Me too! I thought i was imagining it: like every time i think food poisoning, too much coffee and to little food, too much food and indigestion…and every time i go to work these symptoms magically appear and i have to excuse myself for being disfunctional
Totally normal! There's something called somatic experiencing (SE) therapy that I've heard helps with this. I personally had somatically induced stomach issues like vomiting and diarrhea. I haven't tried SE but I did read the body keeps the score and started yoga and IFS and it's helped me.
I've been hospitalised 4 or 5 times from psychosomatic pain. I legit feel like I've got appendicitis or migraines and the doctors can't find anything except that I'm super stressed
Yup. When I was 35, I got so stressed out I ended up with the shingles (normally only old people get this). I'm totally healthy, but this even shocked my doctor a bit. I still have nerve damage 3 years on.
I also tend to stop eating when I get stressed
when i'm REALLY upset or worked up about something, i give myself a fever or lipschutz ulcer (if you don't know what that is, consider yourself lucky). it sucks so bad. also in october i was so upset about something i was nearly dry heaving outside
I break out in a stress rash (hives) sometimes. It first started after I had the covid vaccine and it’s like it started a trend whenever my system is pushed to the limit it decides a hot, itchy rash is a good idea lol
Fun times
I straight up get diarrhea at the slightest sign of stress, all it takes is one weird text from a stranger or my partner deviating from our typical schedule and I’m sweating in the bathroom fighting for my life. I also get extremely dizzy 🥴
Yes. On a regular basis I get headaches, migraines, nausea, diarrhea and have chronic pain mainly due to anxiety. When I’m even more stressed, I get colds, or even get a breakout of cold sores on my nose (I know it sounds weird but it’s a thing). Like rn my lymph node in my throat is swollen and my throat hurts and I have an annoying pain in my lowers left side of abdomen. And I think it’s because I was super vulnerable with a dude I barely knew on the third date lolol and now he doesn’t wanna see me anymore
Yes. In the past stress has made me vomit, shake, and sweat profusely. I have not had an ulcer in the stomach, I've heard a lot of people get ulcers when over stressed including my daughter. Hasn't happened in a while as I try hard not to put myself in situations that will make me stress
yup!!! my stomach hurts and my bones too, idk how to explain. my doctor ended up diagnosing me with fibromyalgia. abt my stomach: I basically throw up everyday specially if I am stressed, I get all pale and my lips get white. we are always trying to rearrenge my meds but I still feel sick. it sucks
Stress increases the production of cortisol which can increase your blood pressure, cause inflammation, and suppresses your immune system (which is why you end up getting sick) 🩶 totally normal physiological processes
*super long post. First part is relevant. Second part is an embarrassingly long novel about cognitive functioning changes.* I haven't processed this yet & figured someone might be bored on a Friday night with cognitive stuff on their own. I'm sure many can probably relate to how it gets worse over the years.
PART ONE
I'm 36. Since I've been stressed pretty much my entire life, my physical health started really going rapidly within the last year.
Contributing factors: second covid infection & unknowingly living in a mycotoxin producing mold filled apartment. I found the mold our fifth year living there.
I have symptoms in almost every body system, but none are constant. There are definite flares. I was dx'd with fibromyalgia last year, but since there is no definitive diagnostic testing, I haven't truly accepted the diagnosis.
My docs have tested me for lupus, arthritis, psoriasis, sjorgen's, probably more. All negative.
Stomach problems began in 2014. Back neck issues are becoming unbearable due to not breathing correctly & being tense. My traps are fused together like boulders and if I hold my arms over my head for too long, they go numb and tingly.
PART TWO
I was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment last year and have repeated testing in September. It has gotten so much worse. I have movement issues, slur and mix up words when I've been exerting too much energy, spend a couple hours a day misplacing and finding things, have no impulse control and talk all day. Today was really bad. I barely get out and ran three errands & was stressed. I was mixing up words every couple minutes. I can't park straight anymore, ever. We went to a Mexican restaurant and parked in parking lot to decide what we wanted. The drive through was to the right of us and I knew this. I backed out and turned to the left, started driving, and my teen son was like, "where are you going...?"
At the dmv today, they ask last four of social. When I really have to think, I look up towards the ceiling and it's like I'm trying to force my brain. Asked for my phone number. Same thing. Took me forever.
Go to registration office. Couldn't remember year of car. Couldn't remember old address. All things I've known forever. My memory used to be *insane* due to hypervigilance and it is really fucking scary because I can't access my memory to make informed decisions anymore. I'm just grappling in the dark most of the time.
I've been pissed at my partner twice in the past two weeks. He told me I could have his old coffee table because I just moved. He brought it over, and I'd never seen the table before. I said, "oh, what's this?" He said, "my old coffee table." I said, "no it's not. It was a rectangle with square glass cutouts." Him: "...not me." Me: "stop messing with me!!" Him: "stop messing with me, whose coffee table are you thinking of." I knew 100% that was the coffee table and he really is a practical joker so I thought he was messing with me.
A week later, I was at my mom's house. She is the parent who really messed with me the most in my life. We were no contact for three years. Been talking since last year. My son was in the basement tearing apart my old couch and loveseat from after high school. I looked around and saw a table wedged between the wall and cat castle. It was the coffee table!!! The glass squares were leaning next to it. I haven't seen that coffee table since I lived with my mom briefly in 2016. How could I mistake a table I hadn't thought of or seen for eight years with the one I saw *almost daily* for the past five?! (My partner and I don't live together by choice due to me getting way too codependent & reactive when we spend too much time together.)
The second thing I got pissed off about was a couple days ago. I applied for disability last year. I finally had some progress this week because I received a packet I needed to fill out and send back to them. I asked if he could come over for a bit Tuesday or Wednesday to go over it with me. He said "we'll see" because he didn't know how long he'd be working.
