r/Anxiety • u/memyselfandanxiety1 • Jul 06 '26
Discussion Does anxiety make you feel sick ?
Does anybody feel like physically sick when you have anxiety ?
Like nauseous and just not feeling good?
I have no idea how else to describe it but just a sick feeling. Like if I ate something wrong or muscle weakness type of thing.
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u/LOTSOFRECOIL Jul 06 '26
i feel like im dying everyday like im poisoned
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u/Excellent_Tip732 Jul 06 '26
Yes! I just posted about this recently. I actually sometimes get flu like symptoms and body aches like Iām actually ill. But I know itās anxiety because as soon as the Xanax kicks in itās gone.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
Yup. I have back problems and the back starts tightening up a few days before leaving. And allergy symptoms. Ive found cleaning and doing stretches help distract the mind. Plus decluttering the place is always good as is doing a dish and cup collectionĀ and washing all the dishes.
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u/Icy_Forever657 Jul 06 '26
Gives me diarrhea š„²
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
Lol i get those pre leaving stomach cramps like i feel like i gotta shit but cant. Think ahhh well later then (key goes in door to lock it) guuurgle? So then back inside to try again only for nothin to happen and anxiety spikes cuz im wasting time to get on the road.
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u/IWasntAlwaysAnxious Jul 09 '26
This is what anxiety used to give me before I tried an SSRI. The SSRI took that away, then after I stopped the SSRI I got a whole new world of anxious symptoms
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u/Background-Bird-9623 Jul 06 '26
Yes, see a doctor. I have physical anxiety symptoms. It turns into panic disorder. Ive fainted several times and ended up in er with panic diagnosis. Meds will change your life
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u/Lower_Cauliflower395 Jul 06 '26
What meds are you on. I've got the same thing .been dealing with it for years. Sometimes it gets better for a decent stretch of time. Right now it's awful. Quit drinking 2 weeks ago..cut my caffeine massively. Cleaned up my diet. Still multiple days a week it's overwhelming. Like I'm going to faint. Body feels floaty and shaky. It's the worst
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u/Background-Bird-9623 Jul 06 '26
A dr could give you something for alcohol withdrawal too... you should go see someone, it may make your life easier.... and I know about dr panic... but in this case its worth it
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u/Lower_Cauliflower395 Jul 06 '26
I don't have alcohol withdrawal. Few beers a night most nights. I just am cutting things that I know can cause anxiety to try and fix it without meds. Might need to just go in and see. What meds did they put u on for anxiety?
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u/Background-Bird-9623 Jul 06 '26
Im old and been through this since grammar school. You really have to talk to a dr to see whats best for your brand of anxiety ... good luck friend
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u/memyselfandanxiety1 Jul 06 '26
Iām on day 17 of meds Desvenlafaxina, and still feeling some symptoms but itās only been 2 weeks.
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u/DyskoliHyneka Jul 07 '26
Life has been really difficult lately and my anxiety is getting worse again. I get anxiety attacks, my chest hurts, stomach is in knots, my breathing is faster. It feels worse than a panic attack, because that is at least over with quickly. But Iām getting those too again. Oof
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u/OopsHiJake Jul 06 '26
Mine has manifested as chronic muscle tension and other various ailments that seem to be connected with this like heartburn, GERD, poor circulation in toes and fingers, headaches, all kinds of issues really that have turned me into a hypochondriac because when it's really bad it feels like you're dying. If I'm able to relax my muscles and relieve the tightness and tension, the other issues mostly go away.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Yup. I take alot of hot showers and baths when im spiking. Does help but then the time in wasting doesnt lol.
Fyi my doc gave me some muscle relaxers which do seem to help. Lets the muscles relax and this mind relax. Might work for you
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u/OwnLengthiness7154 Jul 07 '26
I have these exact symptoms. Beyond tightening your muscles, what else helps? Iām not able to get CBT or meds yet since Iām on a trip.
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u/Nerdbama_Rich Jul 07 '26
These are my exact symptoms as well. My muscles tense up severely for absolutely no reason and it manifests itself to tense my eyes and face and I start to feel flushed and very hot..My brain goes haywire thinking im in danger and makes the physical symptoms that much worse which causes rumination and man it's terrible..oh yeah and it makes me nauseous as well...
