View Full Version : Indigestion? Fearing Stomach cancer...
Hello all,
Here's a new one for me, worries about stomach or pancreatic cancer.
I tend to have my "favorite" (ha!) diseases to be worried about, but this one hit me out of left field. I started having some stomach pains in the upper left side last week along with lots of gas and bloating. I started poking around and swore I could feel some sort of mass or maybe it was just harder in general on the left side than the right side. Now I'm obsessively poking and proding (much like I used to do with breast cancer screening) and generally making myself even more sore. :wacko:
AND as the extra trigger to fuel my anxiety I'm sitting at home last Tuesday and a commercial comes on for Moffit Cancer Center about some guy who got Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. REALLY?!?!? That was the final straw.
I've been debating about going to the doctor but it's only been about 4 days of on and off discomfort. My hubby poked around and said he can't feel anything and I'd be crazy to go to the doctor (of course). He's practically a saint having put up with my mess for 17 years now. :scared15:
Anyway - anyone dealt with similar fears and how did you handle them? I'll probably head to the doctor if it keeps up through next week (I try to give myself 2 weeks before I make an appointment to avoid running off to the doctor every time I feel something new). I'm definitely avoiding google!
Scared2bme
20-03-17, 15:27
I'm going through this now with my stomach. Slight nausea. Avoiding food. Not wanting to eat. Terribly bloated. Lots of burping. Some pain. Ugh I'm scared of everything. Ovarian, stomach, etc. I'm on meds and in therapy and am obviously having a relapse. I will be curious to hear the responses. Logically I know anxiety can cause stomach issues. But we both know HA isn't logical unfortunately. Poking and prodding will always get you in trouble. You're prob feeling something normal in your body that you are just not aware of. I hope you feel better
*** Merging with new thread I started...apparently NOT a new fear for me, LOL! It's so creepy to see your self from a year ago worried about the exact same thing that you thought was new!***
OK - so this is a new fear for me.
I've been having some pains in my upper stomach on and off for a few weeks now (not sure how long exactly), sort of a bloated feeling and some minor pain in my back as well. No other symptoms.
I've been under an incredible amount of stress and had chalked it up to indigestion and too much carrying around my kiddos leaving my muscles sore. Playing on the slip and slide last weekend probably didn't help either.
It dosen't seem to be getting better, so I'm starting to panic about it. Of course my mind immediately went to cancer of some type - stomach or pancreas. I've now done the dreaded Google and found people my age (36) that got diagnosed (of course), so now I am really panicked.
I know that it's not a bad thing to go get checked out considering, but I've already jumped to the conclusion that if they don't do a bunch of tests they are wrong OR that it's already cancer and I'm doomed.
I did have an ultrasound of my abdomen last year for an unrelated thing that's gone away and everything was normal.
I can't believe I'm so terrified again...this stinks. :( I had been doing so well with my HA, but when something happens I spiral down again. I can manage the "healthy" times but not the times when something is going on I guess.
---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:04 ----------
So in addition to apparently having this pain last year, I got an ultrasound in June last year that said my pancreas was normal.
Surely PC doesn't grow that fast?? I've heard it's very slow growing
paranoid-viking
20-04-18, 21:31
---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:04 ----------
[/COLOR]So in addition to apparently having this pain last year, I got an ultrasound in June last year that said my pancreas was normal.
Surely PC doesn't grow that fast?? I've heard it's very slow growing
You heard? I heard the oposite. What scaremongering propaganda from Google Institute of Medicine told you that?
Some scaremongering sites have stories about people with symptoms that came and went for many years but ALL of the stories I heard from real life tells me that the when the symptoms come it is at terminal stage and that the victim wont have much time left; maybe weeks. So I question theese stories.
And remember, getting PC at your age is extremely uncommon. Of course the scaremongerers love to bring up young people who had it; I even seen unconsiderate people on this message board who just had to bring up a story they read about a young person with this death cancer; which is very harmful and should not be posted on a forum for people with health anxiety. After all, such stories are not much more common than stories of young people i their 20s with Alzheimer.
Remember that the symptoms you describe are common, pancreatic cancer is not.