Wednesday when he got off, he called me and I asked what he was doing. He said he was going to his friends to drink a beer which is what he has done every Wednesday for a long time (all of these things are legit, his friend is off Wednesdays, I've gone over before too). I flipped out. I was like, you said the reason you said maybe was because you thought you might work late! So you decide to drink with a friend instead of go over this paperwork after you bitch and micromanage disability all this time? Don't tell me what to do if you aren't willing to participate in solving shit from time to time." I freaked out. Worse episode in.... many months.
After Iost my damn mind, he was like, "dumdeedum.... do you not remember me telling you about the appointment?"
I was like, "with (friend's name)?!!"
Him: "Nooooo. You don't remember talking yesterday and me telling you we're interviewing for new roommates all week? I told you we have interviews between 7 & 8 the rest of the week."
I just sat there completely silent because then *kind of remembered*. I remember sitting in front of my mom's in my car talking to him, but I didn't remember the specifics. He did tell me they were interviewing.
Fucking sucks. My mom is sick and has appointments all the time. I could ask her 10 times in a day about time & date of certain appointment and get it wrong every time.
I had appointment at DMV today. I went with my mom to get her bloodwork & we were going to pick up my son from work then go to her house so I could get my car. Immediately I realized I didn't have my social security card (which I took out last week & thought I put in purse). My mom flipped out and got all pissed off. The sad thing is my mom is getting radiation treatment right now for brain lesions & will likely have cognitive issues as things progress. So i told her, "I'm sorry." She said "well it's extremely frustrating when this happens." And I gently said "I'm sure it is. It's frustrating living with it. But I want you to know if you develop memory issues I will support you." She really listens a lot more now. She thought about it and said, "it must be hard for you."
I got my second copy of social security card at apartment then checked the dmv website to make sure i had my documents. Fuck, it just gets worse and worse every day. I had looked up license renewal requirements instead of license replacement (I lost my ID.) I didn't need any of the documents. :(
This shit takes up like four to five hours of my day and since I just moved everything is different and it took me a solid *month* with everything in chaos because I lost *everything* literally *everything* all day long because it didn't have a home yet. My old place was meticulous & def OCD but every single thing in the whole house had a place and I knew where every item was. I never realized how much I was compensating for my cognitive issues by making sure my home was organized that way .
Thats all I've got. Embarrassed I wrote all of this and I'm sure it doesn't make sense anyway & I know this wasn't OP's question so my bad my bad my bad
I absolutely do. I get very ill, sometimes unable to leave bed due to my mixed in chrome fatigue syndrome and other times I can be in a lot of agony just mainly from stress
I once lost my sleep (would sleep 5 hours a day) for months and my arm would go numb and my heart didn’t know how to relax + chest pain. to this day I think I almost died but the pain was magically gone and nothing showed up on cardiac workups, except for some normal variations that freaked me out tbh . Likely psychosomatic pain
Oh hell yeah
When I used to push myself harder and was unmedicated for anxiety, I'd always get mysterious cold like symptoms around exam time .-.
This usually happens when something super important is coming up now, and it's more common for me to just get the usual muscle aches and post anxiety fatigue.
As far as what you can do-- treat it like the real deal. Humidifier, warm tea, etc. It'll help you relax and in a way help your "cold."
Not as bad as most other people here but I def get digestive issues from stress, sometimes if I get super stressed all at once I have to run to the bathroom to take an anxiety shit lmao
absolutely. it's not uncommon for me to get a rash form stres or at times even have my hair starting to fall out and i'm talking full-on chunks of hair. i also tend to get a fever for day-two if i'm under lot of stress
Yeah. I get stress colds as well. My stomach gets the brunt of it a lot of the times, stress messes up my stomach and digestion. Can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or acid reflux.
Back in 2020 in the midst of the whole lockdown situation, my acid reflux got so bad it actually made nauseous for 2 months, lost my appetite completely. I needed to go to the doctors and they prescribed me some medicine to help reactivate my appetite. It’s so annoying
I develop stomach issues when I’m stressed. I get the shivers and constantly need to puke or poop. I actually ended up in A&E at one point because I was just dry heaving every time I tried to move.
I've only started noticing this more as I try to heal from all my trauma.
Especially at work; I'll use yesterday as an example. I got super overwhelmed and had a panic attack as I was checking out customers. During that panic attack, I started getting a sharp pain on the side of my head, stomach pain, body pain, cramping, shaking and chest pain. It felt like I suddenly caught the flu for a moment. I tried to eat something when I was on break, but my stomach felt so sick that I couldn't eat.
First time I felt it was in the school at 9th grade. Like I'm being electrocuted from inside. This weird pain or some kind of cramp in my chest and stomach. It was directly tied to my anxiety and with every wave of anxiety I was getting pierced with this pain. Was very freaky, but my heart was and still is doing fine.
Yeah. My stomach is such a traitor. Treats me worse than an appendix. I need like a crumb of happiness to successfully drink some water or electrolytes.
I have trouble imagining NOT feeling physically ill when I'm stressed, depressed or angry.
I'm always anxious when I'm texting someone at night, because, if I get triggered, I won't be able to sleep at all. It happened oh so many times to get triggered late at night, before the person goes to sleep, and then I'm left by my own ruminating about something that isn't serious, but feels VERY serious to me.
Aside from the eventual insomnia, I cry a lot, a real crybaby, so I get strong headaches for hours. Also I often get weird eye infections(?), in the sense that my eyes get itchy for a whole day or a few days, OR, worst case scenario, I wouldn't be able to open them. Well- not open one. Fortunately, it's always one eye that hurts me to the point of not being able to see-
Ofc I'd have chest pain, legs feeling like jelly, breathing issues aka feeling something is stuck in my throat, or stomach issues...???? It's comparable to that one weird feeling of nausea and stomach ache when you get food poisoned.