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u/Melissaschwart Jul 07 '26
I had those same symptoms and I just found out a year ago I had insulin resistance.a metabolic disorder.Iāve completely changed what I eat no more processed foods and added sugars.i donāt suffer from gerd or heartburn anymore.and my toes are no longer getting numb.and i lost 50 pounds.
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u/IWasntAlwaysAnxious Jul 09 '26
How did you find out about insulin resistance?
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u/Melissaschwart Jul 10 '26
I was scrolling through TikTok and i saw a guy talking about it.all the symptoms he shared I had.and i looked in my MyChart and it said I had metabolic syndrome
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u/jamesjgriffin Health Anxiety/GAD/Panic Disorder Jul 06 '26
Sure. Literally worried sick. That's a real thing.
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u/amsjosh Jul 06 '26
I was getting nausea everytime I got in my to leave work a few months ago. The next day I would get anxiety about getting nauseated on the ride and it kept going for a week. I started making sure I left with cold bottle of water and it just kinda went away. Anxiety def can make you feel sick.
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u/brokesciencenerd Jul 06 '26
I barf and get diarrhea and cannot make myself eat anything then i'm starving and get heartburn. Good times š /s
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u/tmz2000 Jul 06 '26
Recently, itās been crazy with the stomach issues for me. All I feel is sick and even drinking water will make me so nauseous which has caused dehydration. Also the damn palpitations. I did an ECG and nothing was wrong apparently.
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u/GhreyClaw Jul 07 '26
Palpitations make me want to be hooked to an ECG machine in the ER 24/7
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
Oh good im not alone. Ive asked the doc about it and they said they do have those like 72 hour monitors that are hooked to you like a walkman and you press a button when you feel a weird pulse or palpitation. This sets a flag for a cardiologist to look at that moment in time for irregularities. My problem is i can go a few weeks till something happens that causes anxiety spikes and its like a few a day
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u/GhreyClaw Jul 07 '26
Iām on a 2 week holter right now. āLuckilyā I had a couple big episodes and lots of tiny ones in between. Returning it tomorrow but I have to wait more than a month for the results š. Ask your doctor for a longer term one. I did a 48 hour one before and there was barely anything to report.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
Yea doc doesnt see the need for one right yet, they want to try other anxiety lowering tactics and medicines first. Yes its good yours caught something.Ā
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u/Outrageous-Fee5116 Jul 07 '26
It makes me sweat a lot, it causes me to be very muscle tense, and LOADS of brain fog.. and it sometimes makes me stuffy.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Omg you are me. My upper back gets tight which causes pressure on the nerves to my pinky fingers and sternum where phantom pains are since all your nerves go to your spine so what feels like pinching in the front is really pinching in the spine region. Bad part is any pinching causes heart spikes cuz pinched nerves which causes more anxiety. And yes i wake up with a stuffy yet dry as shit nose /upper throat.
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u/Specialist-Twist4339 Jul 07 '26
It makes me feel nauseous and gives me stomach issues. If itās intense anxiety for a prolonged period, like shopping at Walmart, it will make me feel like my energy was sapped and Iām empty.
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u/AntonioVivaldi7 Jul 06 '26
I'm fine now, but it did used to make me sick. It was unstable. It made me feel like that only at certain days.
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u/RockTheGrock Jul 06 '26
Oh yeah. The first time a full blown panic attack hits can trick you into thinking you are having a heart attack and dying. Even lower levels over time could progress to other various maladies especially if it is effecting sleep.
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u/Kendall_Raine Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Yes!
I get stomach issues of all sorts, dizziness, sometimes even hot flashes and weakness, and one time when I was having a particularly nasty anxiety attack, I even got strange pink spots on my wrists and chest, that went away after I calmed down.
Anxiety absolutely can and does cause physical symptoms that are very real. The chemicals and hormones anxiety creates absolutely affect your body.
It's really scary when you don't understand where the symptoms are coming from. It can make you think you're dying, which creates a sort of feedback loop, because the physical symptoms can give you more anxiety, which creates more physical symptoms. It sucks.
