Diagnosis help needed

First off, I’m not even sure where this belongs... whether we’re talking psychology or if my stomach is just fundamentally broken. I don't know where to start. This all kicked off about a month and a half ago. Right after making the decision to call off my upcoming wedding—which, believe me, I am genuinely looking forward to—I found out something unpleasant regarding the ceremony itself. It threw me off balance for a moment, and maybe it triggered an avalanche that I can't seem to stop. Since I have a sensitive stomach, everything manifested as this uncontrollable nervous tension in my gut. On my doctor's advice, I started taking Xanax. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it took the edge off. As the days passed, everything in my life ramped up simultaneously—from the wedding fallout to working grueling 12-hour shifts. Being who I am, I figured, okay, a little anxiety, no big deal. But then the stomach issues became more intense and uncomfortable. I'm spending nights just listening to my own stomach churning. My doctor prescribed Pepcid and then later Nexium. Again, the stomach settles because of the meds, but the general anxiety keeps climbing until it hits a breaking point. I hold a management position at work, and I started having these full-blown panic attacks. I explained to my doctor that I need to function professionally and that the wedding stress is hitting hard, so she prescribed Miller 0.5mg three times a day to calm me down. At first, I thought I’d found salvation; things actually improved. In the meantime, I ran out of Nexium and stopped taking it. My sleep has been restless and sporadic. Then came May 1st. I had a two-day trip planned to Malibu. I woke up at 4:00 AM, went into work to pull a holiday shift until 3:00 PM, and then headed out. A stressful shift, but one Miller helped steady things. Still, something was simmering in my gut. Once I arrived in Malibu, the nausea hit so hard I ended up forcing myself to vomit. The next day, I woke up—barely having slept—feeling utterly defeated. I’m at my wit's end; I felt like I was on the verge of tears. I returned to Washington, D.C., and things seemed to settle down gradually. Then, the cycle restarted. I decided to get tested for H. pylori. Result: negative. My head and my stomach are still a mess. Finally, I opted for a gastroscopy. I told the doctor I’ve lost about five pounds in the last month (down from 175 to 150 lbs) and that I've had two episodes where I couldn't digest food and had to vomit. Generally, they said my stomach looks fine. The diagnosis was GERD. The treatment plan is ControlTech twice a day for the next two weeks, then once a day. I followed the regimen for three days; for two of those, I felt phenomenal. But last night... I was up at 2:00 AM vomiting. Mentally, this is becoming harder to endure. My fiancée doesn't know how to help anymore; she thinks it's all in my head. So now I'm combining ControlTech and Miller (0.5mg for calming). Like I mentioned yesterday, I've been dealing with bloating, gas, and burping all day, and it all ends in vomiting.
HELP me, because I truly have no idea what to do anymore... the wedding is less than a month away, and I am terrified that I'll have another night like last night on the actual wedding day.

Oh, my dear Gregory Turner3. I truly, deeply understand what you are going through.

You are struggling with anxiety, aren't you?

Last year, I was actually diagnosed with an anxious-depressive disorder myself.

It all started with these nagging jitters and a nervous stomach, which eventually spiraled into full-blown panic attacks while I was traveling by train—until I finally realized that I simply couldn't step foot on a train ever again.

At first, I foolishly thought the problem was just the trains themselves.

Then, one morning, after a night of terrible insomnia, I went for a walk in Central Park feeling completely exhausted, and suddenly a crisis hit me so hard it left me physically vomiting; it was absolutely terrifying.

I had to crawl into bed, and for seven straight days, I couldn't even bring myself to swallow a single bite of food.

Back then, I was living with my boyfriend, and once I realized I was headed straight for a hospital stay, I sat my mom down and explained exactly what was happening to me; that was when the reality of my anxiety and depression really set in.

Getting to the doctor was an ordeal in itself; the moment I walked into the local clinic in downtown Chicago, my muscles cramped up from sheer physical weakness, and I nearly collapsed right there in the hallway.

My voice was tight and strained, sounding as though I were constantly on the verge of breaking into tears.

Initially, they prescribed me some Polyplex to help me get my nutrition back on track, and thank goodness, that worked within a few days.

After that, I found myself constantly at the doctor's office, eventually starting sessions with a psychiatrist at the community health center.