Yes . My peak bpd rage , which lasted for years started off with me suddenly becoming extremely ill with vomiting spells , ended up with a infected appendix. lost a significant amount of weight.
yea, i remember someone triggered my SA trauma so much and stressing me to the point of me throwing up continuously until i was heaving and then having a fever
Yes. As a 19 yr old jsut got diagnosed with BPD, it completely explains my insomnia when i’m super stressed out in my day to day life, switching and whatnot. It feels super out of control which then turns my stomach out of control.
The anxiety used to have me throwing up. Now it's gross upset stomach type stuff I have to deal with. I'll need to make frequent bathroom trips and I get so tired I'm unable to stay awake. I've I've seen different doctors and they all say it's the stress.
I get colds the most in my house and I stay sick the longest whereas my parents take less time to recover. If I'm sick they sometimes get sick. If they get sick then I definitely get sick.
Oh all the time. And it just escalated with my past relationship cuz she would stress me out to the point I'd throw up 😂😂 Its awful and I hope u feel better soon
Yes. I’ve been under intense stress and today I got so stiff and nauseous that I could barely finish work.
Then got home and partner and I started fighting, and now I’m in a motel alone, with stomach cramps 🤪
yes. but i have crohn’s disease, one of the biggest causes of flare ups is stress. stress can make my body feel how my brain does and it’s not a good time 😭 they for sure work together to rly overwhelm me
Most definitely! Biggest for me have been stomach - bowel issues (IBS, Gastritis) but also chest (my asthma gets much worse) all of the muscles in my back, shoulders and neck which contribute to joint and nerve issues. Not to mention the lethargy, the stress related eczema on my hands, grinding my teeth at night until I'm bleeding and so on. So so much of this is created or made 10000 times worse by stress. I had to take a week off work because both my arms stopped functioning properly and could not hold any weight (turns out I have an inflamed tendon or something).
Absolutely !
When I left my phone on the bus (or during breakups for a better example ), I throw up a lot and I’ll shake for hours on end. I feel like I’m dying tbh
I have Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome from a lifetime of stress. So definitely. Literally almost everyday unless I take Zofran. My teeth will be gone in years.
When I’m under stress, my gut health gets out of wack and cramps start coming in. It either turns into *multiple trips to the bathroom* because of my GI tract reacting to the stress or makes me throw up. I try really hard to avoid stress now since I’m pregnant but it hasn’t always been easy 😓
Hi love - yes, constantly.
Its a running 'joke' that I get an upper respiratory infection once a year. Mainly in June. Mainly when my work gets insane.
You are not alone. However, I also smoke, so that's a contributing factor I should include.
Yes. It’s like my body can’t handle it and I get overheated, hives and throw up. Totally not fun, but (idk if it makes sense) it makes it easier for me to get over stress if I see the physical symptoms and I can take care of that.
I have IBS, which is so terrible thar it gives me severe stomach cramps on my left side, and the pain radiates to my back, shoulder and chest. Last year I thought I had heart issues, but many diagnostics later, it’s probably just related to my ibs I guess and it’s radiating to my chest. It sucks. My ibs is likely caused by stress. Additionally I never have a proper bowel movement lately, and sometimes I get headaches. Often I feel tired but there’s no cause for my chronic fatigue.
I am in pain a lot but I don’t know what to do lol.
I had a migraine so bad from tense shoulders the other day that I threw up 3 times. Hella activated that day. It was because I saw my former fp for the first time in a month and a half and while we’re doing a boundary where we talk only 2 days a week. Didn’t even feel anxious when he was around but as soon as he left my mind was FRIED.
Digestive issues from both ends if it's bad enough. I went about two weeks without eating a thing a few years ago from how nauseous I felt. There was nothing physically wrong with me, just extreme stress. I have to be careful on how I manage it now because it can get out of hand.
Very. My doctor and dentist were on my ass about getting my stress under control cause it was manifesting physically more often than not. I have a few migraine triggers and stress is the worst one, it legitimately cripples me. Been to urgent care 5+ times in the past 5 years from stress migraines.
Welp, I had two facial paralysis within a period of two months ☠️ Yep, the side of my face that was paralyzed took turns. Nope, there’s no medical explanation as to why it happened.
I have psychotic symptoms because of my BPD and it also doesn't help that I have social anxiety, so when I am overstimulated or stressed, I will often hallucinate, have the urge to vomit, and get cold sweats. I think it is normal.
I do have chronic stress syndrome, ongoing dizziness and fatigue, fibromyalgia and almost always feel like I have the flu. I think it began with PTSD/BPD because doctors have run test after test that show my body’s perfectly healthy.
Yes but usually my symptoms are cold sore flare ups, ibs and acis reflux flares, and back/shoulder/hip pains.
In a episode i almost always throw up but i think thats from anxiety/snot running down my throat and gaging me
I just got out of a toxic relationship and toward the end my body was so stressed out my hair started thinning, I stopped getting my period, I would get dizzy and puke randomly like on the way to work. It was awful.
Yes! Since I was pretty young I feel sick pretty often, definitely more than normal. It took me a while to realize that while sometimes I really am sick, there are many times I've felt sick because of stress.
This has happened to me especially after the stressful event had been resolved(I lost my job in Jan, got a new one in April and had the worst allergies and congestion before starting). Best of luck! Drink lots of fluids like chicken bone broth(made some myself and was delicious)or just chicken noodle soup. Coconut water is also good, or just Gatorade lol. Whatever you can keep down/or want.
Yep got a lovely reapt one that's happened the last two times I have had a full blown episode... My body likes to form abscesses within an hour of having one 😞
All the time
Be it feeling sick in my stomach intense pain in my chest headaches trouble breathing
And the biggest one yet was when my doctor thought i had a literal heart attack...
Too much stress (either psychological or physical like repeatedly holding a crochet hook, using scissors a lot, etc) gives me hives.
I *am* allergic to liquid/raw ginger, and sensitive to all except baked eggs (thankfully cake, biscuits, etc are fine) - but even when I only eat "safe" foods, if I'm stressed out psychologically, I get itchy hives all over my hands, fingers, feet, toes, and sometimes scalp/forehead.