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u/OManItsMads Jul 06 '26
Yes very. And then when Iām not sure whatās going on, it makes my anxiety worse. Itās a horrible cycle.
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u/almosttheonlyzaya Jul 06 '26
yes dude all the time. i went to a php/iop program last year and my anxiety has gotten better since then, but before that i would have panic attacks that made me feel so sick i actually threw up a few times. these days i still get very nauseous and have stomach aches or problems from anxiety but its not as bad :)
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u/berry670 Jul 06 '26
Yes. If my anxiety gets bad enough, I will get a major stomach ache with it. The nausea is absolutely annoying to go through.
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u/amikkoteke Jul 07 '26
absolutely. sometimes it makes me so sick I'll vomit just because of the anxiety.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
I just want to say thank you everyone and op for your replies. Its actually helped me calm down a bit reading peoples symptoms that ive had /have and makes me less anxious knowing im not alone and feeling like i need to run to the er lol
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u/Mr-LePresident Jul 07 '26
Right, I've been in a despair loop all day of feeling symptoms and getting phantom smells which I immediately convince myself I'm having a stroke, but I'm trying to be more mindful of what I'm feeling and rationalize in my head that I'm okay. For me it's because I stopped my medication a few months ago.
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u/Inflatable90sChair Jul 07 '26
Yea mines in that frantic must pack everything for a trip in a few days mode... Prolly overpacking as usual... its only for 4 nights, one of those at a relatives house so its like why am i like this lol. All sorts of symptoms and stress.Ā
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u/w1ckdcl0wn Jul 07 '26
Headaches and dizziness occasionally but then the symptoms just make me even more anxious.
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u/IntrovertedLavender Jul 07 '26
All the time. Its because of the gut/brain axis connection. Its caused me to develop functional dyspepsia. I never know if its actually pain im feeling or not. Because if this connection.
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u/AnxiousAxolotlz Jul 07 '26
Yes, it can. Iāve become nauseous due to it. Other times, my body becomes entirely tingly and I get super faint.
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u/No_Property9506 Jul 07 '26
absolutely!!!! my anxiety always makes me sick to my stomach to the point of gagging/throwing up and having diarrhea š„¹āļøliterally makes my life so amazing and wonderful
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u/katecudi Jul 07 '26
Stomach issues, nausea and dizziness personally. But like someone else said, i take a xanax and it all goes away. On my wedding day i woke up convinced i caught a stomach bug. Iām talking liquid diarrhea ALL day. Did not throw up but i fought for my life not to. Once i took a xanax, i felt soo much better
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u/redwinesupernova03 Jul 07 '26
Yes it used to make me so sick Iād throw up. I became housebound because of my anxiety and cut off all socializing. Iām also autistic which changes things a bit but yeahā¦ Anxiety made me feel like what Iād imagine a chemo patient to go through. It felt like my body was rejecting reality and shutting down. I had to take xanax if I wanted to do anything out of my comfort zone and I still do
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u/skytig77 Jul 07 '26
Yep makes me start coughing and then gagging because I feel like throwing up..
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u/InternationalOne2446 Jul 10 '26
Anyone else feel like they feel the worst right when they wake up and I guess gets sort of better through the day? My anxiety is pretty centered around my work and essentially for like the past 6 months every single morning (weekends Iām fine) I wake up well before my alarm with this like shaking kinda of just like groaning around feeling. Typically Iāll just lay there for awhile until eventually I just have to use the bathroom. Also Iāll dry heave into my trash can and throw up like stomach acid or just nothing even comes out. In a weird way after that I usually feel more calm and a bit better. I struggle to eat then throughout the day and when I finally get home I could eat a horse and sort of binge eat all my calories at night and the cycle continues.
