The most annoying thing about emetophobia

[chicajojobe]

Is not being able to tell if you're actually nauseaus or not!



I feel like such a moron having to ask people here or in real life
what they think I'm feeling. It's my freaking body, I should know!



This morning for example. It's about 6:50 AM I can't get back to
sleep, I feel slightly bad, and my stomach hurts and is garguling.



Now logically I realize that it's probably caused by 1. hunger it's been over 9 hours since I last ate

2. lack of sleep since only went to bed 4-5 hours ago

3. I think I'm coming down with a cold



However, even with all that I don't really feel anymore at ease because
I keep thinking that I'm nauseaus. I seriously can't tell. It's so
frustrating!



Does anyone else understand this? I've read that it's common for emets. Is that true?


Edited by: chicajojobe

[liz28]

i was telling someone that last night..

how its so bad because..
i cant distinguish between the anxiety sick feeling..
and actually being sick.. and since i fear being sick its a whole
SICK circle! agh!

p.s.
right now i am feeling weird in the stomach also.
like i'll get weird waves of pain upsetness...
im making a little bagel since it is morning,
but ughhhhhhh.Edited by: liz28

[chicajojobe]

Hey, with me you're definetly preaching to the choir on that one!



edit: Just saw you're PS and I heard somewhere that some people feel
bad and not like eating in the morning because they produce excess
stomach acid at night. Being that you're an emet and as such probably
tend to hold all your anxiety in your stomach I wouldn't be surprised
if that were happening to you. They said that it's still best to eat
something mild so that the acid will have something to work on and
things will neutralize a bit. Maybe eat your bagel without cream cheese
and see how your stomach reacts?


Edited by: chicajojobe

[purpleteacher]

The worst thing about being emet for me is that it causes my mind to be focused on irrational things all the time. There are so many much better things I could be thinking about. I wish I didn't have to constantly fear and be preoccupied with food and anxiety over food and V* --- the amount of time it takes up in my life is overwhelming at times.

[mjewell]

I can relate especially to the whole nausea vs. anxiety thing. Since I have been on anti-anxiety meds, I now know that I am VERY rarely nauseous. I feel pretty good all the time now that my anxiety is under control. The only times I get sick feeling are when I eat too much (and thankfully it passes quicklysince i no longer get anxious and prolong it) and when I am sick with a headache or migraine or something. But like I said, since I no longer have anxiety, the nausea always passes quickly and is nowhere near as severe as it used to be.


I love Lexapro and Xanax!!![img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[liz28]

tell me about those two medications...

i am very much against taking them...
however a counselor i once saw mentioned lexapro..
he said it could "cure" depression and help with the anxiety.
can a medication actually cure depression? seems sort of ridiculous.

are you taking both or have you taken them at different times to tell which one works better?

most of my nausea is from anxiety. as well as most any other ailment i have.
so i am just wondering.

[mjewell]

tell me about those two medications...

i am very much against taking them...
however a counselor i once saw mentioned lexapro..
he said it could "cure" depression and help with the anxiety.
can a medication actually cure depression? seems sort of ridiculous.

are you taking both or have you taken them at different times to tell which one works better?

most of my nausea is from anxiety. as well as most any other ailment i have.
so i am just wondering.

Hi liz -


I don't believe meds can "cure" anxiety or depression, but some people may actually get over their depression or anxiety, or grow out of it when they are on the meds and when they go off they just don't need it anymore. I do honestly think a lot of people grow out of depression or anxiety, but some people never do.


Since I have only been on Lexapro for about 4 months and have not stopped taking it yet, i don't know what will happen to me. I have a feeling I might fall back into my anxiety patterns, but who knows. i am not ready to find out.


Lexapro is an anti-depressant you take daily. It takes a while to work, sometimes up to 6 weeks. You have to take it daily to keep it in your system.


Xanax is a benzodiazepine. it can be taken as needed, like when you are in the middle of a panic attack, but some people take it daily. It calms you down noticeably within about 30 minutes. The effects only last about 4 hours or so. I was getting to the point where I was taking it 2 or 3 times a day because I was so anxious all the time, so that's when i got on lexapro. I still take Xanax when i really need it, like for flying or other anxiety provoking times...I also take it when i feel nauseous, as it helps with that too.

[princessmel]

You know, Xanax really helps me with my IBS too. I asked my therapist about that, and she said that it is supposed to help. I'm on Paxil and Xanax. Paxil works wonders for me. I'm soon switching to Lexapro b/c Paxil has ruined my sex drive. Xanax is good for panic and anxiety attacks. I don't think that this medicine cures depression or anxiety, but it helps. You are able to deal with it much better. Therapy helps too. I'm hoping someday I won't have tobe onthe medicine. I do believe that some people grow out of anxiety as they get older and some don't. Some people even need to be on medication for a long time. My whole family for example, which is not a bad thing in my opinion. Some people can't function without it. It helps to a certain point, but you also have to help yourself.

[japa]

To whatever extent (and even scientists don't know for certain) anxiety and depression are caused by a chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain, then medicines that work to change the balance of serotonin can help to alleviate the symptoms.


Sometimes I sense a reluctance on the part of people to view the brain as an organ like the liver, heart, pancreas and so on. Yes, it's the source of our intellect, but it is also a mass of tissue regulated by the complex interaction of various chemicals - serotonin, dopamine, and so on. Odds are that these chemicals are not always going to be in perfect balance and that the brain's processes are not always going to be working optimally for all people 100% of the time.


It's just a fact; there is a physiological component to the brain's processes that is completely out of our control as much as with other organs. I can't will my heart to beat. I can eat heart healthy foods, but that's about it. When the synapses in my brain are firing, and cells are shooting out serotonin and breaking it down, well, I don't have any control of that.


I do control the thought that I am having for the most part. Of course, if my serotonin levels are abnormally low, then that thought is probably less in my control because it will tend to be an anxious or depressed one, since serotonin controls so much of your sense of well being in the world.


End of rant.

[samara's on tv]

I'm on Zoloft and Zyprexa. They both help a lot. I still have panic attacks but they're not NEARLY as bad if I wasn't on them. I suffer from depression too and the Zoloft helps with that. I'm so thankful that there is medication for me, I don't know what I'd do without it.


~Monica

[aguerra29]

Life was wonderful while I was on Lexapro. My emet was down to a 2 on a scale of one to ten. That was down from about a 9. Now that I have been off Lexapro for a few months I have noticed my emet creeping back up to a 4-5. My advice is anti-depressants are great, but without psychotherapy along with the meds - we are doomed to fall back into anxiety once we stop the meds.

[nikki.l]

Does anyone else understand this? I've read that it's common for emets. Is that true?

I think this is totally true. When my daughter and boyfriend had a SV I was constantly queasy--but I later discovered it was b/c of my anxiety and lack of food. I read on another site that if you're really wondering if you're nauseous then you probably are not. Try to take the toast test. Toast is easy on the stomach. If you can eat that, you're prob. not nauseous.


I also find I'm queasy in the morning--then I found out that having low blood sugar can cause this feeling, and it makes perfect sense.


Nikki

[nikki.l]

p.s. I've been on 50 mg of zoloft (sertraline) for a month and it's really helping a lot.