anxiety trigger 'bypassing' straight to gut?

I am sorry you are experiencing this unpleasant combination of issues.

Having thought about how you described everything - I really think this is a conversation you need to have with your GP.

My understanding is that your GP would want to better understand the Diazepam situation - because although it is sometimes suggested for anxiety / IBS it is only usually supposed to be a very short term support mechanism - and not usually one suggested when someone is managing long-term depression.  

Your abdominal pain is also something your GP would likely want to check.

One of the difficulties with IBS is people are encouraged to do plenty of exercise - but if you rarely leave the house at the moment - I imagine that must be difficult for you to achieve the level of exercise that you used to do.

The link between some Autistic people experiencing anxiety and IBS is quite well documented in NHS support and guidance - but the concept of "bypass" symptoms of anxiety to IBS is not something of which I am aware.  Maybe your GP might have more up to date information on that specific question.

Don't forget to mention to your GP that you can start to sweat a bit too - as you are working on the assumption everything is anxiety / IBS related but your GP might want to discount other physical considerations too.

For instance, feelings of panic can be powerful and involve a lot of different body sensations and emotions - sometimes quite a frightening experience for people.

I was also thinking that on top of your anxiety / depression / IBS / rarely leaving the house / not currently having the routine of going to work - it is only about 4 months since you received your Autism diagnosis - which many of us can experience as something of a shock to the system (mind and body).

So what I am trying to say is: you are coping with a lot of different things (all at the same time) so a review with your GP (mind and body) might be the safest next step for you.

Take care.

I have had several conversations with several GPs regarding my mental illnesses and regarding my debilitating digestive problems, but these conversations have not led to anything helpful.

I was referred to a psychiatric hospital nearly 3 years ago, and they have not helped me at all.  I was prescribed sertraline then mirtazapine then fluoxetine then pregabalin then amitriptyline then venlafaxine, and at the moment I am taking buspirone at a dose higher than the manufacturer has licensed it for, and none of these have helped me at all.  One of the psychiatrists told me straight a few times that I am running out of options.

The mental hospital told me to seek talking therapy too.  But after about 5 psychotherapists I have seen, my situation and symptoms are worse than ever.  One of the psychotherapists told me straight that the NHS will never help me, and this is because each area treats only 1 thing, eg the psychiatric hospital will not discuss my autism with me.  I was told I need to try and find someone who is an expert in all the complexity of what is going on with me, ie autism and IBS and anxiety and depression, as these are all interacting and need to be sorted out together.

A GP referred me to a gastroenterologist about 10 years ago, but he said to try cutting out various foods and see what happens, and that it is up to me to manage my IBS.  The food regime made no difference to me at all.  10 years later I am even worse at managing the IBS.

Then nearly 2 years ago I was referred to a gastroenterologist again, who seemed surprised that my digestive tract was never investigated after all these years.  A colonoscopy showed that everything is normal - it only showed visceral hypersensitivity which means it is IBS.

After a decade of horrible decline, the psychiatrist told my GP to refer me to a dietician.  My first appointment was a couple of weeks ago - she said she needs another session to assess me, and mentioned ARFID - Avoidant/Restrictive  Food Intake Disorder - which definitely sounds like me.

Yes, I am aware that diazepam is addictive and therefore prescribed only short term, which therefore does not help me.  I have also been prescribed promethazine to try, though that tends to make people drowsier.

Yes, not going outside makes it very difficult to exercise, so my health just deteriorates.

I told a psychotherapist about my anxiety attacks including the time I actually passed out and had to be revived by a team of doctors.  I was in hospital at the time (awaiting a new liver), and when I regained consciousness I found new drips in my arms, and electrodes on my body.  The psychotherapist told me she had 30 years' experience and had never heard of anyone actually passing out from anxiety.  Years later, I was talking to a doctor via 111 about an anxiety attack I was having, and I explained that I felt I was going to pass out, but a psychotherapist had told me that that is impossible, and the doctor told me I was right, that it CAN happen.

My autism diagnosis was not a shock to me.  I suspected it for the last 40 years.  But when I mentioned it to the highly experienced psychotherapist who did not know about the effects of anxiety, she took a quick look at me and told me I am not autistic.

In summary, I have been contacting experienced professionals for decades, I have had lots of conversations over the years with GPs and gastroenterologists and psychiatrists and psychotherapists but my situation continues to deteriorate.  I was just asking a question here to see if any other autistic people experience anxiety differently (but similarly to me), and this was triggered by my latest psychotherapist telling me he is aware that our experiences differ from neurotypical people, but anxiety is still anxiety, it just affects different people in different ways. 

I have had several conversations with several GPs regarding my mental illnesses and regarding my debilitating digestive problems, but these conversations have not led to anything helpful.

I was referred to a psychiatric hospital nearly 3 years ago, and they have not helped me at all.  I was prescribed sertraline then mirtazapine then fluoxetine then pregabalin then amitriptyline then venlafaxine, and at the moment I am taking buspirone at a dose higher than the manufacturer has licensed it for, and none of these have helped me at all.  One of the psychiatrists told me straight a few times that I am running out of options.

The mental hospital told me to seek talking therapy too.  But after about 5 psychotherapists I have seen, my situation and symptoms are worse than ever.  One of the psychotherapists told me straight that the NHS will never help me, and this is because each area treats only 1 thing, eg the psychiatric hospital will not discuss my autism with me.  I was told I need to try and find someone who is an expert in all the complexity of what is going on with me, ie autism and IBS and anxiety and depression, as these are all interacting and need to be sorted out together.

A GP referred me to a gastroenterologist about 10 years ago, but he said to try cutting out various foods and see what happens, and that it is up to me to manage my IBS.  The food regime made no difference to me at all.  10 years later I am even worse at managing the IBS.

Then nearly 2 years ago I was referred to a gastroenterologist again, who seemed surprised that my digestive tract was never investigated after all these years.  A colonoscopy showed that everything is normal - it only showed visceral hypersensitivity which means it is IBS.

After a decade of horrible decline, the psychiatrist told my GP to refer me to a dietician.  My first appointment was a couple of weeks ago - she said she needs another session to assess me, and mentioned ARFID - Avoidant/Restrictive  Food Intake Disorder - which definitely sounds like me.

Yes, I am aware that diazepam is addictive and therefore prescribed only short term, which therefore does not help me.  I have also been prescribed promethazine to try, though that tends to make people drowsier.

Yes, not going outside makes it very difficult to exercise, so my health just deteriorates.

I told a psychotherapist about my anxiety attacks including the time I actually passed out and had to be revived by a team of doctors.  I was in hospital at the time (awaiting a new liver), and when I regained consciousness I found new drips in my arms, and electrodes on my body.  The psychotherapist told me she had 30 years' experience and had never heard of anyone actually passing out from anxiety.  Years later, I was talking to a doctor via 111 about an anxiety attack I was having, and I explained that I felt I was going to pass out, but a psychotherapist had told me that that is impossible, and the doctor told me I was right, that it CAN happen.

My autism diagnosis was not a shock to me.  I suspected it for the last 40 years.  But when I mentioned it to the highly experienced psychotherapist who did not know about the effects of anxiety, she took a quick look at me and told me I am not autistic.

In summary, I have been contacting experienced professionals for decades, I have had lots of conversations over the years with GPs and gastroenterologists and psychiatrists and psychotherapists but my situation continues to deteriorate.  I was just asking a question here to see if any other autistic people experience anxiety differently (but similarly to me), and this was triggered by my latest psychotherapist telling me he is aware that our experiences differ from neurotypical people, but anxiety is still anxiety, it just affects different people in different ways.