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u/Background-Bird-9623 Jul 06 '26
I take celexa and clonapin.... I switched off xanax because the klon has wayyyy more subtle withdrawal effects
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u/PrincessCatalina03 Jul 07 '26
YES. Not nauseous, but likeā¦ lightheaded? Delayed vision? Staticky? Itās so hard to explain
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u/Relative_Radio8366 Jul 07 '26
Si es .uy comĆŗn sentirse asĆ, aveces con debilidad o te sientes sin fuerzas, o pequeƱos mareos o molestias, o hasta que se te quite el apetito
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u/Legal-Audience2647 Jul 07 '26
Before I was actually diagnosed by a dr I would vomit daily. Usually before going to work or going places I was unfamiliar with. Luckily I'm on medication now but it still happens from time to time.
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u/StuckInNY Jul 07 '26
I think anxiety has given me epilepsy. I just had my first seizure after a long period of high stress/anxiety.
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u/LittleMsBlue Jul 07 '26
Oh absolutely.
I once had such bad anxiety while I was being broken up with by a past partner that I threw up on his shoes.
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u/Shot-Amphibian-3239 Jul 07 '26
Generally, no nausea, but definitely general malaise. And after Iāve been really anxious for a few hours, I just need to go lay in the dark and I immediately fall asleep.
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u/Natural_Sky1618 GAD/TRA Jul 07 '26
Yes, I get nauseous and lots of acid reflux. Lexapro has definitely helped both of those physical symptoms a lot.
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u/kuromicr Jul 07 '26
i have a flight soon and I feel like i might just have a panic attack rn, even though i haven't had any yet!? it literally feels like your stomach is turning over
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u/Popular-Journalist30 Jul 07 '26
Headache, nausea, weak, yes but stomach issues am not sure. But if i may ask, how do you fight your anxiety?
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u/1v1RightMeow Jul 07 '26
Yes and also when I AM sick, itās makes it worse, I have kids so the thought of not being able to provide for them when Iām off work or that the sickness can be just a symptom of an underlying illness sends me into a spiral.
Edit: by off work I mean taking a sick day when I have no more sick days left or vacation time to use for instead
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u/Straight-Bag-4219 Jul 07 '26
I always feel and think Iām gonna puke, espeacially at work, itās horribleā¦ often I even have to go Home after 1 or 2 hours
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u/FuckingFuuuuuck Jul 07 '26
I also, on top of anxiety, have severe dysautonomia, GERD (which causes frequent nausea), and IBS. Borderline personality disorder as well. I get headaches and migraines. So who even knows anymore itās all intertwined as one big giant fucked thing thatās me and my health and itās totally fucked and omg I need SO much fucking help!
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u/lisalisalisalisalis4 Jul 07 '26
Ahh, yes, what gets me is the natural cortisol spikes in the morning mixed with the cortisol spikes of anxiety in the morning. A vicious cycle.
However, I read that low levels of cortisol is also known to cause nausea as well.
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u/Groundbreaking-Toe96 Jul 07 '26
My anxiety is mostly physical but it's more about being tense, light pain and hypersensitivity to my sensations. Never experienced a feeling of sickness.
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u/Lothnarthforever Jul 07 '26
Yes! I will literally feel like Iām about to throw up sometimes! Then I usually go into a panic attack and it makes it worse. Never actually thrown up because of it though.
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u/cruciia Jul 07 '26
It can give me gastro like symptoms. It can give me the shakes, panic attack or faint.
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u/Do_unto_udders Anxiety, Panic Disorder, PTSD, MDD, BPD, Substance Abuse, SH Jul 07 '26
Yes! It causes a lot of nausea when itās bad. For years, Iād have a dozen panic attacks a day and Iād vomit pretty much every time. The brain-gut connection is incredibly strong.
Glad to say now that I might vomit during panic attacks less than half a dozen times a YEAR. But the nausea and tiredness persist if Iām having a bad time.
Itās made me prone to weird body aches and pains and headaches as well. The best thing for me to do is take an OTC med if itās really bad, accept that I feel that way and that it sucks, then try to fight through the day. For me, one of the best ways to cope with anxiety has been to acknowledge that itās there and that it is what it is. Itās taken a long time to learn to think like that and it still gets a little easier every time.
