Worried: ongoing stomach issues, can anyone relate?

[bamnesia]

Hello, I've been doing well for a while with my HA but lately had major stressors in my life in the last year, broke up with long term partner, had to sell house, family issues, and major emotional issues with new partner that has me upset nearly every day including job stress. I am just a stress pot. I am sitting here feeling like crying.

I had a nervous breakdown back in 2010 and I am terrified I am going back there again. In the last month I started getting a really funky stomach ... it started with a bowl of hot instant noodles and then the nausea and headache set in. After that, anything I ate caused me to painfully bloat and I am burping all day. It is worse during and after meals and now I can only eat a little and I feel like I need to explode. It can be a drink of water, a banana, anything and I'm burping and I know I'm not excessively swallowing air. To make things worse, I had my wisdoms out and was put on antibiotics for five days ... then I went to see a GP about my tummy issues and he thinks it is IBS / gastritis / reflux - which pretty much sounds to me like he doesn't know what it is. I was put on ppis. This is my second week on them and symptoms seem to be getting worse. I am burping A LOT more, I ate a banana this morning and I haven't stopped burping. I tried lunch and I bloated up and felt like I couldn't breathe and then I got panicky. This has gone on for almost a month and I'm worried it's serious. I am trying not to get anxious because if it is gastritis I read that it can take a long time to heal ... but I'm scared because why isn't it getting better but feels worse?

My new partner is a doctor and I just went for some blood tests this morning and a breath test for the h.pylori bacteria (which i was told would most likely be negative since I am on PPIs). If I don't feel any better, suggested I go on the triple therapy anyway to kill bacteria which I may or may not have. I have had enough of antibiotics, they have screwed up my internals but I'm not getting better. I cried so much last night because I feel terrible and I am scared and I think about it all the time.

Also I don't want to end up where I was in 2010 where I was having panic attacks everyday and could hardly function with a multitude of strange symptoms. As it is, I am now highly anxious, have headaches, sore neck and tense shoulders. Just needed some comfort as I really don't want to appear like a weak weird individual to my partner I keep feeling like I need to be strong. Anyone has had similar tummy issues that lasted this long? Help !

[JustJules]

Hi Bamnesia,

I've had all your symptoms but I can assure you, they are all stress related and the stomach is the 'seat of our emotions' and that's why it plays up so much when we're stressed. Yes, the antibiotics will have upset it, as they do mine. When mine got like that, I drank loads of peppermint tea, which really does help with the bloated feeling, especially after any food. Just keep eating little and often and try to ignore the horrid bloating feeling as the tension is making it worse. Try lying down and gently massaging your tummy in a clockwise motion as that also helps and honestly, if you can de-stress in any way that helps you personally, it will all start to settle down. I always found a warm bath helpful too. I know what you're going through, it's horrible but it will pass, I promise.

Juliex

[bamnesia]

Hi Julie

Thank you so much for responding. It's so nice when someone does ... I'm sorry you've had these symptoms too they are really very uncomfortable. It's not just the horrible painful bloating, it's the terrible burping. I'm a machine, even when my stomach is empty. I am hoping you are right as whenever I start to bloat ... or even burp I try and think I can control it or suppress it. Of course i can't suppress the burps and I just get so stressed about it. I just need to stop thinking about it ... and I'm even worried about my blood test results (I went and had my bloods drawn today) and I'm just afraid. I am also mostly angry and frustrated with myself that I can't get out of this. I can't even barely do anything at work I am so distracted and constantly trying to find answers about how I'm feeling.

I had a warm shower and I found it calms me a little. I am so grateful that you have taken the time to respond. With health anxiety I feel so alone, and I don't want my new partner to think I am a freak either. I already feel like I am one. I'm thinking of going on meds but then again I'm afraid of what effects they may have on me. I think I'm going to have a dose of lexotan tonight and just destress a little bit ... I haven't popped a pill to manage my anxiety since 2010 and I'm reluctant to go there but this is driving me nuts. To top it off I have had my viral infection / cold for more than a week and I'm wondering what the hell is wrong with my immune system and nothing seems to clear! :(

Hugs.

[honeyp1e]

My stomach has been bonkers for over a week now feels as if something is stuck just below ribs plus all bubbling I feel I need a big burp or trump an I will feel ok but nothing comes out :( my doc said just ibs but my mind thinks other wise :(

[bamnesia]

Hi honeyp1e ... sounds like trap gas or something? Have you tried some OTC anti-gas medication? I don't have trouble burping but I find rubbing my tummy like Julie suggested gets the gas moving around a bit and helps. I've been suffering for about four weeks now, doc thinks gastritis / ibs / reflux ... but like you my mind won't let up.

[honeyp1e]

hi bamnesia i do have rennie deflatine havent took many.. i dnt usually have a problem burping but lately it just dnt seem to come out much :( its settled down to wot is was y the mind working iver time xx esterday just

[bamnesia]

I'm still here, still having tummy upset. I finally got an appointment with GI doctor next Friday. I'm terrified they are going to want to do another scope. The last time I had a scope in 2010 I was so stressed I cried all the way to the centre.

I really hope this gets better, and I miss eating without feeling stressed about feeling bloated, my stomach turning and having to burp. ALmost five weeks now and already on 40MG ppis for just over 3 weeks. I am so upset by this.

[cokesmyth5]

I too have huge amounts of gas plus constipation/ sometimes diarrhoea when anxious - more and more research is finding a strong connection between our emotional state and how our digestive system is behaving. I tried 2 things: ibsnetwork.org which is a good website for advice and support and acupuncture. The latter has made a big difference. I was advised to minimize dairy, wheat and sugar. I had heard this before but never was brave enough to try it. Now I have and that's been a huge help. Good luck!

[bamnesia]

well now it's been more than a month since I first posted about this. I'm still suffering from burping, bloating pain sometimes. It's hard not to feel sorry for myself and I'm currently depressed because of it.

I saw a GI doctor 2 / 3 weeks ago and she didn't seem to concerned. I have come off my PPIs now since I was on them for 5 weeks and they didn't seem to do anything. I have a gastroscopy on Monday. I am so terrified that it's going to be something bad, I'm not too worried about the procedure as I had it down 3 years ago (they found chronic gastritis back than and a bit of reflux) ... I felt better after that gastroscopy when I realised it was nothing much.

I'm just scared as to what it could be this time. I just want to feel normal and it's hard when you're scared and depressed - and waiting for the gastroscopy is just upping my anxiety levels as well :(

[eastofeden]

I have h pylori, had it for a year now, antibiotics do nothing and it's miserable! and scary since my great grandma had this for years (before it was discovered!) and it made her so ill :( stay away from antibiotics unless absolutely necessary - they do more harm than good imo and are over prescribed to people who don't need them.

take probiotic pills - they make my stomach so much flatter the next day! and they feel really good for your system especially if it's upset. stress makes tummy issues much worse.

ps i envy you having a doctor as a partner! haha. i hope soon i will have one too so i can drive him mad with my many endless ailments :D

[bamnesia]

I don't know if I have H.Pylori. When I had my gastroscopy in 2010 it was negative but the GI doctor treated me for it anyway. I felt better after the horrible antibiotics treatment, but don't know if it was because I was less stressed about it.

This time round I had a breath test for h pylori but it was negative (but could be false negative because of the PPIs I was on). I don't know what it is and if it's not the bacteria then what could it be? My mind goes crazy :(

[Cags48]

I get lots of wind and my poo as been flat a few times driven my self mad with worry it's not flat all the time just
Now and again I did doctor google and now I'm convinced I have cancer :(