Help with anxiety

[southborder82]

Hello everybody. For the past week or so I've been really nervous for high school football. I'm a sophomore this year, and ended up quiting in the beginging of football last year because I had just been taken off my steroids (prednisone) and started feeling sick and would throw up at practice. But I remember last year I was very nervous for football as well, and it just always seems to bother my Crohn's condition. This year I will still be on prednisone during football, (my doctor has tried to get me off it, but I just get sick again when I don't take it.)
So my question pretty much is... are there any tips you guys can give me to help me get through this anxiety for football? I know the best way to get over your fears is to face them, which is pretty much what I'm doing, but my stomach and nerves have just been driving me crazy. I try telling myself that I'll be fine, plus I've played football since I was in 3rd grade up until last year. But I've always just been a nervous kid, and for some reason Football is just making me extremely nervous. So please, if there are any suggestions that you guys can give me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[lola99]

Maybe it would help to talk to a doctor about it. I find that when I'm not feeling well my anxiety/general feelings of sadness are at their worst. When I'm feeling better i don't have a problem with my anxiety as much. Maybe if your course of medical treatment was working for you ,you would feel better mentally. I know a lot of people on here have the same problem as me where when you are sick you feel depressed/anxiety. Prednisone is a short term fix not long term. What maintenance drugs are you on?

 

[southborder82]

Along with 30mg of Prednisone, I take Pentasa(8x500mg), Pantoprazole(40mg), and Zofran. (4 mg), and just recently been put on a Probiotic, because I was having trouble with my stools. I guess my Crohn's is different then most because it's makes feel nauseous and gives me terrible stomach cramps. Also, my Crohn's is located in my small intestine, if that matters.

 

[Thermo]

Crohns is a life long friend that is going to follow you everywhere, when not dealing with the symptoms you have to minimize your medication toxicity. If you cannot stop taking steroids without symptoms coming back you have steroid dependent Crohns disease, unless you try a Biologic or 6MP that works you will need surgery. The longer you stay on steriods the more harm it will do to your body including causing Cushing's syndrome (Please read about it if you are not familiar) As a person who didn't take Crohns seriously until a few years ago I can tell you that making a full attack on the disease is needed as quickly as possible. This means a compete life overhaul vitamins, probiotics, diet, medications, scans. The anxiety that you are experiencing is caused by your inability to absorb needed nutrients, there is no shame if you need to start taking an anxiety medication, if you are freaking out it will make your Crohns worse every time. I will say that my Crohns forced me into giving up a career as a soccer player and I hate it everyday for it, but life goes on. Stick with football for as long as you can, and if you get all of these things in order you stand a higher chance of the disease not forcing you into leaving the game.

 

[lola99]

Along with 30mg of Prednisone, I take Pentasa(8x500mg), Pantoprazole(40mg), and Zofran. (4 mg), and just recently been put on a Probiotic, because I was having trouble with my stools. I guess my Crohn's is different then most because it's makes feel nauseous and gives me terrible stomach cramps. Also, my Crohn's is located in my small intestine, if that matters.

I think most people have stomach cramps with crohns disease. That was my main problem . The nauseous not so much but i have crohns more in my ileum. I gotta agree with the poster above about prednisone and cushings. I was on prednisone for about 2-3 months and go it and i was on 25 mg. Its defiantly not a long term medication. If you flare as soon as you come off of it then your other medication isn't working and you probably need to discuss getting on something that will work better for you. Long term steriod use causes all kinds of issues.

 

[Dunbar]

Stress/anxiety is circular with Crohns. Each makes the other worse. lola99 has a point regarding flaring after coming off pred, make an appt with your Dr. to check what's going on. Get vitamin and mineral levels checked too, deficiencies can also cause anxiety. There are natural supplements for anxiety as well, SAMe-rhodiola-valerian talk to a naturopath if you are so inclined. Become aware of when the anxiety starts, breathe in for four, hold seven, out eight. Practice being aware of your thoughts and learn about ways to relieve it(anxiety). Good luck on your journey to low or no anxiety. Have fun with football !