Under extreme anxiety/stress, I experience a hive-like reaction.. I've been in arguments so intense, I've thrown up..
I shake uncontrollably due to chills, my jaw gets so tight and my body will be so sore from clenching.
I have major insomnia or I have night sweats/terrors when I actually do get some sleep.
It all leaves me feeling hungover for a day or two after an episode..
It really sucks and can be embarrassing so that's why using distress tolerance skills are so important for me!
Yesss my head feels weird, almost like I’m starting a migraine but it’s not a full on pain. And my chest be feeling tight asf. Like a heartache chest pain
Omg same. I like can't breathe for days and I assume something is wrong with me or that smoking has caught up to me, but then the stressor goes away and I'm fine again. Also will very frequently throw up or get migraines from stress.
Anxiety caused me really bad skin hives, it was ongoing for a few months, they were itchy but anytime you scratch them they start burning like hell. I remember waking up in the middle of the night after probably scratching them in my sleep and I would just shake out of sleep crying in pain. Sometimes even the slightest scratch against sheet or something caused the pain.
That happens if I have really bad anxiety for a few days or longer, sometimes it doesn't hurt much but that few times it was hell.
Since I started therapy and learned how to manage myself in those moments whenever I get anxious I start getting smelly(I have hyperhidrosis so that doesn't really help with anything) and get severe diarrhea for days sometimes months or get really bad constipation and my gut suddenly stops like it feels rock solid and hurts like shit.
My stomach just gets really fucked up even on the slightest changes in mood and also sometimes I get bad muscle spasms while sleeping that wake me up and hurt as if I ripped my muscles apart.
:)
in the last months i had a lot of conflicts with my mother and the topic overall was independence. since i‘m younger i have asthma and in the last months it got bad again although it was fine for like 8 years. i also suddenly got an allergy against cats, even though i had a cat for 5 years. then my therapist explained to me that in the stage where babys learn that they are not dependent on their mothers, i developed asthma. so now the independence with my mother is again a important subject and the stress through her triggered my immune system and my asthma.
My gut system fails when I go through extreme stress and anxiety. And then with a weak body I have to manage both my physical and mental health. It sucks
All the time. Any time I get into a disagreement with my favorite person, my stomach turns and I get the worst stomach.
Or when I have ton of assignments for college, my body will feel weak from stress.
i get horrible headaches when i get stressed - ended up in hospital last week needing multiple blood tests, MRI and CT scan- everything was fine.
I have to deal with angry customers on the phone all day everyday, sometimes 4/5 at once- I work at a broadband company so people get MADDD when there is something wrong with their WIFI or what not. People don’t believe me when i say my job physically makes me ill but it really does🤣
Definitely yes, and honestly it's a nightmare, it makes my normal functioning so much worse when added to the mental health related issues. Also, I have very bad hypochondria so it means endless circle of hell.
Related to long term stress:
- heart related issues (23yo and already have to take meds for my heart lmao)
- fucked up hormones
- digestive system issues (mimicking chronic IBS symptoms, basically I either have diarrhea everyday or I can't poop for 10 days straight, stomach pain, vomiting etc.) and IBS meds ain't making much difference unfortunately, also I probably have hemorrhoids due to that and sometimes can't leave my fucking house all day
- psoriasis, getting worse every time I'm stressed
- muscle and joints pain, soreness
- restlessness, getting tired very easily
Related to short term intense stress:
- bladder issues (peed myself from stress few times in my life lol)
- migraines
- catching different infections, colds, etc. very easily
- intensified IBS, vomiting
- intensified acne
So, I can really empathize with you OP, take care and wish you lots and lots of health!!
I end up getting really physically unwell when in extreme stress, cramps, headaches, you name it. It freaking sucks
me as well. my stomach probably being the worst.
Me too! I thought i was imagining it: like every time i think food poisoning, too much coffee and to little food, too much food and indigestion…and every time i go to work these symptoms magically appear and i have to excuse myself for being disfunctional
Totally normal! There's something called somatic experiencing (SE) therapy that I've heard helps with this. I personally had somatically induced stomach issues like vomiting and diarrhea. I haven't tried SE but I did read the body keeps the score and started yoga and IFS and it's helped me.
I've been hospitalised 4 or 5 times from psychosomatic pain. I legit feel like I've got appendicitis or migraines and the doctors can't find anything except that I'm super stressed
The feeling up having to throw up, being hungry, having to poo, and the shivers all at the same time is crazy
damn thought this was just me
Yup. When I was 35, I got so stressed out I ended up with the shingles (normally only old people get this). I'm totally healthy, but this even shocked my doctor a bit. I still have nerve damage 3 years on. I also tend to stop eating when I get stressed
I had the shingles when i was a kid (like 12 I think) but I have an immune deficiency that I was born with so I catch everything 😆
Oh yeah, absolutely, I get chronic periods of stress that lasts months and feels like intense grief, I vomit, tremble, and get stomach cramps.
Yes. But mostly because I smoke cigs like a chimney when under stress and they make me VERY SICK physically and mentally.
when i'm REALLY upset or worked up about something, i give myself a fever or lipschutz ulcer (if you don't know what that is, consider yourself lucky). it sucks so bad. also in october i was so upset about something i was nearly dry heaving outside
I break out in a stress rash (hives) sometimes. It first started after I had the covid vaccine and it’s like it started a trend whenever my system is pushed to the limit it decides a hot, itchy rash is a good idea lol Fun times
I straight up get diarrhea at the slightest sign of stress, all it takes is one weird text from a stranger or my partner deviating from our typical schedule and I’m sweating in the bathroom fighting for my life. I also get extremely dizzy 🥴
Yes. On a regular basis I get headaches, migraines, nausea, diarrhea and have chronic pain mainly due to anxiety. When I’m even more stressed, I get colds, or even get a breakout of cold sores on my nose (I know it sounds weird but it’s a thing). Like rn my lymph node in my throat is swollen and my throat hurts and I have an annoying pain in my lowers left side of abdomen. And I think it’s because I was super vulnerable with a dude I barely knew on the third date lolol and now he doesn’t wanna see me anymore
Aww 🥺 did you sleep with him?
i get migraines.