---------- Post added at 22:31 ---------- Previous post was at 22:29 ----------
I'm going through this now with my stomach. Slight nausea. Avoiding food. Not wanting to eat. Terribly bloated. Lots of burping. Some pain. Ugh I'm scared of everything. Ovarian, stomach, etc. I'm on meds and in therapy and am obviously having a relapse. I will be curious to hear the responses. Logically I know anxiety can cause stomach issues. But we both know HA isn't logical unfortunately. Poking and prodding will always get you in trouble. You're prob feeling something normal in your body that you are just not aware of. I hope you feel better
These are very common IBS symptoms. IBS is common, pancreatic cancer is not. Stop googling. I have googled myself into the rabbot hole and it does me no good anyway.
It's more like, by the time you get symptoms it's hard to treat, but the tumor takes forever to grow (mostly symptomless). I've heard 6-11 years before you get symptoms which of course it's likely spread by then.
Since I had a normal ultrasound last year I'm trying to consider that the likelihood of things exploding to the symptom level in a year is low and that small still symptomless tumors would have been detected on last years ultrasound.
I'm having a really hard time controlling this spiral....
I managed to postpone my doctors appt that was supposed to be yesterday to late next week. Yes, I called and actually asked for a later appointment in hopes that my symptoms would be under control by then and/or gone. I couldn't bring myself to full on cancel it, but at least I took a small step.
For the past few days I've been getting really bad indigestion, sort of like when you eat too much and your stomach just feels full and bloated. I wouldn't describe it as painful, just uncomfortable. The more I think about it and focus on it of course the worse it gets. I've felt like this many times in my life, although maybe not all day. Tends to get worse when I am upset or have a nervous stomach of course.
OF COURSE I did the deadly Dr. Google that says indigestion is definitely a sign of pancreatic cancer. ARGH. Now I feel like I should just start updating my will.
I'm looking for small shreads of reassurance here to break me out of this. I:
1) Do not have any changes in bowels
2) Do not have fatigue, tiredness, etc.
3) Do not have nausea or vomiting, just bloated feeling
4) Do not have jaundice/yellowing
5) Otherwise feel generally fine
If you read anywhere on the Internet you'll find people who said that they had nothing and BOOM, had PC. Other people said they felt like they were at death's door. Some said they just had pain. Others said their CT showed nothing wrong, then another one like a month later showed PC. Tests are good, tests show nothing, blah blah blah. The Internet really should just go away.
Anyway, if I'm not able to break out of this cycle I'm basically going to march into my GI next week and flat out say "I feel like this and I think I have that." and see what he says. He might laugh (I hope). I've never taken that approach, but something inside me still knows that all this is super silly and that it's just going to disappear one of these days and I'll be back to my normal. Likely right after I march into the doctor's office and make a fool of myself (I hope). Or maybe after some tests (I hope not, I really don't want to go through all that again unnecessarily).
I was checked out in June of last year to include an abdominal ultrasound and everything was normal/ok. I'm hanging on to that until I get to the doctor's next week. :weep:
Hi all,
I had a long stent with lower bowel issues last summer that eventually cleared up (magically!) but had me fearing colon cancer at every turn. It was madness.
Now I'm having something that I normally have only sporadically. I'm getting a lot of upper stomach fullness/tightness and bloating - almost like indigestion or like you've eaten a big meal. I sometimes get this with anxiety and I have been super stressed at work, but it's weird that it's gone on almost solidly for about 4 days now. The more I think about it of course the more it bothers me. I have the tiniest bit of heartburn and of course I haven't really been hungry at all.
Now I'm fearing pancreatic cancer or stomach cancer. I'm having some back pains on that left side but that might be from a pulled muscle - not sure. Otherwise I feel fine, not tired and everything else is normal. Pancreatic cancer scares me since it's such a silent disease and doesn't cause many symptoms at all when it starts. I'm really hoping this is just anxiety and will go away after this big deadline next week. It's hard to focus when all I can think about is DOOM. I have a GI appt next week.
Anyone else get stomach fullness/bloating with anxiety?
Hi
I've had lower left bowel ache for 3 months now. put myself into a right panic
About 2 months in I started getting bloating across the top (just under my ribs) constant bloating/swelling..I thought it was due to some grapes but it didn't seem to ease off much. It also moved to my back, between my shoulder blades (this was when I was convinced my bowel cancer had spread to my liver..or done something to my gallbladder)
What I found is when I experienced another symptom to focus my attention on (in my case it was my new found headache) the bloating and things seem to disappear
I had my colonoscopy this afternoon. I've been panicking it about none stop for a few days. I've still had the occasional back ache but my bloating seems to have magically vanished once I turned my mind to something else! ..so yes I would say you definetly can, I don't know how but..I certainly did.
