Freaking out about weeks of stomach pain

[Krypt0night]

A few weeks ago, I was dealing with quite a bit of constipation. I had already been taking fiber regularly to help bowel movements for my hemorrhoids and then my doctor also had me take Prilosec and probiotics. I had taken all of these separately before, but not all at once. Well, the constipation ultimately left (I think it was diet related), but it left something a bit worse behind.

In the last two weeks it HAS lessened, but the pain is still there. The pain localizes around the belly button, more often below and above and sometimes to the side now and again. When the pain does hit, it is SHARP and when it first started, it was definitely an 8/10 on the pain scale. I've had a hard time pinpointing what makes it better and what makes it worse, but I have stopped taking everything my doctor had me on in the hopes that it would help. I'm not sure if that's why the pain is less now, but it definitely hasn't gone away. I'm extremely worried that it's something far worse.

I have no idea if it's related, but I've also been dealing with a lot more acid reflux (something I had issues with before when I had H. Pylori earlier this year) as well as a strong heartbeat in my stomach when lying down at night. What's related and what's not, I don't know, but I'm freaking out that it is something worse with my intestines or some sort of cancer or what not.

[Hopefulmi]

I havr had similar issues with stomach problems and back pains. We are probably wprrying for nothing but wanted to give my support.

[blondielady]

What does your diet look like? I used to have a lot of constipation but I also didn't eat great. I do a lot better if I'm eating a lot of natural foods and not too much milk. Milk binds a lot of people up and can cause stomach issues.

Another thing that helps heartburn is apple cider vinegar or pickle juice. You can google the health benefits of apple cider vinegar and take just a spoonful a day for some benefits. The only thing is it needs to be the kind that is like Mrs. Braggs kind with "the mother" in it.

I personally prefer eating a dill pickle if i'm having stomach or heartburn issues. Pickle juice is nasty on its own (IMO) so I just have the pickle with the juice in it. It works better than tums. My doctor once put me on prilosec and it gave me dry mouth and I swear that crap gave me a fever and tachycardia (doctor says that was my anxiety and not the meds, but whatever it was I refused to take any more of that stuff). Anyway, the natural remedies seem to work pretty well for me.

[Krypt0night]

Well my diet at the time of my constipation was the "keto" diet so it was a lot of meats, cheeses, and then veggies like lettuce/green beans/etc. For the last week since I was visiting family, I wasn't doing this diet and the constipation had left, but the bowel movement themselves still aren't perfect. I will say at least that I'm not having heartburn, just acid reflux that I feel in the stomach and an acidy feeling in my throat. It's mainly the daily pain that is worrying me since there are a lot of organs/tubes down there.

[wnsos]

Oh man not to jump in but I was on keto too! I was on for about a year and a half when I started to worry/have bowel changes. I've been off it since to get my constipation out of the way and I need to get back on it cause I've gained weight again but have worried myself away from it. I just thought it was strange since we both were on the same diet and had similar things happen.

[Krypt0night]

I have no idea if it was the keto that started this all (though I have a feeling it at least caused the constipation). I just don't know if this current stomach pain is related whatsoever or if it's just coincidence.

[wnsos]

It could definitely be coincidence, just never really ran into anyone else that did keto! I know your bathroom habits can change on it but I never even thought about it til this summer. Oh health anxiety the things you do.

[Krypt0night]

I have an appointment tomorrow with a gastroenterologist so I'm hoping that they can run some tests tomorrow and I won't have to wait to make another appointment for some sort of procedure. I'm extremely worried, but this is the only thing I can do right now.

[Krypt0night]

I had my appointment and he's having me go a month without taking tums/prilosec/pepto etc. so that I can do a breath test for H pylori. If the pain gets worse before then, he wants to do an endoscopy though. Here's to hoping the pain goes away for good.