Anxiety nausea: A comprehensive guide to physical symptoms, coping methods, and treatment options

What Does Anxiety Feel Like?

Even though anxiety arises in our minds, its physical symptoms are very real. Just like anger or depression, anxiety can create physical, bodily responses to what our mind is going through. That’s why you might find that you sometimes throw up from anxiety. There is a wide range of physical anxiety symptoms, which can vary from person to person. 

Here are some of the physical symptoms of anxiety: 

• Headaches 
• Insomnia (or other sleep problems)
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating 
• Muscle pain
• Nausea
• Bowel problems

Many other symptoms may be reported, as well. But one of the most unpleasant effects of lingering anxiety is nausea.

Can You Become Nauseous from Anxiety?

Yes, you can become nauseous from anxiety. That’s because anxiety alerts your body and mind to prepare for real or perceived dangers. This triggers your fight, flight, or freeze response. 

When the threat is actually real, this anxiety can save your life or, at the very least, help you prepare to fight back against any danger (whether it’s threatening your actual life or your mental state, etc.). But regardless of whether that danger is real or imagined, anxiety does come with some unpleasant symptoms—one of which can be nausea. 

What Causes Anxiety Nausea

When you’re anxious, your body releases hormones like adrenaline that cause your heart to beat faster, your breathing to increase, and your muscles to tense up, all in response to the perceived threat. In addition, anxiety can affect your digestive system, primarily slowing down the rate at which your body processes food. This can lead to nausea or vomiting, as well as stomach aches, heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation. If you have IBS or other digestive issues, you may be more likely to experience anxiety nausea as well. 

What Does Anxiety Nausea Feel Like?

When you normally feel nauseous, you may feel like you need to throw up, even if you can’t. Your stomach might also feel tight or uncomfortable. Anxiety nausea is no different; however, it’ll likely be accompanied by additional physical symptoms of anxiety, such as those listed above (headaches, fatigue, sweating, and others). 

In addition, you will likely experience other mental and emotional symptoms of anxiety. These symptoms can include feeling: 

• On edge
• Irritable
• Hopeless
• Fatigued
• Depressed

Once your anxious thoughts begin to subside, the physical symptoms accompanied by anxiety nausea will decrease in severity until they eventually pass.

Does This Nausea Typically Happen in the Morning or at Other Times of Day?

Anxiety nausea can happen whenever you’re feeling anxious, especially if you already have digestion issues that are worsened by your feelings of anxiety. If something has caused you to feel anxious upon waking, you might experience anxiety nausea in the morning. 

If something causes you to feel anxious later in the day, you might experience anxiety nausea in the evening. For the long-term anxiety that sticks around, you might feel nauseous before or after dinner—or even in bed while you’re trying to get some much-needed rest.

What Is Subconscious Anxiety Nausea?

Subconscious anxiety can be defined as a vague feeling of tension that you can’t quite place your finger on. It doesn’t have a distinguishable cause vs. anxiety that stems from a specific fear or worry. 

This means that subconscious anxiety nausea can happen when you have subconscious anxious thoughts. While we aren’t always aware of these lingering sources of stress, they can manifest themselves throughout the body. 

Subconscious anxiety can be caused by trauma, chronic stress, mental health conditions, chronic physical conditions, or dramatic life transitions. As with many other conditions, anxiety doesn’t usually have a single source, but an interconnected web of contributing factors.

Can Anxiety Cause Dizziness?

Yes, anxiety can cause dizziness. As mentioned earlier, your body releases hormones that send specific messages throughout your body.

If you begin to breathe faster, especially if you start to panic, you’ll reduce the level of carbon dioxide in your blood, which can lead to dizziness or light-headedness. Conversely, feeling short of breath or experiencing chest tightness can also cause dizziness. 

Even a lack of appetite can cause dizziness when the body’s blood sugar levels become too low. Anxiety, just like other conditions, truly highlights the close connection our mind and body share. 

How to Tell if Nausea Is From Anxiety or Illness

If you are feeling nauseous, you might wonder if it’s anxiety or if you’re simply sick.  To determine what is causing the nausea, check in with yourself and what you are feeling. 

If you’re experiencing other symptoms of anxiety (such as the physical and/or psychological symptoms mentioned earlier), you can likely rule out a stomach bug or illness. If nausea is your only symptom, then you may have another condition that’s causing it. Here’s how to tell if you are throwing up from anxiety or if you are experiencing a different medical issue, like an infection, virus, food poisoning, or something else. 