Anxietyslayer
25-04-18, 21:59
I had the exact symptoms last year. They were relentless and I thought there had to be something physically wrong. I had bloating, random pains, hunger feeling, acid etc etc. I went on an anti depression medicine and everything went away as far as those symptoms. It was all anxiety!
I had the exact symptoms last year. They were relentless and I thought there had to be something physically wrong. I had bloating, random pains, hunger feeling, acid etc etc. I went on an anti depression medicine and everything went away as far as those symptoms. It was all anxiety!
Thank you! I feel like I'm going nuts because I'm having all these symptoms at the same time. I can't tell if I'm hungry, not hungry, stuffed, have heartburn, etc. etc. It's like my stomach is just as confused as I am.
I'm not quite ready to resort to medicine, but I'm going to work on my anxiety and see if I can help the symptoms improve. Not quite ready to give up my GI appt next week but with any luck I can get things to improve with self (mental) care.
I just know if I go there he'll order a bunch of tests just to be safe that won't show anything. It's such a waste of money/time and stresses me out just to find out nothing was wrong. Went through that last year and I def don't want to do it again. Maybe I'll just march in there and tell him what I'm feeling and what I'm scared of and he can either reassure me, order tests, or tell me I'm nuts. :roflmao::roflmao:
Hi all,
I've been experiencing weird stomach issues for a few weeks now, starting about the time stress at work went crazy. I've had this happen before, but this time it appears to be focused on my upper stomach and not my bowels (where I normally see the results of stress).
I've been having the following:
Stomach bloating
Stomach "fullness", like I just ate too much
Mild "pain", more like just an uncomfortable feeling
Some back pain on the left side, very mild and not constant
Some nausea/loss of appetite
Lots of burping/air
Basically my stomach is just sort of a mess. I've never had anything like ulcers or gastritis to my knowledge. I'm 36.
Of course I'm jumping to the WORST conclusions like stomach or pancreatic cancer. Just ask my hubby about that one.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to settle a nervous stomach?
I was proud of myself the other day when I cancelled my gastro appt, but now I'm doubting myself again. Didn't want to get all sorts of unnecessary tests this time and figured it would go away eventually.
So far it's been on and off for about 4 weeks. Of course the longer it goes on the more my imagination runs away with it...
AnxiousinCali
15-05-18, 16:46
I really feel for you. My stomach/bowels had been off for months, and it compounded my panic. I hadn't ever had anything investigated before so I had a colonoscopy yesterday mostly to check for colitis (although, in my mind, I diagnosed myself with far worse and even some completely made up conditions). Was given the all clear right after (although I am still waiting for the minor biopsies report).
In my case, it was worth going to the doctor just because it had gotten really bad and the symptoms were new. Had I gone even earlier, I could have gotten some meds that would have helped calm this symptom down before the crazy train left the station. Do you have something you can take to calm your stomach at least? Do you have anything that can help you with stress?
Other than that, I'd just reallllllly take it easy whenever you can. Lots of rest, restful exercise, relaxation techniques, calming strategies, etc. I decided to try to combat my initial anxiety by accidentally flooding myself with more triggers. Not a great idea, and now I know.
good luck!
nomorepanic
15-05-18, 16:55
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.
This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.
Please also read this post:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239
Bittersweet05
17-05-18, 20:51
Maybe you have gastritis. I had same symptoms 2 weeks ago. I was throwing up. Dr said gastritis. I felt terrible. I believe mine came from stress taking too much advil and drinking to calm down. Gave me nexium. Worked. Stomach so much better. Hope you feel better soon.
Is there a time of day when it’s worse at all? Have you tried any indigestion remedies?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would say it's definitely somewhat worse at night before bed, but that's also when my stress is at its worst too with the kids and hubby being home and the bedtime madness.
What are some indigestion remedies? I've tried tums and they sort of helped, yesterday I ate smaller meals and that helped too. Obviously no caffiene or alcohol.
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.
Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.
It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.
Also look at this thread you started regarding re assurance seeking, perhaps it will help. http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213500
Elen
Hello all,
I've had feelings of indigestion for about 2 weeks now on and off. Mostly it presents as lots of burping, bloatedness, and a feeling of fullness like I just ate too much, some extra tummy gas as well. No real nausea but it certainly turns off my appetite obviously.