They put me on Lexapro, which is wonderful because it isn't habit-forming, but they also gave me Miller, an anxiolytic—a sedative—which, unfortunately, can be incredibly addictive if you aren't careful.

The crises were horrendous; I reached a point where I couldn't leave my house, and even when things seemed to improve slightly, I’d get my hopes up only for everything to crash down harder than before. It took such a long time to see even the slightest glimmer of improvement. I used to be terrified that I would throw up right there on the street.

It is this overwhelming panic, the nausea, the dissociation, and this suffocating tightness in your chest that makes you feel like you are genuinely losing your mind.

In those darkest moments, I honestly believed that no one in this entire world could ever help me again—absolutely no one.

But now, a year later, I am reading mountains of literature on the subject and have started seeing an excellent private psychotherapist.

I've learned that anxiety often strikes when we stop paying attention to ourselves—to our own emotions and what our brains are trying to tell us.

It happens when the soul feels constricted, yet we choose to ignore it.

Please, believe me when I say there is help out there; never, ever give up. I know how hollow that sounds to someone in the middle of a storm, because when I was at my absolute worst, I couldn't see even five minutes ahead, let alone hold onto any sense of hope or faith.

And do you know who is the only person capable of truly and sincerely understanding you? Someone who has walked that same dark path.

Never give up!!! Never.

First of all, you need to hit the pause button on everything—weddings, obligations, whatever you can manage; right now, you have to prioritize yourself above all else. You have reached a point where your brain has essentially gone on strike because it is demanding a fundamental change in your life.

Find yourself a good therapist, someone who isn't just eager to reach for the prescription pad immediately. Be very cautious with Miller; while it might provide temporary relief during a crisis, in the long run, it can only make your recovery more difficult.

I suspect antidepressants might be a good route for you; they are taken over a longer period and work by regulating the nervous system, triggering the release of those chemicals that allow a person to feel peaceful, happy, and calm.

Miller should only be used as a last resort during intense crises and for very short durations.

There are two incredibly vital things you must do:

TALK. Talk to everyone, truly everyone, about how you are feeling, what is happening to you, and how people should support you in those specific moments.

READ. Turn toward self-work and try to understand what anxiety actually is, why it happens, and how it functions; only once we grasp what we are experiencing can we truly begin to work on it.

Please, write to me about how you are doing and what is happening....
I will always be here to answer you...

AND KNOW THIS: HAVE HOPE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WILL PASS IN TIME!!!!

Jose King37 said:Oh, my dear Gregory Turner3. I truly, deeply understand what you are going through.

You are struggling with anxiety, aren't you?

Last year, I was actually diagnosed with an anxious-depressive disorder myself.

It all started with these nagging jitters and a nervous stomach, which eventually spiraled into full-blown panic attacks while I was traveling by train—until I finally realized that I simply couldn't step foot on a train ever again.

At first, I foolishly thought the problem was just the trains themselves.

Then, one morning, after a night of terrible insomnia, I went for a walk in Central Park feeling completely exhausted, and suddenly a crisis hit me so hard it left me physically vomiting; it was absolutely terrifying.

I had to crawl into bed, and for seven straight days, I couldn't even bring myself to swallow a single bite of food.

Back then, I was living with my boyfriend, and once I realized I was headed straight for a hospital stay, I sat my mom down and explained exactly what was happening to me; that was when the reality of my anxiety and depression really set in.

Getting to the doctor was an ordeal in itself; the moment I walked into the local clinic in downtown Chicago, my muscles cramped up from sheer physical weakness, and I nearly collapsed right there in the hallway.

My voice was tight and strained, sounding as though I were constantly on the verge of breaking into tears.

Initially, they prescribed me some Polyplex to help me get my nutrition back on track, and thank goodness, that worked within a few days.

After that, I found myself constantly at the doctor's office, eventually starting sessions with a psychiatrist at the community health center.

They put me on Lexapro, which is wonderful because it isn't habit-forming, but they also gave me Miller, an anxiolytic—a sedative—which, unfortunately, can be incredibly addictive if you aren't careful.

