Jay.E

Yes, the information seems to suggest there is a link but never really goes into detail about it. I was mostly struck by the anecdotes on the GERD Facebook group pertaining to this link. Neither my GI nor my GP ever mentioned this, so I was a little unsettled by these stories from GERD sufferers.

I first heard of this connection in a GERD Facebook group. Several members were complaining about their PPI causing them extreme anxiety, at time exacerbating their pre-existing anxiety. I was surprised to hear about this, so I looked for information pertaining to this topic and I came across these articles. I've been on PPI for about 8-9 years and during that time I developed health anxiety. Granted this could be due to sheer coincidence hence my question on this forum. There is a greater pool of anxious people here with some, like myself, having GERD; maybe some have heard of this connection and have more info on this topic. https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/drugs-to-battle-heartburn-linked-to-depression/ https://rxisk.org/if-anxious-check-drugs-ppis-and-diuretics/

I would recommend that you stop drinking carbonated drinks, they tend to exacerbate acid reflux. Burping a lot is also a sign of acid reflux. So, watch your diet, avoid spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, mint, and smoking. Eat at regular intervals, don't overeat, and don't go to bed within 2-3 hours of eating a meal. Take your antacids when needed. I have a feeling you might be dealing with some reflux, so see if these recommendations help. If within a week or two, you are still having the same issue do see your doctor. You might need something a little stronger than over the counter antacids. But I wouldn't worry honestly. These are very common symptoms of acid reflux.

Hello Bella, I'm really sorry you are going through so much. I can understand how overwhelming and scary it all seems at this moment. It is really important that you reach out to your therapist/psychiatrist. While it is useful to have people to talk to, it is also important that you have real experts in mental health on whose guidance you can rely on. I'm here if you wish to talk Bella, please know that you are not alone.

Hello, I came across some sources claiming that PPI, the meds taken for Acid Reflux (GERD), can trigger anxiety. I was really shocked to hear about this. I've been on them for about 9 years now (off and on) and it is during that time that my issues with anxiety became serious. I'm not sure if there is a link between the two, but hearing of this possible link has me wondering. Have you heard on any such link?

Yep, I know that feeling all too well. The fear that something might be wrong with you becomes overwhelming and you end up believing it. Even when you try to reason with yourself there is always that little voice in the back of your mind that says: "what if it is real this time?"

You have gone though a lot this past year and while one might move past them, the psychological and emotional trauma lingers on. I'm sure it adds to the stress of your daily life as a caregiver and makes you that more prone to anxiety. I don't know if you've considered therapy or if that is an option for you, but I would strongly suggest it. I have migraines and when I'm anxious or stressed, they double in intensity and frequency. After losing my uncle and father to Cancer in the span of a year, I went through a really bad bout of health anxiety in late 2017. Thankfully, I was able to get out from that rabbit hole, but I still struggle with HA. I think we often underestimate just how long our psyche might need in order to recover from emotional trauma.

I've read that these are due to excess air. Having the feeling that something is stuck in your oesophagus makes you swallow more and in doing so you swallow a lot more air. Have you tried warm water? Some people say it helps them. If you are having recurring acid reflux do see a GI, you might just need some meds to settle everything down. In the meantime, really try working on your diet. Avoid anything like spicy food, alcohol, chocolate, mint, caffeine, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and fried food. Eat super healthy, drink only water (lots of it) and see if that doesn't settle things down.

I can definitely relate to this. This tendency to go for the most catastrophic scenario with every little symptom or sensation. It is tiring and takes a toll on one's ability to enjoy life. I agree wholeheartedly with BeautifulDisaster about HA often being rooted in other trepidations we harbour in our lives, but not willing to address. When this whole thing started for me in late 2017, I went for therapy. I was surprised to realize that a lot of my fears ,although often manifesting themselves as fears about illness, were in fact rooted in my trepidations about the state of my life in general. I realized that my worries about not being married yet, not having kids, still toiling in Academia to achieve my desired career, worrying about my elderly mother and what would happen to her if I ever get sick....all of those things made me extremely hyperaware of my health. I'm a control freak, so feeling that I have very little control over these aspects of my life is essentially like adding fuel to the fire.