So far I've found that eating smaller meals has helped, it's not heartburn or reflux so no pain or burning. I can't find any medicines that help with it as most are geared towards acid indigestion.
My biggest fear is that this is a sign of stomach cancer or pancreatic cancer. :( I'm 36 with no family history or previous stomach problems. I remember feeling like this sometimes when I eat too fast or am really busy right after I eat and don't take time to digest. It's just weird that it's gone on so steadily for a couple weeks now. I have been really stressed at work, but I'd have to say this is a new stress reaction for me if it is related.
Anyone had this problem before? How did you treat it?
I'm getting checked out at the gastro next Monday btw.
Resurrecting this thread...
So I went to the gastro and he said he wasn't worried about anything, but referred me for an abdominal ultrasound and recommended I try the FODMAP diet. He might also put me on acid reducers but then sent me on my way without any for now.
He did ask the dreaded stomach C question, if I had any family history, and I said no which is correct. It made me nervous that he asked about it though. I didn't even want that to be part of his thought path!
Anyway, that was about 3 weeks ago now and I have my ultrasound this Saturday and follow up next week with gastro. I am SUPER NERVOUS. My stomach has not felt right for almost 2 months now - bloating, indigestion, crampy feelings, loose stools, some very mild pains, and just a "yuck" feeling.
It's not constant and hasn't gotten any worse yet, so I'm clinging to that and hoping that it's just anxiety or IBS. I wish it would go away entirely, but so far nothing I've done has really helped.
Except try to reduce my stress - which never happens for too long! I've noticed when I really focus on something else (REALLY focus, it's hard) I can get the symptoms to go away. The problem is I can never do that for very long so they just come back as soon as I think about it again. So then I feel like it was still there, I just wasn't paying attention at the moment. Argh. I'm so scared!
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.
Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.
It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.
Plus please revisit this previous post you made http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213500
Elen
Well here's something that might be useful for some people here:
https://www.iffgd.org/upper-gi-disorders/dyspepsia
Apparently "Functional Dyspepsia" is a thing and just basically means "you don't digest food correctly". :(
Could certainly be related to the anxious stomach I often get and see described on here.
I'm getting examined by my GI doc currently, but this does explain a lot of what I might be feeling and makes more sense than jumping to Stomach Cancer or Pancreatic Cancer in my case.
Hi all,
I've been experiencing weird stomach issues for a few weeks now, starting about the time stress at work went crazy. I've had this happen before, but this time it appears to be focused on my upper stomach and not my bowels (where I normally see the results of stress).
I've been having the following:
Stomach bloating
Stomach "fullness", like I just ate too much
Mild "pain", more like just an uncomfortable feeling
Some back pain on the left side, very mild and not constant
Some nausea/loss of appetite
Lots of burping/air
Basically my stomach is just sort of a mess. I've never had anything like ulcers or gastritis to my knowledge. I'm 36.
Of course I'm jumping to the WORST conclusions like stomach or pancreatic cancer. Just ask my hubby about that one.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to settle a nervous stomach?
I was proud of myself the other day when I cancelled my gastro appt, but now I'm doubting myself again. Didn't want to get all sorts of unnecessary tests this time and figured it would go away eventually.
So far it's been on and off for about 4 weeks. Of course the longer it goes on the more my imagination runs away with it...
Sounds word for word like what I've been going through. Mine keeps going from my stomach to my bowels. Somedays I get the stuff you've described and other days I get it lower down / bowel issues. I've got a few more tests to go through yet but my doctor is adamant it's IBS.
I actually saw my doctor today and I was told that IBS can really amplify or indirectly cause anxious thoughts and thought hypersensitivity.
I hope you get better soon I know how wearing it can be.
Thanks kalny!
With any luck I'll get the all clear next week and can focus on avoiding more testing for this issue and try to resolve the mental things underlying it.
At least I tell myself that...
Currently I am just super super nervous about the testing itself! :(
Thanks kalny!
With any luck I'll get the all clear next week and can focus on avoiding more testing for this issue and try to resolve the mental things underlying it.
At least I tell myself that...
Currently I am just super super nervous about the testing itself! :(
Let us know how you get on!
I hope you feel better soon.
My doctor told me to try peppermint oil and (I don't want to jinx it) it seems to have a positive effect at the minute. Does the nausea go away if you eat something?