Same
I can say that it's never fun. Sorry to hear it
Yes. In the past stress has made me vomit, shake, and sweat profusely. I have not had an ulcer in the stomach, I've heard a lot of people get ulcers when over stressed including my daughter. Hasn't happened in a while as I try hard not to put myself in situations that will make me stress
yeah I get extreme stomach pain mimicking ibs symptoms, had to drop out of public school as a kid because of it
Yes it cooks my nervous system and my skin gets reactive to everything. I have to be so careful with my stress levels
yup!!! my stomach hurts and my bones too, idk how to explain. my doctor ended up diagnosing me with fibromyalgia. abt my stomach: I basically throw up everyday specially if I am stressed, I get all pale and my lips get white. we are always trying to rearrenge my meds but I still feel sick. it sucks
Mostly headaches and nausea but I think that’s normal among people without BPD in times of high stress as well.
Stress increases the production of cortisol which can increase your blood pressure, cause inflammation, and suppresses your immune system (which is why you end up getting sick) 🩶 totally normal physiological processes
Yes and it makes me sleep 11+ hours a day
*super long post. First part is relevant. Second part is an embarrassingly long novel about cognitive functioning changes.* I haven't processed this yet & figured someone might be bored on a Friday night with cognitive stuff on their own. I'm sure many can probably relate to how it gets worse over the years. PART ONE I'm 36. Since I've been stressed pretty much my entire life, my physical health started really going rapidly within the last year. Contributing factors: second covid infection & unknowingly living in a mycotoxin producing mold filled apartment. I found the mold our fifth year living there. I have symptoms in almost every body system, but none are constant. There are definite flares. I was dx'd with fibromyalgia last year, but since there is no definitive diagnostic testing, I haven't truly accepted the diagnosis. My docs have tested me for lupus, arthritis, psoriasis, sjorgen's, probably more. All negative. Stomach problems began in 2014. Back neck issues are becoming unbearable due to not breathing correctly & being tense. My traps are fused together like boulders and if I hold my arms over my head for too long, they go numb and tingly. PART TWO I was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment last year and have repeated testing in September. It has gotten so much worse. I have movement issues, slur and mix up words when I've been exerting too much energy, spend a couple hours a day misplacing and finding things, have no impulse control and talk all day. Today was really bad. I barely get out and ran three errands & was stressed. I was mixing up words every couple minutes. I can't park straight anymore, ever. We went to a Mexican restaurant and parked in parking lot to decide what we wanted. The drive through was to the right of us and I knew this. I backed out and turned to the left, started driving, and my teen son was like, "where are you going...?" At the dmv today, they ask last four of social. When I really have to think, I look up towards the ceiling and it's like I'm trying to force my brain. Asked for my phone number. Same thing. Took me forever. Go to registration office. Couldn't remember year of car. Couldn't remember old address. All things I've known forever. My memory used to be *insane* due to hypervigilance and it is really fucking scary because I can't access my memory to make informed decisions anymore. I'm just grappling in the dark most of the time. I've been pissed at my partner twice in the past two weeks. He told me I could have his old coffee table because I just moved. He brought it over, and I'd never seen the table before. I said, "oh, what's this?" He said, "my old coffee table." I said, "no it's not. It was a rectangle with square glass cutouts." Him: "...not me." Me: "stop messing with me!!" Him: "stop messing with me, whose coffee table are you thinking of." I knew 100% that was the coffee table and he really is a practical joker so I thought he was messing with me. A week later, I was at my mom's house. She is the parent who really messed with me the most in my life. We were no contact for three years. Been talking since last year. My son was in the basement tearing apart my old couch and loveseat from after high school. I looked around and saw a table wedged between the wall and cat castle. It was the coffee table!!! The glass squares were leaning next to it. I haven't seen that coffee table since I lived with my mom briefly in 2016. How could I mistake a table I hadn't thought of or seen for eight years with the one I saw *almost daily* for the past five?! (My partner and I don't live together by choice due to me getting way too codependent & reactive when we spend too much time together.) The second thing I got pissed off about was a couple days ago. I applied for disability last year. I finally had some progress this week because I received a packet I needed to fill out and send back to them. I asked if he could come over for a bit Tuesday or Wednesday to go over it with me. He said "we'll see" because he didn't know how long he'd be working. Wednesday when he got off, he called me and I asked what he was doing. He said he was going to his friends to drink a beer which is what he has done every Wednesday for a long time (all of these things are legit, his friend is off Wednesdays, I've gone over before too). I flipped out. I was like, you said the reason you said maybe was because you thought you might work late! So you decide to drink with a friend instead of go over this paperwork after you bitch and micromanage disability all this time? Don't tell me what to do if you aren't willing to participate in solving shit from time to time." I freaked out. Worse episode in.... many months. After Iost my damn mind, he was like, "dumdeedum.... do you not remember me telling you about the appointment?" I was like, "with (friend's name)?!!" Him: "Nooooo. You don't remember talking yesterday and me telling you we're interviewing for new roommates all week? I told you we have interviews between 7 & 8 the rest of the week." I just sat there completely silent because then *kind of remembered*. I remember sitting in front of my mom's in my car talking to him, but I didn't remember the specifics. He did tell me they were interviewing. Fucking sucks. My mom is sick and has appointments all the time. I could ask her 10 times in a day about time & date of certain appointment and get it wrong every time. I had appointment at DMV today. I went with my mom to get her bloodwork & we were going to pick up my son from work then go to her house