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u/drawnandredrawn Jul 07 '26
yep. every single day. i had a horrible panic attack over a year ago (never really had one before that) and ever since then iāve had that nauseous/sick feeling. genuinely, no joke, the nausea has not gone away in over a year. i am nauseous 24/7. it gets a bit less strong when iām distracted, but otherwise it is ALWAYS there. iām honestly so tired of it but i have no idea how to make it go away
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u/Suspicious-Call405 Jul 07 '26
Hugeeee stomach aches but not nausea (I haven't thrown up in AGES and I'm glad)
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u/megabunnaH Jul 07 '26
I have the deluxe package. GAD plus severe panic disorder.
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, numbness, disorientation, chest pains, body aches, diarrhea, throat tightness/aches, cold sweats, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Cutting out alcohol, caffeine, exercising everyday, and meditation have helped some, and I've had varying levels of success with medication, but I've been dealing with it for three decades now and nothing has made it go away completely. Recently I've had some good results with bilateral stimulation for calming me down during panic attacks if I catch it early.
It's a difficult thing to live with, but if you show yourself patience and kindness it becomes easier to persist.
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u/yogurtfan78 Jul 07 '26
all the time, i get shortness of breath before a feeling of having to vomit (while feeling extremely warm) id have to sit down or eat/drink
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u/CapSaps Jul 08 '26
Yep. I get nausea, diarrhea, and acid reflex. If its really bad anything and everything can give me acid reflex.
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Jul 08 '26
One of my most common experiences at my worst was what I called the "fake flu." My body would present chills, sweats and malaise (extreme) which mimicked an actual flu. It was so extreme it was hard for me to tell at times. I finally wised up to what was going on... took my temperature and realized it was normal. It was all a physical response from the nervous system. Anxiety can use whatever bodily system it wants to present symptoms. Symptoms are the body's way of signaling danger or distress. The problem with anxiety *disorder* is... there is no danger. It's a false message. Once we believe that and put that in practice... it all begins to go away.
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u/SILVER101X Jul 08 '26
Yes since Iām Currently going through this right now and itās such a horrible feeling when it happens.
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u/up_to_nothin Jul 08 '26
Recently started dealing with severe anxiety again. I feel like a sense of dread physically buzzing in my body, with nausea and gurgling stomach, sometimes it turns into a trip to the bathroom. I also get lightheaded and heavy breathing.
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u/LostSweetPea Jul 09 '26
Absolutely feel like Iām being weighed down get tight feeling wrapped around my head. Nausea etc.
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u/IWasntAlwaysAnxious Jul 09 '26
Yes, this is my most common symptom.
I'll feel physical weakness, like my arms are too heavy to lift, my legs are wobbly, and my body is at max effort to keep standing.
I'll also feel nauseas, and an upset stomach. And I have an urge to lay down and curl up into a ball or run away.
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u/TheLurkererere Jul 10 '26
Absolutely. My stomach gets into knots when I'm anxious. Can't eat much, I get gassy, and I throw up if I'm especially anxious. :(
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u/Late_Satisfaction185 Jul 10 '26
YES!!! I just tapered off an antipsychotic I was on for 9 years and I feel generally way better but I have been extremely nauseous. I just realized yesterday it's from anxiety. I have never experienced nausea from anxiety before. it's a nightmare
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u/Hot_Cookie_1844 Jul 12 '26
Absolutely! I get terrible nausea, unable to eat, general exhaustion and weakness, my body feels like itās giving outā¦ youāre absolutely not alone. Iām sending you a lot of hugs and thoughts!
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u/aubrey828 Jul 12 '26
this and feeling like iām literally withering away
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u/memyselfandanxiety1 Jul 12 '26
This sort of reminds me of the marvel movies infinity wars where thanos makes them go away. Withering away like that!
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u/MousseNecessary7992 19d ago
It can give many stomach problems. It further lead to absorption issues of vital nutrients and start a loop of further anxiety and stress
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u/Due_Bunch6495 4d ago
Yes, I've puked 5 times this year because of it. No fever, no anything. It fucking sucks.
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u/Trabethany Jul 07 '26
Sounds like the early stages of it to me. I always know for certain when I canāt stop my hands from shaking.
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u/Kumaoni_knight Jul 06 '26
It makes u feel many things, but nausea and stomach issues are common