[anttblue]

hi guys, i haven't posted in a while and i think im coming to terms with what i THINK i have.

i'm going to the doctor Tuesday, so don't tell me i need to go. ha, already got that figured out. but i just wanted some advice on what i should talk about with my doctor.

1. always nausea in the morning (goes away by mid afternoon and no im not pregnant, im a big old lezbo)
2. sweating palms/hot flashes/chill flashes? (im 21 yrs old)
3. diarrhea
4. not wanting to go to work ever. and when im there i cry because im so sick to my stomach. there is no reason for me not to want to be there. i have the easiest laid back job ever. damn
5. obsessing over my health. i always think i have something

i just want some advice. what should i tell the doctor. should i bring up an anxiety disorder? what happens after that?

as i write this (at work) im tearing up because of the worrying i have with this.

[Kaboodle]

Hi....

When you go to the dr, tell him how you are feeling. He/she MAY run some tests to make sure there's nothing physically wrong. Even if any tests come back normal, it should ease your mind as far as your health anxiety goes.

As far as mentioning anxiety disorder, I would not--but I would tell him that you feel anxious. Drs. hate when patients come in with pre-conceived diagnoses. (I think it's an ego thing!) When a patient does that, they know you've been surfing the 'net. Drs. don't like that either. They seem to believe that patients surf the net looking for diseases to fit whatever symptoms they have and that hurts your credibility. I'm sure some people do but it's a bummer when you're the person that doesn't and your dr. accuses you of it!

If you tell him all of your symptoms, physical and mental, he will be astute enough to come up with a plan of action. He'll probably do some blood work first, then schedule a follow-up visit. They seem to like 4-6 weeks but if your mental state is not comfortable waiting that long, ask the secretary to schedule you sooner.

If it turns out you have an anxiety disorder, he'll prescribe a low dose of something such as Lexapro. If he determines that you are also depressed, he will prescribe a drug for anxiety/depression. I refused the Lexapro because I don't like the sound of the side effects but I do have a script for Ativan that I take ONLY on really, really bad days. The rest of the time I exercise, meditate, stay busy and tough it out.

Hope this helps. Let us know how things go for you. Good Luck!

[anttblue]

Originally Posted by Kaboodle

Hi....

When you go to the dr, tell him how you are feeling. He/she MAY run some tests to make sure there's nothing physically wrong. Even if any tests come back normal, it should ease your mind as far as your health anxiety goes.

As far as mentioning anxiety disorder, I would not--but I would tell him that you feel anxious. Drs. hate when patients come in with pre-conceived diagnoses. (I think it's an ego thing!) When a patient does that, they know you've been surfing the 'net. Drs. don't like that either. They seem to believe that patients surf the net looking for diseases to fit whatever symptoms they have and that hurts your credibility. I'm sure some people do but it's a bummer when you're the person that doesn't and your dr. accuses you of it!

If you tell him all of your symptoms, physical and mental, he will be astute enough to come up with a plan of action. He'll probably do some blood work first, then schedule a follow-up visit. They seem to like 4-6 weeks but if your mental state is not comfortable waiting that long, ask the secretary to schedule you sooner.

If it turns out you have an anxiety disorder, he'll prescribe a low dose of something such as Lexapro. If he determines that you are also depressed, he will prescribe a drug for anxiety/depression. I refused the Lexapro because I don't like the sound of the side effects but I do have a script for Ativan that I take ONLY on really, really bad days. The rest of the time I exercise, meditate, stay busy and tough it out.

Hope this helps. Let us know how things go for you. Good Luck!

thanks for responding! and yes, this really helps. i just didn't know what to say or how to say it.

[gnat]

At the same time, if your doc doesn't think it's GRD and you feel it is, ask. I have anxiety and GRD. When I went to see the doc because of my vomitting I was sure I had cancer. She told me I probably had GRD and it was aggravated by anxiety. I declined anxiety meds but started taking acid reflux meds. I'm a different person now. It's nice to be abke to live life without worrying about vomitting and the occasional diarrhea episode.

My siblings had the same symptoms and went through a bunch of testing before they were diagnosed. I think I am the lucky one.