Constant Stomach Problems

[Mark1974]

This has been happening on and off for years, but this is the first time I've had sustained discomfort like this (9 weeks now, every other day at least).

Stomach turning over, regardless of what I've eaten (almost to the point I'm afraid to eat in case it causes me problems - I've not lost my appetite just got a fear of eating), occasional heartburn (I've got hiatus hernia so this is to be expected) - erratic stools (one day rock hard, the next day a bit softer, the next day full of undigested food - mainly vegetables - the next day half and half shades of brown etc).

I don't know what to do next with this - went to Doctors on 25th November, and put on a month's supply of Esomeprazole (I had been taking 20mg x 2 of Omeprazole before that, for months and years) - this stopped burning in my stomach but appears to have brought on belching on a grand scale (literally every few minutes - although this seems to have abated now I've finished the course (last one taken on Monday). No sickness apart from a couple of weeks back, but I can blame myself for that as I put it down to over-excess on junk food and beer (I'm not normally a junk food eater, nor prolific consumer of alcohol, maybe three or four pints a month if that).

Anyone else suffer from this? I've got a follow-up with the Doctors on the 9th (on the previous visit we went through my records, and I'd had a camera down the throat to the stomach back in July 2018, and she said it was unlikely anything nasty would have developed in 18 months and not to worry, yet I still am to a degree as its ruining my quality of life, I've spent most of today moping about)

[Beckybecks]

Sounds like IBS triggered by poor food choices and aggravated by anxiety. Sometimes it can be triggered by a course of antibiotics even.
Try watching what you eat for a while. Google FODMAP.
Address your anxiety problem. CBT helps.
Take a good probiotic.
Try taking a digestive enzyme with your meal.
From experience I find when I take control the symptoms ease off.
Alot of IBS symptoms are due solely to anxiety.

[Mark1974]

Thanks for the reply - I've just come off a 12-week CBT so am doing a lot better in that regard than before.

So I went for my follow-up yesterday - back on the Omeprazole twice a day now. She said it was most likely reflux related but did have a prod about at my abdomen and said everything felt normal. I did have some blood taken for H-Pylori though, she said some of my symptoms are the same as having that, will have to wait a week for any results.

I've discovered however that milk no longer agrees with me (does anyone else find that food that caused no problems for an entire lifetime all of a sudden do?!). A week of lactose free and some of this has gone away. A bit troubled this afternoon though, as when I went to pass my stool it was half pea green which has never happened before.

[Mark1974]

Now I've got constant hunger pangs, even after eating - stomach rumbling even though I don't need to eat what is going on?!

[Pkstracy]

I am having the exact same things you are, I am guessing IBS for both of us.

[PanickyGuy]

Now I've got constant hunger pangs, even after eating - stomach rumbling even though I don't need to eat what is going on?!

If you're still taking 40mg of omeprazole every day it may have that kind of side effect on your digestive system. As it can also cause bowel changes, undigested food, changes in stool color because it's reducing the acid in your stomach. Talk to a pharmacist about it. The can give you more details.

[Mrschurchill]

This has been happening on and off for years, but this is the first time I've had sustained discomfort like this (9 weeks now, every other day at least).

Stomach turning over, regardless of what I've eaten (almost to the point I'm afraid to eat in case it causes me problems - I've not lost my appetite just got a fear of eating), occasional heartburn (I've got hiatus hernia so this is to be expected) - erratic stools (one day rock hard, the next day a bit softer, the next day full of undigested food - mainly vegetables - the next day half and half shades of brown etc).

I don't know what to do next with this - went to Doctors on 25th November, and put on a month's supply of Esomeprazole (I had been taking 20mg x 2 of Omeprazole before that, for months and years) - this stopped burning in my stomach but appears to have brought on belching on a grand scale (literally every few minutes - although this seems to have abated now I've finished the course (last one taken on Monday). No sickness apart from a couple of weeks back, but I can blame myself for that as I put it down to over-excess on junk food and beer (I'm not normally a junk food eater, nor prolific consumer of alcohol, maybe three or four pints a month if that).

Anyone else suffer from this? I've got a follow-up with the Doctors on the 9th (on the previous visit we went through my records, and I'd had a camera down the throat to the stomach back in July 2018, and she said it was unlikely anything nasty would have developed in 18 months and not to worry, yet I still am to a degree as its ruining my quality of life, I've spent most of today moping about)

This sounds exactly like me! Since last December (2 weeks after a course of antibiotics) my stomach problems started. Horrible gas pains, noises, nausea, wind, bloating etc.

I haven’t actually seen a doctor about it as too scared to, assume it’s IBS as comes and goes every few weeks! It’s horrible

[Beckybecks]

In my experience (I've had IBS on and off for many years) a flare-up is normally brought on by a stomach bug, antibiotics or poor eating habits. The flare-up is then exacerbated by anxiety. If one has Health Anxiety as I do, we worry about the symptoms caused by IBS which then leads to more symptoms and more anxiety. We get caught in a loop and only break that loop by confirmation by a doctor that there's nothing else wrong and it is indeed IBS.
The time that the flare-up lasts really depends on how we manage our anxiety. But I find that during a flare-up my tummy becomes rather fragile so I stick to very bland foods for a while. The FODMAP eating plan is very good but only for a couple of weeks.