Anxiety with appetite loss?

unbeautified · Guest

Hi, I'm a 21 year old female with a major anxiety problem which only really became an issue a few months ago when I had my first panic attack. Before this first attack I was constantly tired and felt unwell. All was relatively controlled for a while until 3 weeks ago when I lost my appetite and pretty much started getting attacks almost every night before bed and I just can't get a good nights sleep - when I'm almost asleep I'll wake myself up because I feel like I can't breathe (my first panic attack happened when I was going to bed). Now that I'm finding it difficult to eat and have burning in my chest and throat after eating I feel even more that there is something wrong with me other than a panic disorder. Has anyone else had a lack of appetite with their anxiety? I LOVE food and it's really getting to me. Sad

Any info would be muchly appreciated.

elegantuniverse · Newbie Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

I too am deeply affected by this effect of anxiety; in that the primary manifestation when I am exposed to external stressors, or when I'm in an acute period of anxiety, I loose my appetite and REALLY struggle to eat...to the point that it becomes a secondary source of anxiety that further perpetuates the condition. This is especially hard in the morning, afternoon and evening for me. For some reason at night the anxiety can lift somewhat and I am able to eat. But I can definitely empathize with you all. This has plagued me since I was 6 years old till now. I'm 32, male, married and have 3 kids. My job can be stressful, but it even gets worse when I'm feeling like this because I get overwhelmed of how will I cope and face challenges that constantly come my way. However, I am reminded of the hope that to the degree that God requires obedience from me, He gives me the strength to carry it out according to my faith in Him to do so. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"...Philippians 4:13
Please feel free to email me anytime: rock@sonic.net

Guest · Guest

If you are taking antidepressants or any type of meds for anxiety it will have an adverse effect on your apetite. I have the same problem. I've been taking meds for 3 years now and doesn't seem to help me at all with my anxiety. I don't eat and my immune system is taking the toal. I.m seriously thinking of weining off everything very gradually because I don't beleive that meds can help for a long term healing process. Before my burnout I always had a good apetite and was physically fit. Now I am more or less controlled by the side effects of medication. They tamper the symptoms a bit but the long term side effects are actually worse than the benifits of the drug itself. Talking with your doctor and a cousellor about all of this can can help come to a decision about other alternatives than drugs as a long term bandaid. Hope this will be of any help for you. God Bless. Jocelyne :

Olivia7 · Newbie Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 39

I am exactly like you- when i get panic attacks and overall constant nervousness I cannot eat a thing- I feel gaggy all the time.

Guest · Guest

bahagabaga · Newbie Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

I am 18 and I feel the same. I recently started having panic attacks out of the blue about three weeks ago. I'm on lexapro and extended release xanax, but they don't seem to do much. The anxious feelings are still there, just subdued. And my appetite is completely gone, which is so frustrating, because I'm already underweight. (5'3" 100 lbs)
I wish that I had a solution, but unfortunately I don't.

TheColorAngela · Newbie Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

I'm a 14 year-old girl and I got my first panic attack last night. It was from stress and the sudden news of my friend getting surgery because of a brain tumor. I can't eat anything, if I put anything in my mouth that is food, I feel like I'm about to puke. The only thing that's willing to go down my system are liquids like water and bland tea. Tasteless liquids, anything with a strong taste makes me gag. When I sit still, I shiver and get chills even if the room is extremely warm, it's terrible. When I try to sleep it feels like paranoid and insomnia put together. I keep thinking of my poor friend in surgery and it haunts my mind. When I do get to sleep, it's only a few minutes/hours and it feels as if I'm awake. When I AM awake, my heart rate goes crazy and I have to breathe in and out to calm down and I get the sensation of vomitting again. At times, I'll be breathing normally except my body shakes and sometimes it's only my chest that gets all tight. I keep worrying about my friend and once it gets to an extreme I break down randomly and I have to hyperventilate to regain myself but my heart still races and I feel dizzy. I never thought these things happen to early teens such as myself, and this is the first time I ever felt like this before and I've been through alot of stress, but I suppose my friend going through surgery pushed the limit. Please, are there any ways of calming down other than deep breathing?

Guest · Guest

Hello!
i'm 21 years old and have gone through the same things alot of you are talking about... I'm in my 4th year of a Honours Psych program in Canada and the start of my 4th year i was crying everyday, losing weight at a real fast rate and having panic attacks. I couldn't sleep well... I had extreme anxiety... and felt like I was crying more and more every week. I was put on antidepressants for Anxiety and Depression and since then my appetite has gone bakc to somewhat normal.
But what i noticed was eating and anxiety are definately directly related.. I think they have a bidirectional relationship where they both effect each other. In other words, when you restrict your eating because of different reasons (depression for me) you begin having horrible anxiety.......... or if you are really anxious do to mental health issues, this will effect the eating you are doing. It's just funny how our mind and body are connected isn't it?

Lincoln252 · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 14

There is an increasing realization that medicines are just short-term solutions to problems like panic and anxiety disorders. This thread along with so many others makes it amply clear.

Let me share a couple of ways I have come across to overcome this without relying on drugs -

1) Solution-focused brief therapy(SFBT) - This is a technique that is brief and is forward looking - finding solutions to your problems. As mentioned in the name itself it is meant to be brief - that is you typically start seeing a difference fairly quickly - in 4-5 sessions. Get hold of a good and experienced therapist and you can even start feeling better earlier. There are practitioners/centers in UK, US, Europe and Australia. Not quite sure of other locations.

2) One-step technique - This a self-help technique that is growing in popularity rapidly. This being a self-driven technique you can really experience the difference for yourself, which is a very fulfilling feeling. This can be used irrespective of whether you are new to the condition or have already undergone medication/therapy. If you need more details about this mail me at ******
Note that you may not be able to become independent of medicines immediately, but it can definitely work in reducing the dosage, and gradually the dependence.

Both these techniques are so attractive because of three reasons as I always say - they do not have side-effects like that of drugs, it is quite inexpensive - especially on the long term, and also with self-effort, you're bringing back the self-confidence you once had, and start enjoying your life.

Take care.

Anxiety with appetite loss?

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