Hi there,
when I read your message it took me back to my fear of being sick which ruined my life for years, it satrted with me when I was about 8yrs old I was kind of picked on at school by this other snobby girl and I developed a fear of being sick I would try and run past the sick room at school holding my breath till I was nearly passing out, my mum had to leave out all the packaging for food at dinner incase it was out of date and I would thoroghly check it all if something looked a funny colour or smelled different I would not go near it.
If I knew there was a bug going around school I used to beg mum to stay at home and she usually gave in as I was in a terrible state.
If I had a sore tummy or felt sick I would nearly hyperventilate and get so bad that mum kept a paper bag in every drawer and bag for me to blow into.
I manged to not be sick for ayers and years until one night I had Glandular fever and felt very unwell...my mum had nipped into the neighbours for a coffee and I was in alone in my room..I suddenly felt that horrible water flooding into my mouth and I knew it was going to happen....I thought I was gonna die i ran to the toilet and was very sick like projectile Sorry) and to make it worse no one was there with me...then my sister came in from work and I was crying so bad she came running to me and had to clean me up...but somehow after that I realised that It didnt kill me and that I survived it...but I know how scared you are and I still have a bit of fear about it but medication helped me to deal with the anxiety over it so it kind of left me as I got older.
I'm not saying you will get over it as I KNOW how terrifying it is if I see people who look very pale or unwell I still hold my breath as I pass them just incase I catch it.

Are you on medication maybe you should ask your doctor to give you something to help with the fear of it all and maybe you will satrt to feel a bit better.

if you want talk please just let me know x

Suzanne xx

Hi Suzanne,

No I'm not on any medication, I read the side effects of any medication very carefully and if it can make you feel sick I will avoid taking it, so I'd rather not have medication.

I'm quite an anxious person generally, I think this is caused by being involved in a car accident at age 4 and loosing my mum in that accident. I also suffer panic attacks from time to time (again since the car accident), they make me feel sick, well it's like that water in mouth thing you discribed. Even though a panic attack has never caused me to be sick it still makes me feel terrified.

I've had days where I just can't eat, or use the bathroom if someone has been ill. A couple of months ago I was visiting a customer site and one of them was describing how she had been off the previous week and how she had to get the dr to give her something to stop her being sick. I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything, and certainly couldn't use the bathroom in that office. Or I will avoid touching any surfaces the sick person may have touched, and am constantly washing my hands, always have that antibacterial hand cleanser stuff in my bag and a spare in the car.

If my husband is ever sick I literally shake like a leaf, I panic if I hear him getting up in the night as I think he is going to be sick. Then I have to persuade my self its something HE has eaten and pray I didn't eat the same thing, I then start the cleaning frenzy, the house is comming down with antibacterial this and that.

I have kind of accepted that this is the way I am. Everyone has their "thing" like my husband has to check everything is turned off and has mantras to remember stuff, his favourite is "keys, money, wallet, phone" when we are trying to leave the house.

BM

Hi Barking Mad,

I really sympathise with you. I have the same fear, but it seems to be worst in the car. I panic about what would happen if I needed to be sick and what if I couldn't stop in time (even though I don't feel sick at that time), then I panic which makes my tummy start to churn, and then I panic even more about being sick. It's a vicious cycle.

I also feel panicky in the cinema and theatre, as I start to think 'oh God, what if I start feeling sick and then can't get out quickly enough.'

And I get anxious in restaurants too.

I went to the doctor's about it earlier this year and the doctor got me signed up for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and it really did help. I had about 10 sessions of it. I've gone a bit downhill since then, so am currently reading Overcoming Anxiety, which seems to be helping. I've also started taking Kalms (herbal and no side effects as far as I know other than they might make you feel sleepy), which seems to have made me feel less anxious in general.

I haven't taken any proper medication for it, but would consider it if things get really bad.

Have you been to the doctor about it?

Big hugs

Nicola
xxxxx

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]

HI Nicola,

I know what you mean about being in the car. I'm ok if I'M driving, probably because I am in control and I can pull over.

Even going in a taxi or a bus I'm not great, after a while I usually settle down as long as I have water handy. I really worry that I will feel sick and won't be able to get off the bus or the person driving won't stop.

I'm quite scared in my Husbands car at the moment, he used to have a fiat punto, which had all the acceleration of a push bike (ok slight exaggeration). I was never scared in the punto. However he has now got a coupe and lets just say his acceleration is a lot more aggressive. I probably need to speak with him rather than just avoiding going in the car. I did mention that his acceleration was a lot more aggressive now but I don't think he got the hint.

I understand it is still his new "toy" and after suffering the punto for 3 years I can understand he enjoys the thrill of the acceleration the coupe has. moving from my 1ltr corsa to my TDI was exciting at first, however I do try to dive more smoothly with out aggressive acceleration when someone else is in the car (I'm afraid I will make then sick lol).

The weekend after next we're going somewhere that is about 4 hours drive, I really REALLY hope we take my car. I'm even ok with him driving my car as it is a very smooth ride.

I'm off work for a couple of weeks in December so might go see te DR then as trying to get time off work for appointments is a nightmare.

I have that book you mentioned on my amazon wish list so might pick it up once pay day comes round ;o)

BM

Hi Nicola

That could have been me writing your post!

I suffer from panic attacks mainly when I'm out with friends for an evening in restaurants. I think what I'm eating might make me sick so panic about it before the food comes then I struggle to eat it. it's really hard hiding it from the people I'm with.

I also have to drive everywhere when I go out so if I feel sick I can go home. I had my worse panic attack yet on a night out with friends when we got a minibus there. I was panicing that I couldn't get home my husband was babysitting the kids and my parents were away so I had no way to get home.

If I hear of a tummy bug going round I make sure the children always wash their hands - I carry that gel stuff in every bag and car.

If I wake in the night I wonder why I'm awake - is it because I've got a tummy bug and I'm going to be sick?!

When my kids are sick I cannot deal with it, DH has to and I lie in bed with earplugs in _ I can't bear it. That makes me feel so guilty as all they want is their mummy and I can't deal with it.

I had bad morning sickness with my 3rd baby this time last year where I was being sick at least once a day. I couldn't leave the house incase I was sick. Now I'm feeling sick most days as I'm thinking - this time last year I was being sick - how stupid is that?

I can pinpoint the very day that I started to have this phobia - I was in Sunday school and I was 7 and a girl next to me just threw up in front of me and the sunday school teacher caught it in her hands. I screamed everyday for weeks not wanting to go to school and be away from my mum, my mum says that day has changed me forever.

Now I've got kids I worry if I'm sick how will I look after them. I'm BF my baby and I worry how she will get fed if I'm being sick.

I'm trying not to let my anxieties show to my children as I would hate for them to be like me.

My doc has given me some diazapan (sp) which I took when we went away with friends for the weekend 18mths ago and that really helped me. I worried that if I was ill when we were away I wouldn't have anywhere to go as we checked out of the hotel at 10am and had a flight booked at 4pm. The only place I feel 'safe' is in bed when I start to have a panic attack.

Right I've rambled on enough - so glad I'm not the only person with what seem these stupid fears/thoughts etc - sometimes I think I'm going mad!!

love Kay x