Strange stomach sensations

[ronski]

I wonder if anybody else has ever had the same sensations that I suffer from. The doctors can find no reason for my complaint other than Gerd.

The problem I have is a strange heaviness and firm feeling to the touch in my epigastric region, especially on starting going out for a walk. My legs also feel shaky and weak but improve as i progress along the 3 mile walk that I do daily. There are two or three hills on the walk and after doing the first and second hills things tend to settle and I feel better. My legs then feel relatively normal.

The other sensation I get is a type of what seems like a stomach spasm which can come on in a blink of an eye, cause momentary loss of breath and panic like sensations. It then passes in a few seconds 5 at the most. It starts with a very fast pressure sensation and then proceeds to the spasm. These spasms do not happen when walking only on sitting or lying down.

The only medication that I am on is Lansoprazole, and I do wonder if the sensations are to do with low stomach acidity, poor motility or the tablets themselves. My Gp dismisses any side effects with this medication as another sign of my anxiousness with taking prescription medications as I am drug phobic due to a previous bad experience with another medication.

Any ideas folks as I am at the end of my tether with these very unpleasent sensations, and in some respects they are hindering my progress in completely defeating my anxiety problems. Thanks

[BeltaineInchy]

Hi Ronski. I get similar to both of these.
The first is probably tension; as you burn adrenaline walking then the tension starts to ease. I jog a few days a week and some days I don't feel like I can even jog 100 yards, but after 1/2 mile I'm ok.
The second I think may be ectopic heart beats (lots of info on them on here). They are early heartbeats which leave a gap making it feel like you missed a heartbeat. I often feel them in my stomach region rather than chest. They are completely harmless, just annoying and intrusive, but I often feel them start as a pressure before the skip. I used to get anxious straight afterwards and have momentary loss of breath, but this has eased now I have accepted that it's 'normal' for me to have ectopics.

If your doc isn't worried about either of these I would suggest it's just a couple of common HA issues I'm afraid, just try and ignore them (yes I know it's bloody hard!) lol

Inchy
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[Lindalou64]

I Get Stomache Spasms Quite Frenquently I Was Told It Was Part Of My Anxiety Or Part Of My Ibs...so I Would Say Its Part Of Your Anxiety, Just My Opinion, Wish Ya Well,linda

[ronski]

Thankyou so much for your help. It has helped put my mind at rest somewhat.

[Captain America]

sorry for the late post here. ron i'm starting to think i've gone schizo and am posting as 'ron' while 'captain america' is asleep!

i know exactly what you mean. i walked a mile to a local carnival recently, and my stomach was spasming, and i was getting the heaviness. i got this ALOT when on ppi's for gerd, so much so last year i stopped taking it.

last night i took a prevacid, and had skipped beats when lying down for the first time in a while. also my stomach bloated, and got really firm just above my naval. i do believe that ppi's can cause this. pepcid is an h2 blocker and i don't bloat when i take that.

[Captain America]

oh, and the skipped beats i'm referencing were preceded by stomach spasm too. i'm going to try halving the ppi dosage before giving up on them completely again.

[ronski]

Thankyou Captain America

I used to take pepcid but they eventually caused me problems, then I tried another Ranitidine and ended up in hospital with an irregular heart rhythm. Then put on Omeprazole and after 5 months they caused major aggitation and a host of other unpleasent sensations. After a major return of GERD problems after just taking Gaviscon I was persuaded to take the lowest dose of Lansoprazole which has been the best so far. I am in a catch 22 which is debilitating heartburn causing oesophageal and or gastric inflammation or side effects from the medication. Anyway thankyou for your advice which was very helpfull.
Ron

[nikita]

i get the same pain as you and have it a lot today, do they ever wake you at night?

[ronski]

Hi Nikki

I am sorry that you are having the unpleasent stomach pain and sensations. I sympathise as I know how dreadfull and unpleasent they can be. Since having anxiety my stomach sensations I would rate as the most debilitating and most unsettling even worse than palpitations in my estimation. Palpitations you know come from your heart and are harmless. The sensation from the stomach you are never sure if its stomach or heart especially the sudden spasms as it feels like the start of a heart attack. It obviously isnt as I am still alive and kicking but it is still very unsettling and you never get any answers from the doctors.

No Nikki I never get woken up at night with them but I am on a ppi. The only thing that helped relieve the sensations quickly was Gaviscon Advance 10 mls. Have a word with your doctor or pharmacist if it would be safe for you to take it, it may help you.

All the best
Ron

[Captain America]

yeah, Lansoprazole is prevacid and halving the dosage worked to a point (i open the capsules and sprinkle halves on yogurt. um...don't chew them up i've been told). i still occasionally get a skipped beat here and there but putting up with it because i know what waits for me otherwise. the stomach is getting better but i wish i could find a med that helped with reflux that didn't give me any symptoms. anxiety is bad enough but when you can't eat the food you like it's even worse!