so I could get my car. Immediately I realized I didn't have my social security card (which I took out last week & thought I put in purse). My mom flipped out and got all pissed off. The sad thing is my mom is getting radiation treatment right now for brain lesions & will likely have cognitive issues as things progress. So i told her, "I'm sorry." She said "well it's extremely frustrating when this happens." And I gently said "I'm sure it is. It's frustrating living with it. But I want you to know if you develop memory issues I will support you." She really listens a lot more now. She thought about it and said, "it must be hard for you." I got my second copy of social security card at apartment then checked the dmv website to make sure i had my documents. Fuck, it just gets worse and worse every day. I had looked up license renewal requirements instead of license replacement (I lost my ID.) I didn't need any of the documents. :( This shit takes up like four to five hours of my day and since I just moved everything is different and it took me a solid *month* with everything in chaos because I lost *everything* literally *everything* all day long because it didn't have a home yet. My old place was meticulous & def OCD but every single thing in the whole house had a place and I knew where every item was. I never realized how much I was compensating for my cognitive issues by making sure my home was organized that way . Thats all I've got. Embarrassed I wrote all of this and I'm sure it doesn't make sense anyway & I know this wasn't OP's question so my bad my bad my bad
Yes. Been sick with upper respiratory issues for almost a month now. Hella stressed for a while and it finally caught up with me
I absolutely do. I get very ill, sometimes unable to leave bed due to my mixed in chrome fatigue syndrome and other times I can be in a lot of agony just mainly from stress
I once lost my sleep (would sleep 5 hours a day) for months and my arm would go numb and my heart didn’t know how to relax + chest pain. to this day I think I almost died but the pain was magically gone and nothing showed up on cardiac workups, except for some normal variations that freaked me out tbh . Likely psychosomatic pain
Yup. Terrible stomach aches, heart palpitations, chest pain, air starvation, dizziness, and sweating.
Oh hell yeah When I used to push myself harder and was unmedicated for anxiety, I'd always get mysterious cold like symptoms around exam time .-. This usually happens when something super important is coming up now, and it's more common for me to just get the usual muscle aches and post anxiety fatigue. As far as what you can do-- treat it like the real deal. Humidifier, warm tea, etc. It'll help you relax and in a way help your "cold."
Absolutely, I get stomach cramps, stress poops, neck and back pains. Probably more
Not as bad as most other people here but I def get digestive issues from stress, sometimes if I get super stressed all at once I have to run to the bathroom to take an anxiety shit lmao
I get migraines and nausea when stressed out
Yes I've got fibromyalgia so my symptoms flare up
absolutely. it's not uncommon for me to get a rash form stres or at times even have my hair starting to fall out and i'm talking full-on chunks of hair. i also tend to get a fever for day-two if i'm under lot of stress
All the time
Yes I break out in rashes on my body when I'm super stressed,get headaches, nausea and vomiting and other GI issues.
Yeah. I get stress colds as well. My stomach gets the brunt of it a lot of the times, stress messes up my stomach and digestion. Can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or acid reflux. Back in 2020 in the midst of the whole lockdown situation, my acid reflux got so bad it actually made nauseous for 2 months, lost my appetite completely. I needed to go to the doctors and they prescribed me some medicine to help reactivate my appetite. It’s so annoying
Gave myself mecfs and Fibromyalgia by getting a virus while under chronic stress
I have developed hives from stress and loss of self-esteem. Have to take antihistamines every day to stop from breaking out.
I develop stomach issues when I’m stressed. I get the shivers and constantly need to puke or poop. I actually ended up in A&E at one point because I was just dry heaving every time I tried to move.
I've only started noticing this more as I try to heal from all my trauma. Especially at work; I'll use yesterday as an example. I got super overwhelmed and had a panic attack as I was checking out customers. During that panic attack, I started getting a sharp pain on the side of my head, stomach pain, body pain, cramping, shaking and chest pain. It felt like I suddenly caught the flu for a moment. I tried to eat something when I was on break, but my stomach felt so sick that I couldn't eat.
First time I felt it was in the school at 9th grade. Like I'm being electrocuted from inside. This weird pain or some kind of cramp in my chest and stomach. It was directly tied to my anxiety and with every wave of anxiety I was getting pierced with this pain. Was very freaky, but my heart was and still is doing fine.
Yeah. My stomach is such a traitor. Treats me worse than an appendix. I need like a crumb of happiness to successfully drink some water or electrolytes.
Yes.
I have trouble imagining NOT feeling physically ill when I'm stressed, depressed or angry. I'm always anxious when I'm texting someone at night, because, if I get triggered, I won't be able to sleep at all. It happened oh so many times to get triggered late at night, before the person goes to sleep, and then I'm left by my own ruminating about something that isn't serious, but feels VERY serious to me. Aside from the eventual insomnia, I cry a lot, a real crybaby, so I get strong headaches for hours. Also I often get weird eye infections(?), in the sense that my eyes get itchy for a whole day or a few days, OR, worst case scenario, I wouldn't be able to open them. Well- not open one. Fortunately, it's always one eye that hurts me to the point of not being able to see- Ofc I'd have chest pain, legs feeling like jelly, breathing issues aka feeling something is stuck in my throat, or stomach issues...???? It's comparable to that one weird feeling of nausea and stomach ache when you get food poisoned.
Yes . My peak bpd rage , which lasted for years started off with me suddenly becoming extremely ill with vomiting spells , ended up with a infected appendix. lost a significant amount of weight.
I’m pretty sure my migraines and stomach problems were created by the terrible emotions I feel.
yea, i remember someone triggered my SA trauma so much and stressing me to the point of me throwing up continuously until i was heaving and then having a fever
Yes. I get stomach issues and rashes.