Ultrasound went well yesterday. Doc is supposed to have results on Monday and then my follow up is the 5th. I was pretty positive about everything yesterday and my symptoms were either very mild or non existent. Of course today my anxiety is a lot higher and I'm fearing the results so I'm panicking and symptoms are back.
Massive indigestion and feel like I'm going to be sick - I just had breakfast and it's sitting like a rock in my stomach. I hope this is just my nervousness. :( if it was cancer I don't know why my symptoms would come and go.
Ultrasound yesterday also doesn't look at the stomach so I'm not feeling too confident right now. ��
---------- Post added at 10:31 ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 ----------
Annnnd I just designed to read a bunch of blog posts of people who got stomach cancer in their 30s. Why brain why!!!!!???
Now I am terrified again and ready to demand scope on Thursday....
So I spoke with my Gastro again and he said the ultrasound was negative (no abnormal results). I don't think he was quite sure what to do with me at that point, but since we did loads of testing last year to rule out other things he wasn't really keen to start down that road again.
I told him my fears about stomach cancer and he dismissed them, didn't offer a scope as he felt it wasn't needed. Of course now I'm worried he's blowing me off and dismissing something serious.
That was sort of the end of the road with him. He did offer a stomach emptying test but didn't even schedule a follow up visit.
My HA is telling me to run to another doc for another opinion and hopefully more testing, but I did that last year too and nothing came of it. Just more cash out of the wallet.
Stomach has been way worse over the week so far - now my bowels are a mess too. I'm pretty sure stomach cancer doesn't cause diarrhea. I just got back from an entirely stressful work trip and my bowels got messed up on the last day. Cramps and the whole lot.
I'm biting the bullet today and scheduling my first appointment with a counselor. I'm so sick of this.
I am having SUCH similar abdominal symptoms to you. And also jumping to the same wild conclusions of course!
But yay to you: you are booking an appointment with a therapist- NOT another GI doctor (because you know, deep down, your symptoms are anxiety based)
I am having SUCH similar abdominal symptoms to you. And also jumping to the same wild conclusions of course!
But yay to you: you are booking an appointment with a therapist- NOT another GI doctor (because you know, deep down, your symptoms are anxiety based)
Thanks jojo! It's so hard to stay focused on the fact that doctor's have found nothing wrong so far and not worrying about the worst case scenario.
I really hope the therapist can help me re-direct my thinking - it's such a habit now. :(
Oh my goodness I hear you. SUCH a habit. For me I think the habit has been a lifetime in the making. As a child a headache was a brain tumour and a cough was lung cancer. When I realise this I feel a little despondent: is it really possible to rewire a brain after so long (I’m 41 now). Sorry- that sounds really pessimistic!! Such good luck with the therapy. Positive steps!:hugs:
I’m in this boat right now. We had big news to tell our family and on the 20th I started feeling like this and feeling like something was off. We pulled the plug on our big news and I thought I’d feel better. I only had relief on Wednesday this past week. I, like you, don’t have much pain, but the fullness feeling and loss of appetite is spot on. Burping provides some relief for that moment. No vomiting. My bowls are what I would call my “typically IBS bowels.” I’ve had IBS since 2013 after gallbladder removal. I feel like I’ve felt like this before in 2015, but I truly don’t know if I had the food aversion that I currently do. Like you, I’m so afraid it’s something serious. In 2015 when I had my second bout of pancreatitis (absolutely without a doubt knew it was pancreatitis and went straight to the urgent care, I don’t feel like that this time) I went for all kinds of testing. Everything came back clear then. I believe I had to just calm down and let my mind be distracted by something else. I had a frightful time in June and from the day I received the all clear I have been okay. Until now. So just at a month? It was a glorious month and I hope to have more like that in my future. We will get there ktdid!
WiseMonkey
30-07-18, 00:53
Thank you! I feel like I'm going nuts because I'm having all these symptoms at the same time. I can't tell if I'm hungry, not hungry, stuffed, have heartburn, etc. etc. It's like my stomach is just as confused as I am.
I'm not quite ready to resort to medicine, but I'm going to work on my anxiety and see if I can help the symptoms improve. Not quite ready to give up my GI appt next week but with any luck I can get things to improve with self (mental) care.
If you've had the symptoms for a while, it may be a wise choice to see your Dr and start on some med for your indigestion ie Zantac or PPI, as it may be an ulcer. Have you had a test for Helicobacter Pylori, which is a bacteria which get's into the gut and can cause an ulcer? There are meds to eradicate this and an ulcer. Just a thought here.
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