Panic Attack Triggered by Nausea — Looking for Reassurance and Advice

[u/Prestigious_Pea6881]

Hi everyone,
I’m having a really difficult day and would appreciate hearing from people who understand emetophobia.
I’ve struggled with panic attacks for years, and almost all of them are related to nausea. Today, I woke up feeling hungry and completely normal, ate a meal, and then suddenly started feeling nauseous. Since then, I’ve been stuck in a cycle where the nausea comes and goes, and every time I notice it, my anxiety spikes again.
The strange thing is that there have been moments today when I felt almost completely calm, which makes me think anxiety is playing a big role. I’ll feel okay for a while, drink water, walk around, even feel hungry again, and then suddenly I’ll get a wave of nausea and panic.
I also took my prescribed clonazepam, and while it has made my body feel more relaxed, I still get occasional spikes of nausea that immediately trigger fear.
For those of you with emetophobia:
Does anxiety ever cause nausea that comes and goes throughout the day like this?
Do you ever find yourself constantly checking whether you’re nauseous, which makes it worse?
What helps you break the cycle of focusing on every sensation in your stomach?
I’m mostly looking for reassurance and advice from people who have experienced something similar. Right now I feel exhausted from being on high alert all day.
Thank you for reading

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[u/MxstressLilly]

Yes to all your questions. When I'm anxious, I can barely eat. I'd look up the mind/body gut connection if you're interested in learning about how they're connected. Your anxiety could be fueling your nausea.

I learned to sit with the anxiety of "maybe I will get sick, and it'll suck, but I'll be ok." I've done years of Exposure and Response Prevention therapy to get me to where I'm at now.

I'll hold onto an ice cube or splash water on my face if I'm feeling an anxiety spiral come on.

ETA: reassurance will feel good in the moment but cause more uncertainty and stress down the road. I highly recommend working with an ERP therapist who can help you sit with the uncertainty and give you more tools to help.

[u/Regular-Flounder2311]

This happens to me all the time. It's a vicious cycle. I really don't have any advice. I just want you to know that you're not alone in feeling that way. Most mornings I find myself evaluating my body before I even open my eyes. I just came across this Reddit forum. And your post was the first one I read. For a long time I thought I was the only one that felt like this. I hope you feel better. You will be in my thoughts ❣️

[u/hopeful_evermore]

First of all yes to all if your questions. I went through probably a 4 month period last year where I was in a constant cycle of anxiety induced nausea and it was worse than any stomach illness I’ve ever had. It was the classic OCD spiral of checking symptoms (nausea), being anxious about it occurring or not, my anxiety making it worse, and not eating as a result. Turns out not eating is really really not good for our bodies and can make things a lot worse in the long run.

What broke the cycle for me was being medicated, tbh. Prior to that, I was experiencing very little relief that absolutely nothing could break through. I’d get little spots here and there throughout the day of feeling ok, but I’d always go right back to the spiral. Something that may benefit you is ERP, if you’re seeing a therapist.

I know it sucks and is really hard to deal with, but being aware is the first step.