• When do you feel nauseous? If your nausea happens during moments of stress, anxiety, or worry, then the feeling of wanting to throw up is likely because of your anxiety. 
• How long does the nausea last? Illness-related nausea typically fades after a short period, while anxiety-induced nausea can last until the underlying emotional cause is addressed.
• Is it a pattern? If your nausea follows a consistent pattern of appearing during stressful situations, it’s more likely to be anxiety-related.
• What other symptoms are you experiencing? Look for other accompanying physical signs. Anxiety-related nausea is often paired with symptoms like a racing heartbeat, shallow or rapid breathing, dizziness, or trembling. If these are present, anxiety could be the culprit.

A medical or mental health professional can help you get to the bottom of what you’re dealing with. From there, they can assist you with knowing how to best manage it. 

How to Stop Anxiety Nausea

Anxiety and nausea are independently uncomfortable, so when the two are combined, it can feel significantly worse. There are a few things you can do to try to stop anxiety nausea or get it under control. Here are just a few things to try.

• Practice mindfulness: Exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce anxiety, thereby lessening the feelings of nausea that accompany it.
• Deep-breathing: Controlled, deep breathing has been shown to help with nausea, specifically. In addition, it can help nip your anxiety in the bud, too. 
• Drinking water: Another dual-treatment. Drinking water can reduce the intensity of your nausea. In addition, drinking water regularly in order to stay well-hydrated can help to prevent anxiety altogether (and, therefore, nausea from anxiety). 
• Resting: Rest can help to ease your nausea and get those anxiety/stress levels back down. 
• Eating foods that can help reduce your anxiety and nausea: Mild foods like saltine crackers, toast, bananas, or other mild options can help settle the stomach. Avoid caffeinated and carbonated beverages, citrus, and greasy foods that can upset your stomach. 
• Using essential oils, like peppermint or lavender, that have calming effects: Aromatherapy can sometimes help reduce nausea. You can inhale the scent directly or use a diffuser to spread the aroma in your space.
• Keeping your mind busy: Distraction is a good way to manage nausea because the more you fixate on the feeling of needing to throw up, the worse it may feel. Try taking a walk, watching a show, or reading to help yourself think about something else. 

Start small: Realize that if you feel sick, you have the opportunity to get better, starting with addressing your physical symptoms. Once your nausea subsides, you’ll be better equipped to unpack what’s stirring up your anxiety. In some cases, it can be more effective to work through the unpleasant effects of anxiety nausea with a provider’s guidance. 

Anxiety Nausea Treatments

There are many treatments for anxiety nausea that can help you get ahead of the problem before it begins. Besides lifestyle changes, practicing mindfulness, and doing some of the things already mentioned to stop throwing up from anxiety, you can attempt two more lines of attack: therapy and medication. 

Therapeutic Treatment for Anxiety Nausea 

One way to treat anxiety nausea is to try various types of therapy. For example, you can try thought replacement to de-escalate the situation. It’s easy for anxiety nausea to snowball when your thoughts start to become frantic—and feeling sick to your stomach doesn’t help, either. Thought replacement is a CBT technique that involves identifying negative or unhelpful thoughts and consciously replacing them with more positive, constructive ones to change your patterns of thinking. 

By working with an experienced counselor, people suffering from anxiety nausea may find relief from the following therapeutic treatment options:  

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Interpersonal therapy
• Exposure therapy
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

While some providers specialize in a singular approach, many offer eclectic, blended treatment plans that adapt to the unique and specific needs of the client. With the right therapeutic approach, a skilled therapist can help someone with anxiety nausea to improve their coping skills, emotional control, and emotional awareness, helping to stop the cycle. 

Anxiety Nausea Medication

If you regularly experience anxiety nausea, certain medications prescribed by a healthcare provider may also be able to help.

A psychiatrist, for example, might prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), an antidepressant. This type of medication increases levels of serotonin in your body, to counteract the reduced levels caused by your anxiety, which can contribute to nausea. Other potential medications might include: 

• Beta-blockers
• Anti-seizure medications
• Antipsychotics
• Prochlorperazine

These medications for anxiety nausea are often used in combination with psychotherapy. Talk with your doctor or psychiatric provider about the medication options that can assist you in overcoming the unwanted effects of anxiety nausea. 

Final Thoughts

Anxiety and nausea are tough enough to cope with separately; facing them combined can be a true challenge. If you’re struggling to work through the uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety nausea, it might feel like the world is spinning. But with the right tools and understanding, you’ll be able to better keep your emotions (and stomach) steady. Consider seeking the help of a therapist or medication to get your anxiety nausea under control.