Constant indigestion and other issues...anyone had similar?!!

[Xanderboo]

Hi there, just looking for reassurance really - is anyone else having similar issues?! Ive had constant indigestion since end November - lansoprazole started to work around Xmas so I stopped taking it but it came back with a vengeance at new year. Ive had ibs (d) since last year also. I have asked for an endoscopy and colonoscopy but cannot stop myself panicking and thinking I have stomach or bowel cancer or some other cancer. I feel like I go from thinking its ok everythings fine to really believing the worst and panicking about how long I have to wait for the tests and what a waste of time it is in case anything IS really wrong. I cant afford to go private - both procedures together cost over £3k!!!!!!! Aarrgghh!!! It is really doing my head in. Im in tears some of the time as I have two babies and feel helpless that something bad is going to happen that I cant do anything about. Anyone feeling the same?!? Xxx

---------- Post added at 15:08 ---------- Previous post was at 15:01 ----------

Oh and 4 toungue / mouth ulcers in as many weeks!!!

[jillyb]

I am having the same issues and out of my mind with worry. I've tried ranatadine, omeprazole and now esomeprazole, all within 7 weeks. Each seems to work for about 2 days then back to square one. I thought the last ones were the answer, though I still felt a bit nauseous ( pill/ acid/ anxiety?) but the last two days I have had burning sternum and tummy pains, some of which are quite sharp, and bloating. Everyone says it's anxiety but I can't believe it, though I am over the top with anxiety. It's miserable. I am very scared about being referred. Just collecting my OH from hospital on Wednesday put me in a terrible state, in fact my stomach has been awful since. He went for an endoscopy, he's had several, but he is the total opposite to me and doesn't worry at all. I had to go right into the unit and was hyperventilating the whole time! Oh to be like him! I hope you feel better soon x

I expect your mouth ulcers are due to the acid. My mouth is horrid too.

[Cags48]

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked ? ask your doc

[dee_gril]

I had this - mine lasted for months! Constant burping, indigestion, reflux you name it - the more I stressed the worse it got. I tried nexium didn't work which freaked me out even more. Went to see a gastro finally and had an gastroscopy - was mild gastritis with no bacteria. I remember having this three years ago really stressed and it was awful - couldn't even eat, bloated etc and lost so much weight - also had a gastroscopy and also gastritis.

After that this continued but eventually weirdly died down. Now of course I am on to some other thing.

Stress and anxiety can certainly cause digestive issues and if you have something like gastritis it can take forever to go away! take care and eat well.

[harasgenster]

Yeah I had it for seven years. I used to sleep sitting up! The good news is I'm still here and fighting fit :)

Acid just by itself isn't really anything to worry about. You shouldn't stop taking the lansoprazole when the sensations go. You need to stay on the lansoprazole for at least a few months of feeling better before you start to try and come off it. It sounds like you stopped taking it just as it was getting started :)

I've said this on another thread, but if you smoke - stop! After seven years of nothing working, I was surprised to find that quitting smoking solved the problem entirely. Bloody things cause everything!

[Xanderboo]

Thankyou for your replies...it is very reassuring to hear thta others have had the same kind of issues. I've started omeprazole (only yesterday) in the hope that it will stop the constant indigestion and belching (even on an empty stomach). I don't have acid as such, just as I have described. Lets hope that works. In the meantime, I'm going back to the docs to highlihghht my concern...I'm sure they'll offer me citalopram...:) which I have refused so far....but husband so fed up with me now that I might consider it.

I must say that HA is a total nightmare because your thoughts can really run away with you and the more you panic the worse the physical symptoms get. I sympathise wihh every one of you on here. It really sucks. However, on a more positive note, I feel less anxious today than yesterday - because of a better night's sleep and your replies, so THANK YOU x

[jillyb]

I've got a prescription for citalopram too! Psyching myself up to take it as my husband is fed up with me too! Very pill phobic but I'm going to have to try it. I'll follow you with your journey with interest. My indigestion problems also started at the end of November and have been freaking out about since then. X

[Xanderboo]

Cags48 - nope - I might ask the GP if they will do that - do you think that a vitamin D deficiency could be a causal factor?

JillyB - I had a packet of citalopram back in the summer when my anxiety was at its peak (post-natally) and i took one tablet - it freaked me out and I vowed not to go there again which is when I sought out a homeopathist, and was mainlining Bach's rescue remedy!!! Basically, one pill made me feel really freaked / spaced out and even more panicky. I'm sure it was my own mind making it worse but I didn't like it and so I didn't continue. I'm sure others on here will say that I should have persevered but I just felt like I couldn't. I wish you well with your tablets but I havent done a good job of encouraging you...however, I know several peple who have done really well on them and had no side effects at all and it has cured (99%) their HA - which is wonderful. xx

[Edmonton28]

This describes me perfectly as well. I have had indigestion and reflux since the anxiety began, and it has been one of the worst symptoms of it all. The first time, I took Pantaloc for 30 days, and within a week of starting it the reflux was completely gone. When i stopped it cold turkey, it came back way worse than when it started and it took 3 weeks of a severely modified diet to get it under control and back to 90% with no drugs.

Over Xmas it got severe again as my anxiety was super high and I started pantaloc again, this time though it hasn't worked nearly as well. I haven't gotten an endoscopy yet but I did have a (disgusting) barium swallow done and it revealed a sliding type hiatal hernia and some refluxing. Despite knowing that, my anxiety is still high because of the chest pains, weird gas pains, etc, which makes the reflux that much worse.

As I was at my ropes end with this anxiety, i recently started cipralex and I'm hoping that will be able to control the anxiety, which should in turn get rid of the reflux. Despite the hiatal hernia diagnosis, I'm firmly convinced my digestive symptoms are almost entirely brought on by the anxiety.

[Cags48]

Well I had a few of your symptoms and I had vitamin D deficiency and a few other issues but Vitamin D causes a lot of probs I'm on ProD 20,000 now it's worth getting checked only a blood test ........hope you feel better soon

[Brixcx]

ugh I'm in the same boat right now I've been feeling bloated for more than 3 weeks, the bloating was mild until Wednesday when I drank a soda which i think triggered it even more.

[PanicCured]

Hi, I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to see if I could help others still looking for answers. I read somewhere that iberogast and lemon balm can help relieve symptoms of indigestion, bloating, nausea, acid, IBS, etc. associated with anxiety. What happens is in normal response to anxiety your stomach creates more acid, which can cause a whole slew of problems. I haven't tried it myself because I haven't had frequent indigestion for quite some time now. Do some research on iberogast (check spelling) and lemon balm. I hope this helps.