Hello everyone, Glad to see the website is back and running again. Many thanks to all the admins who worked tireless behind the scenes to bring the site back to working order. I came on this site in late 2017 completely unravelling in the grips of a bad health anxiety bout. Of course then I knew nothing about the subject and stumbled on this wonderful group quite by chance. Since then, I've had to learn to live with HA. I've had good moments and less stellar ones, but mostly an underlining anxiety lurking just under the surface has become my new normal. I often wonder if I'll have to live with this for the rest of my life. I can go from calm to frantic in the space of a few minutes if I notice the slightest symptom or unusual thing about my body. It doesn't take much at all. Tonight, I noticed I could taste blood and even saw that my wisdom tooth was bleeding. But for some reason, my mind started concocting all sorts of scenarios where the blood could be coming from my throat or oesophagus due to my Acid Reflux. So I spent almost 20 minutes clearing my throat and spitting the mucus out to see if I could detect some blood in it. Of course anything going through my mouth is likely to pick up some blood from my bleeding tooth, and you would think that wouldn't cause me any distress. And yet! My mind went from damage due to GERD straight to lung cancer....what if the mucus from my throat produced via coughing was indeed phlegm from my lungs? This is absolute madness, and yet I don't seem to be able to stop myself from turning everything into a possible catastrophe. My mind seems to be stuck on panic and every little stimuli triggers anxious feelings. I wonder if this is just the norm for HA after all. Is there ever an end to this spiralling?

Hello sTeaLth, That feeling of having something stuck at the bottom in your throat or the bottom of your oesophagus is related to GERD. I often get it, specially when my reflux is exacerbated. PPI and changes in your diet will improve this tremendously. Also, drinking a lot of water is recommended.

Hello Zelda, I noticed last night a small black line toward the very top of my index nail and of course fears of melanoma gripped me immediately. I was actually quite worried about it and didn't know what it was or what could be causing it. Then, I came across your post and not knowing what a splinter hemorrhage is, I googled the term. Lo and behold, it is very much like the small line that I have on my nail, the location of most of them on the pictures is even where mine is located. I don't remember hitting my nail or any kind of trauma that could cause it, but there it is nonetheless. I know you are worried about this, but take into account that the two of us saw a similar thing on our nails and both of us immediately got scared. Of course we imagined two completely different scenarios, but the fact remains that we both fell victim to our anxiety. I didn't even know splinter hemorrhages are a thing, I just went to the worst possible scenario. Relax, take a deep breath, this is anxiety clouding your perception. I'm taking a deep breath thanks to you myself. Your post inadvertently helped me and I hope my response gives you some comfort as well.

I can definitely relate. It is so hard to stop the compulsion to check and examine, which only fuels the anxiety. Ms.Honey is right, anxiety does a number on our digestive system, add to that our altered perception of reality, and it is a powerful cocktail for health anxiety. Even thinking about my worries immediately makes my stomach upset. I'm so afraid of having a bowel movement now, because I fear what it might look like LOL. This is madness. So, I'm trying to take it slow, take a deep breath, and reduce my anxiety. Hopefully that will make things better. I hear IBS has a lot of the symptoms we are worried about, and it is closely related to anxiety. So, more than likely a lot of use hypochondriacs have IBS as well.

I saw my GP today and he thinks the magnesium supplements are probably acting as laxatives and increasing my bowel movements, which then irritates my hemorrhoids. He also thinks that the pressure and the feeling of not emptying my bowels properly are caused by the hemorrhoids. He wants me to go off the magnesium and wait for 2-3 weeks for things to go back to normal. If the changes persists after that, he is willing to send me for a colonoscopy. He didn't seem to worried, so I take that as a good sign. It is interesting you've mentioned anxiety doing a number on the digestive system. I've noticed that anytime those worries about colon cancer come back to mind, my stomach gets upset and I feel like popping lol. I've suspected for a while that I might have IBS. I alternate between constipation and diarrhea (often mild) too often, and I've seen plenty of mucus with my stools. I'm going to stop obsessing about my stools, and just let things settle down on their own like you suggested.

Hello Ms.Honey, I'm so glad to hear everything turned out ok for you. It must have been nerve wracking to deal with these symptoms. The two things that really got me worried are the pressure, and the changes in the shape/frequency of my stools. I'd like to think this is due to hemorrhoids and the magnesium supplements I'm taking, but I still worry. Did you experience any changes in your stools? Mine seem softer and they look a bit flatter than usual...which is making me worried. I feel like I constantly want to have a bowel movement. It is so frustrating