Anxiety related symptoms over std?

[shoob123]

I am a male 25. About a few months ago I had a bachelor party. Got a private lab dance, received and gave oral (I know horrible idea) was beyond drunk, which isn't an excuse. I've take 2 full panel blood tests 4th gen hiv, herpes 1/2, hepatitis a/b/c, syphilis, gon and chlamydia one at 30 days and one at 47 days, both negative. I've gone to my primary doctor twice and an urgent care once, all said my results are conclusive no need to test and everything I am feeling is guilt, stress and anxiety related. I think about std sympthoms everyday even though I had an extremely low risk to get anything and have been tested negative twice. I plan on tested at the 3 month mark just because that is protocol and everything is considered conclusive until that, even though I have been told I am fine by doctors and nurses I have talked to. I think about the chances of passing something to my wife, I think about how I could have just ruined my life as well as hers and our life together.

My symptoms are really bad cramps/pains, below my ribs, in my breastplate, under my breast plate, heart burn, abdominal and lower back. I've been like this for around 6 weeks on and off. When I don't think about it or keep busy I really don't notice it much. My doctor told me to take pepcid with the hope that helps, seemed to help a little but not all. I am on omeprazole now for a two week trial and he said if that doesn't fix it then I will have to go see a gastro. My doctor prescribed me some anxiety pills prior to my wedding to help me make it through, it mostly just made me feel pretty high not sure if I still have pains or not. Can stress/anxiety and guilt really cause the symptoms I am having?

Thanks for the help.

[specialmom]

So, you have a pretty long term history of anxiety it sounds like.  I'm not getting into any of your fears which I'm sure you've tested for and have had answered elsewhere regarding std's . . .  I won't participate in the cycle of ruminating over that stuff that keeps your anxiety going strong.  

Instead, I think I'd take a more long term approach to treating your anxiety.  'anxiety pills' that made you feel high and didn't do anything probably weren't a good choice for you.  What about a medication that works for anxiety long term like an ssri or snri?  You do take it every day but it might really help you if you require medication.  Sounds like a better choice any way that the short acting anxiety pills you were given.  

There is therapy.  That's also essential. And lifestyle things that help like regular exercise, proper nutrition and good sleep.  Can't say enough about that to lead to overall better mental health.  Then learning coping skills like breathing exercises and meditation, perhaps doing yoga.  

For your gi symptoms, take an antacid.  Lose a couple of pounds if you need to.  Eat earlier in the day rather than at night.  Watch your fat content in food.  See if that gets better.  Mine did.  Your symptoms are not uncommon.  Anxiety will make them worse.  good luck

[shoob123]

Thanks for the response :). I think it’s more the guilt and shame I feel for what I did and then that turns into stress and anxiety giving me my symptoms. I’ve tried to forgive myself and move forward and talking to people. Some days I’m perfectly fine and others I’m a mess lol.

[Paxiled]

Yes, anxiety can cause all your symptoms.  So, by the way, can taking antidepressants, so there's that.  Just to let you know, if this has been going on for awhile with the digestive problems, those medications can help short term but you're going to end up taking them long-term, as your doctor won't tell you they're not the best thing to take long-term.  All of them suppress the acid your digestive system produces, though they do it in different ways, and the longer you take them the more acid your stomach will try to produce as you cannot digest protein or minerals without an acidic stomach.  There are natural remedies for this until you find a therapist who can help you talk this out and get past it.  Some of them include aloe vera juice inner filet, DGL, a safe form of licorice, peppermint oil enteric coated capsules, slippery elm.  There are a lot of them in nature.  They don't suppress the digestive system, they instead work on the integrity of the lining of your system and control inflammation.  Digestive enzymes can also be very effective, as can bifidobacteria, a probiotic.  I've had digestive problems both from my mental stress and from medication, and like everyone, I took meds until I learned better.  The best medicine I ever got was a doctor telling me to learn meditation which I hesitated to do but finally did and it fixed a lot of physical things while it still worked, though I can't say it cured my anxiety.  Fat content isn't necessarily a factor depending on the kind of fat, and too little of the good kind of fat such as found in fish can actually cause this problem, and spicy food isn't either unless you're sensitive to it -- some really spicy things such as cayenne and turmeric are quite good for this problem, assuming culturally we can handle it.  It's just an individual things really.  As for medication, if you can't function very well and it's really making your life hard to live, that's time for medication.  If this is your only problem, it's probably time for therapy.  Guilt devours people who can't let it go.  Drugs can suppress this feeling, but only letting go of it solves the problem.  But whatever route you choose, and it's your choice, I hope you move past this and learn from it rather than suffer from it.  

[shoob123]

Thank you so much for the post, it helped :)