The crises were horrendous; I reached a point where I couldn't leave my house, and even when things seemed to improve slightly, I’d get my hopes up only for everything to crash down harder than before. It took such a long time to see even the slightest glimmer of improvement. I used to be terrified that I would throw up right there on the street.

It is this overwhelming panic, the nausea, the dissociation, and this suffocating tightness in your chest that makes you feel like you are genuinely losing your mind.

In those darkest moments, I honestly believed that no one in this entire world could ever help me again—absolutely no one.

But now, a year later, I am reading mountains of literature on the subject and have started seeing an excellent private psychotherapist.

I've learned that anxiety often strikes when we stop paying attention to ourselves—to our own emotions and what our brains are trying to tell us.

It happens when the soul feels constricted, yet we choose to ignore it.

Please, believe me when I say there is help out there; never, ever give up. I know how hollow that sounds to someone in the middle of a storm, because when I was at my absolute worst, I couldn't see even five minutes ahead, let alone hold onto any sense of hope or faith.

And do you know who is the only person capable of truly and sincerely understanding you? Someone who has walked that same dark path.

Never give up!!! Never.

First of all, you need to hit the pause button on everything—weddings, obligations, whatever you can manage; right now, you have to prioritize yourself above all else. You have reached a point where your brain has essentially gone on strike because it is demanding a fundamental change in your life.

Find yourself a good therapist, someone who isn't just eager to reach for the prescription pad immediately. Be very cautious with Miller; while it might provide temporary relief during a crisis, in the long run, it can only make your recovery more difficult.

I suspect antidepressants might be a good route for you; they are taken over a longer period and work by regulating the nervous system, triggering the release of those chemicals that allow a person to feel peaceful, happy, and calm.

Miller should only be used as a last resort during intense crises and for very short durations.

There are two incredibly vital things you must do:

TALK. Talk to everyone, truly everyone, about how you are feeling, what is happening to you, and how people should support you in those specific moments.

READ. Turn toward self-work and try to understand what anxiety actually is, why it happens, and how it functions; only once we grasp what we are experiencing can we truly begin to work on it.

Please, write to me about how you are doing and what is happening....
I will always be here to answer you...

AND KNOW THIS: HAVE HOPE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WILL PASS IN TIME!!!!

pretty classy move🙂

First and foremost, please refrain from taking anything that hasn't been specifically prescribed by your doctor... I hope the other members won't take offense, but since my own experience helped me, I feel compelled to say that giving advice here doesn't necessarily help you. So many different conditions manifest themselves in similar ways, and no matter how well-intentioned or logical a layperson's advice might seem, you can't rely on it. It is almost certain that people don't understand the full scope of differential diagnosis or your specific medical history...
Therefore, please see a physician immediately. I also believe it would be wise to schedule a consultation with a psychiatrist. That said, I don't think there is any reason to cancel your wedding, but you absolutely should not depend on forum advice without seeking professional medical guidance.

Honestly, I think you could really use a breather and just step away from work for a bit. Between planning a wedding and dealing with a job where it looks like you're drowning in tasks without a single second to yourself, anyone would lose their mind. A friend of mine went through a nearly identical situation and ended up with such bad neurodermatitis—basically her skin just revolted because of the stress—and she actually had to push back her entire wedding because of it. Nothing catastrophic is going to happen if you just slow down for a minute.

What exactly is the distinction between Miller and Miller State?
I just received my prescription from the psychiatrist yesterday, and I took my first 0.25 dose today; I’m feeling quite drowsy, though I’m hopeful this will subside in time. Has anyone else here dealt with any unpleasant side effects? For instance, does anyone experience that heavy, weighted sensation often attributed to Miller, or perhaps significant sleep disturbances—those specific issues listed in the warnings?
And could someone clarify what "slow-release" actually implies in practice?

Yes, he’s already had the stomach exams done, but he really should follow up with a psychiatrist. They can review those test results, have a real conversation, and determine if there are underlying elements of anxiety or panic attacks at play.
If that turns out to be the case, there's no need to panic; catching things this early makes them much easier to manage.
Since you might not want to deal with scheduling appointments and waiting around—especially with the wedding right around the corner—I’d highly recommend the team at the local Emergency Room. They are fantastic; I actually know someone who went there for similar issues and had a really positive experience.