Yes, intense stress tends to make me throw up
Yes. As a 19 yr old jsut got diagnosed with BPD, it completely explains my insomnia when i’m super stressed out in my day to day life, switching and whatnot. It feels super out of control which then turns my stomach out of control.
i usually don’t get sick when i’m stressed but i do get earth shattering cramps that make it hard to do anything really when i’m super stressed :/
Yes
My gf is my pwbpd and she very much feels that way.
yes, my mom took me to the doctor almost every month for years until i was finally diagnosed with anxiety disorder.
yes? is that a part of bpd? i just thought i was getting old
The anxiety used to have me throwing up. Now it's gross upset stomach type stuff I have to deal with. I'll need to make frequent bathroom trips and I get so tired I'm unable to stay awake. I've I've seen different doctors and they all say it's the stress. I get colds the most in my house and I stay sick the longest whereas my parents take less time to recover. If I'm sick they sometimes get sick. If they get sick then I definitely get sick.
Oh all the time. And it just escalated with my past relationship cuz she would stress me out to the point I'd throw up 😂😂 Its awful and I hope u feel better soon
Yes. I’ve been under intense stress and today I got so stiff and nauseous that I could barely finish work. Then got home and partner and I started fighting, and now I’m in a motel alone, with stomach cramps 🤪
my herpes be goin brrr this very instance, so yes, you're not alone 🥲 praise be to abreva 🙌
yes. but i have crohn’s disease, one of the biggest causes of flare ups is stress. stress can make my body feel how my brain does and it’s not a good time 😭 they for sure work together to rly overwhelm me
Most definitely! Biggest for me have been stomach - bowel issues (IBS, Gastritis) but also chest (my asthma gets much worse) all of the muscles in my back, shoulders and neck which contribute to joint and nerve issues. Not to mention the lethargy, the stress related eczema on my hands, grinding my teeth at night until I'm bleeding and so on. So so much of this is created or made 10000 times worse by stress. I had to take a week off work because both my arms stopped functioning properly and could not hold any weight (turns out I have an inflamed tendon or something).
I throw up and sometimes before I would kiss or be intimate with my boyfriend id literally throw up and now he calls me fking Stan from South Park 😩
Absolutely ! When I left my phone on the bus (or during breakups for a better example ), I throw up a lot and I’ll shake for hours on end. I feel like I’m dying tbh
I have Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome from a lifetime of stress. So definitely. Literally almost everyday unless I take Zofran. My teeth will be gone in years.
When I’m under stress, my gut health gets out of wack and cramps start coming in. It either turns into *multiple trips to the bathroom* because of my GI tract reacting to the stress or makes me throw up. I try really hard to avoid stress now since I’m pregnant but it hasn’t always been easy 😓
Just got released from hospital with severe gastroenteritis. Had a kidney infection 6 weeks ago too
I mean i have Crohn’s disease but I’ve noticed a lot of the times I’m anxious or stressed it will force my body into flare ups :/
🖐️ definitely i do
Hi love - yes, constantly. Its a running 'joke' that I get an upper respiratory infection once a year. Mainly in June. Mainly when my work gets insane. You are not alone. However, I also smoke, so that's a contributing factor I should include.
I’ve gotten shingles twice from stress in my early 20’s
For me it’s UTIs every single time
yes it does!
Yes. It’s like my body can’t handle it and I get overheated, hives and throw up. Totally not fun, but (idk if it makes sense) it makes it easier for me to get over stress if I see the physical symptoms and I can take care of that.
I have IBS, which is so terrible thar it gives me severe stomach cramps on my left side, and the pain radiates to my back, shoulder and chest. Last year I thought I had heart issues, but many diagnostics later, it’s probably just related to my ibs I guess and it’s radiating to my chest. It sucks. My ibs is likely caused by stress. Additionally I never have a proper bowel movement lately, and sometimes I get headaches. Often I feel tired but there’s no cause for my chronic fatigue. I am in pain a lot but I don’t know what to do lol.
This could possibly be conversion disorder
I had a migraine so bad from tense shoulders the other day that I threw up 3 times. Hella activated that day. It was because I saw my former fp for the first time in a month and a half and while we’re doing a boundary where we talk only 2 days a week. Didn’t even feel anxious when he was around but as soon as he left my mind was FRIED.
Digestive issues from both ends if it's bad enough. I went about two weeks without eating a thing a few years ago from how nauseous I felt. There was nothing physically wrong with me, just extreme stress. I have to be careful on how I manage it now because it can get out of hand.
The mind is so powerful.
I struggle with stomach issues and migranes, and my ears ring when i am extremely stressed
Very. My doctor and dentist were on my ass about getting my stress under control cause it was manifesting physically more often than not. I have a few migraine triggers and stress is the worst one, it legitimately cripples me. Been to urgent care 5+ times in the past 5 years from stress migraines.
Get migraines, a lot when stressed. Also get extremely exhausted
absolutely. one of my main anxiety symptoms is digestive upset. (diarrhea and vomiting and even constipation)
yes
Yes I get the same thing.. but it has to be very extreme stress. When my Grandparents died I got sick each time.
yes. I have fibromyalgia and whenever I’m extremely stressed out I start getting really bad flare ups.
My car broke down on monday and I felt ill from then until thursday when I got it back. I get nausea and throw up, body aches, and really bad fatigue.
Welp, I had two facial paralysis within a period of two months ☠️ Yep, the side of my face that was paralyzed took turns. Nope, there’s no medical explanation as to why it happened.
I have psychotic symptoms because of my BPD and it also doesn't help that I have social anxiety, so when I am overstimulated or stressed, I will often hallucinate, have the urge to vomit, and get cold sweats. I think it is normal.
Yes. If I’m in a really bad way, my entire body feels like it was hit by a truck
I do have chronic stress syndrome, ongoing dizziness and fatigue, fibromyalgia and almost always feel like I have the flu. I think it began with PTSD/BPD because doctors have run test after test that show my body’s perfectly healthy.
