1.) Candles, candles, candles. I find that lighting two tea light candles (my lucky number as well as just a convenient setup) on a table in my bedroom seems to 'burn up' the stress. Sometimes I also like to just sit in my room and turn off the lights and watch the firelight, but sometimes that makes me even more nauseous and anxious, so if that happens to you, just keep the lights on.
2.) Meditation. I know it sounds really cheesy and stupid, but I swear it works. Sit crosslegged with your wrists on your knees, palms up and relaxed. Close your eyes and just breathe. Let your mind wander- plan your schedule for tomorrow, think about the last episode of your favorite show, etc. Just don't guide it, and keep a straight back.
3.) Ginger capsules. I take 550mg ginger capsules, and while they seem huge they're not too hard to get down. They work great for nausea.
4.) Rescue Remedy by Bach Flower Remedies. Just 2-4 drops of this herbal extract blend really really gets rid of my anxious thoughts and feelings.
5.) Cold water. Take sips of cold water (IMPORTANT: SIPS, NOT GULPS) during a panic attack and just see how quickly it goes away. Part of what makes us panic even more is the hot feeling in our throats, caused by acid and anxiety. The sips of cold water cool the heat and help dilute and wash away the acid.
6.) Relaxing sounds. Sometimes I'm too nauseous to listen to anything but if I get it soon enough, it really helps prevent it getting worse and helps to calm me down a lot. I have this (free!) app called "Rain Rain" and it lets me mix and match from a BUNCH of different relaxing sounds. The mixture that I've found helps me the most is a ticking clock at half volume and the classic Rain Rain (a thunderstorm) at full volume. I then adjust my phone's volume to make it so that the combination is just in the background, but still noticeable.
7.) Peppermint tea. I have a lot of gas sometimes and when I have peppermint tea, nausea, stomach aches, and gas are fixed very quickly.
8.) Zantac or Tums. Like the water, these help with acid. It can cause stomach aches and nausea, as well as other scary symptoms such as hot/prickly throats and chest/diaphragm pain.
I know I have a lot more but this is all I can think of right now...

Now for the Zoloft. About 2.5 weeks ago I started 25mg Zoloft a day for one week and then upped it to 50mg (one week trial period to make sure we got along) and I've had minimal side effects. For the first few days I felt dizzy, kept waking up 11 minutes before my alarm, and had very mild, but consistent nausea. I found out that the nausea was because I was taking it on an empty stomach (around 10:30pm before going to bet at 11) and the rest went away within a few days. Recently it started kicking in and I am so amazed. I'm 15, and I can't remember a time when I didn't feel like I didn't want to exist. I had daily thoughts of "Ugh I don't want to deal with all this for the rest of my life, even if better things will happen I don't want to deal util then," etc. In fact, I actually tried to kill myself in 2nd grade.

Two days ago, I had that thought. It was almost immediately overtaken by an extremely strong wordless emotion of "NO I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO SEE HOW AWESOME MY LIFE WILL END UP BEING!" I had to sit down for a minute actually, because it surprised me so much. All in all, I'm happier and more motivated. I find myself humming and smiling as I walk around doing things I previously hated and never did, like keeping my area clean and doing chores/errands. I never actually realized how depressed I was until it started going away.

It also helped with my anxiety. I used to have at the very least one panic attack a day, and constant stress and worry about what my stomach was doing. A twinge an inch to the left of my bellybutton and three inches from the bottom of my ribs? I've obviously caught noro. Now I can fall asleep with nausea or a stomach ache. I used to stay up the entire night until I had to get up if my stomach was making noises. Recently I've been having an excessive gas problem, and as a result, my stomach makes near constant, extremely loud noises as soon as I lay down- exactly the same thing I remember from the last time I was sick, less that an year ago. And now... I can go right to sleep. Haha, I'll stop praising it now, and just finish with one thing: I definitely recommend Zoloft.

Ok wow that ended up being long...
tl;dr I have a bunch of tips to help with nausea and/or panic attacks and I highly recommend Zoloft