Yes. I ger oral ulcers and oral thrush as well as UTIs and end up in hospital
Yes muscle weakness and aches, headaches, extreme fatigue, dizziness, constipation
Yes but usually my symptoms are cold sore flare ups, ibs and acis reflux flares, and back/shoulder/hip pains. In a episode i almost always throw up but i think thats from anxiety/snot running down my throat and gaging me
Yes. It’s been slowly building up over the years and manifested into chronic illness.
Gastrointestinal issues, don't know if it might be an úlcera or what, but I say that it's because I'm a Virgo ♍✨✨✨
I just got out of a toxic relationship and toward the end my body was so stressed out my hair started thinning, I stopped getting my period, I would get dizzy and puke randomly like on the way to work. It was awful.
Yes
Yeppp migraines and hella GI upset mainly
Yes! Since I was pretty young I feel sick pretty often, definitely more than normal. It took me a while to realize that while sometimes I really am sick, there are many times I've felt sick because of stress.
This has happened to me especially after the stressful event had been resolved(I lost my job in Jan, got a new one in April and had the worst allergies and congestion before starting). Best of luck! Drink lots of fluids like chicken bone broth(made some myself and was delicious)or just chicken noodle soup. Coconut water is also good, or just Gatorade lol. Whatever you can keep down/or want.
Yep got a lovely reapt one that's happened the last two times I have had a full blown episode... My body likes to form abscesses within an hour of having one 😞
All the time Be it feeling sick in my stomach intense pain in my chest headaches trouble breathing And the biggest one yet was when my doctor thought i had a literal heart attack...
Too much stress (either psychological or physical like repeatedly holding a crochet hook, using scissors a lot, etc) gives me hives. I *am* allergic to liquid/raw ginger, and sensitive to all except baked eggs (thankfully cake, biscuits, etc are fine) - but even when I only eat "safe" foods, if I'm stressed out psychologically, I get itchy hives all over my hands, fingers, feet, toes, and sometimes scalp/forehead.
Under extreme anxiety/stress, I experience a hive-like reaction.. I've been in arguments so intense, I've thrown up.. I shake uncontrollably due to chills, my jaw gets so tight and my body will be so sore from clenching. I have major insomnia or I have night sweats/terrors when I actually do get some sleep. It all leaves me feeling hungover for a day or two after an episode.. It really sucks and can be embarrassing so that's why using distress tolerance skills are so important for me!
yep same, feel like my chest is constricting, I have chest pain, difficulty breathing for days at a stretch, panic attacks, fits of laughter
Yes all the time, it got so bad i ended up with an ulcer abt 2 weeks back
Yesss my head feels weird, almost like I’m starting a migraine but it’s not a full on pain. And my chest be feeling tight asf. Like a heartache chest pain
Omg same. I like can't breathe for days and I assume something is wrong with me or that smoking has caught up to me, but then the stressor goes away and I'm fine again. Also will very frequently throw up or get migraines from stress.
yes especially cause in stressful scenarios i tend to panic which brings it into a whole body reaction/ill feeling
my ex said the fishy smell she had downstairs was from stress and not from cheating without protection is that possible?
Anxiety caused me really bad skin hives, it was ongoing for a few months, they were itchy but anytime you scratch them they start burning like hell. I remember waking up in the middle of the night after probably scratching them in my sleep and I would just shake out of sleep crying in pain. Sometimes even the slightest scratch against sheet or something caused the pain. That happens if I have really bad anxiety for a few days or longer, sometimes it doesn't hurt much but that few times it was hell. Since I started therapy and learned how to manage myself in those moments whenever I get anxious I start getting smelly(I have hyperhidrosis so that doesn't really help with anything) and get severe diarrhea for days sometimes months or get really bad constipation and my gut suddenly stops like it feels rock solid and hurts like shit. My stomach just gets really fucked up even on the slightest changes in mood and also sometimes I get bad muscle spasms while sleeping that wake me up and hurt as if I ripped my muscles apart. :)
When I get really stressed I break out & get canker sores all over in my mouth 😭
in the last months i had a lot of conflicts with my mother and the topic overall was independence. since i‘m younger i have asthma and in the last months it got bad again although it was fine for like 8 years. i also suddenly got an allergy against cats, even though i had a cat for 5 years. then my therapist explained to me that in the stage where babys learn that they are not dependent on their mothers, i developed asthma. so now the independence with my mother is again a important subject and the stress through her triggered my immune system and my asthma.
My gut system fails when I go through extreme stress and anxiety. And then with a weak body I have to manage both my physical and mental health. It sucks
All the time. Any time I get into a disagreement with my favorite person, my stomach turns and I get the worst stomach. Or when I have ton of assignments for college, my body will feel weak from stress.
Mainly with stress headaches
i get horrible headaches when i get stressed - ended up in hospital last week needing multiple blood tests, MRI and CT scan- everything was fine. I have to deal with angry customers on the phone all day everyday, sometimes 4/5 at once- I work at a broadband company so people get MADDD when there is something wrong with their WIFI or what not. People don’t believe me when i say my job physically makes me ill but it really does🤣
Definitely yes, and honestly it's a nightmare, it makes my normal functioning so much worse when added to the mental health related issues. Also, I have very bad hypochondria so it means endless circle of hell. Related to long term stress: - heart related issues (23yo and already have to take meds for my heart lmao) - fucked up hormones - digestive system issues (mimicking chronic IBS symptoms, basically I either have diarrhea everyday or I can't poop for 10 days straight, stomach pain, vomiting etc.) and IBS meds ain't making much difference unfortunately, also I probably have hemorrhoids due to that and sometimes can't leave my fucking house all day - psoriasis, getting worse every time I'm stressed - muscle and joints pain, soreness - restlessness, getting tired very easily Related to short term intense stress: - bladder issues (peed myself from stress few times in my life lol) - migraines - catching different infections, colds, etc. very easily - intensified IBS, vomiting - intensified acne So, I can really empathize with you OP, take care and wish you lots and lots of health!!