Back again! Constant Acid Reflux and stomach discomfort

[LDHarv]

Hello all,

I was on this forum a few months ago (with an unrelated health issue and health anxiety) and I found you to be a great bunch of people who really helped me out of a dark place. I’m hoping you can reassure me and stop me from going back to that very health anxiety related dark place.

About three years ago I ended up getting 24/7 acid reflux - it was horrible, I felt bloated all the time, my lower back hurt, I felt sick, burped a lot, had heartburn and didn’t want to eat really. This was when the very first really bad bout of health anxiety kicked in and I started to obsess about pancreatic cancer. I was put on Omeprazole. After a few weeks the symptoms went away and I forgot about all my worries and moved on.

Over the past few years I’ve had few more incidences of bad acid reflux, I wouldn’t worry, start taking Omeprazole again and it would go after a few weeks. This time is different.

Just before Christmas (about a week), on a Sunday evening, I started getting pains in my stomach and felt sick. It was very much like I had food posining. The next day I woke up I felt awful, was shivering and had to take the day off work. I had acid reflux by this point as well. The shivering and feeling awful soon finished but the reflux and stomach discomfort continued over Christmas at various levels. At times it would be one or the other, both together and various levels of pain/discomfort.

Now, I admit to over indulging over Christmas on food and alcohol which wouldn’t help. There was a few days when I thought I was over the reflux but then the next day it would kick in. I’ve continued to take the Omeprazole. If it was just the reflux I would understand but it’s the lower stomach pain - it feels like I’m bloated all the time, need to go to the toilet (but don’t) and general discomfort/pain. The Omeprazole isn’t doing much right now and while I’m no longer eating badly and drinking anything alcoholic, nothing has helped yet.

I, or course, have started to worry and went to google. I’m now worried again and pancreatic cancer, esophagus and bowel cancer - depending what I’m feeling the most at that time.

So, yeah, I don’t want to go down the dark hole again and end up very depressed and full of anxiety. Anyone else in the same boat? I’ll add this is 24/7, the reflux and stomach discomfort doesn’t go away really, just changes. Please tell me why it isn’t any of the previously mentioned awful things!

I’m 30 years old, white and male. Married with a little daughter and another on the way. I’ll add as well that I haven’t noticed any change in stools, any blood and I’m still going. I’m not suffering with watery stools or blocked up.

Thanks as always NMP.

[GiantMogwai]

I am permanently on 15mg lanzaprazole for acid reflux. Have been for the last 10 years. I'm 44. Things that work for me. Slightly tilted bed. Cut out processed tomato sauce and fatty dairy in evenings. Last meal 4 hours before bed. Look at detoxing with FODMAP diet for a few months. Lose weight if overweight. Do exercise e.g. walking or cycle machine. Take the minimum dose of omeprazole or lanzaprazole to relieve your symptoms. In my experience PPIs can also make you more sensitive to foods you are intolerant to or allergic to so keep an eye on which foods are triggers.

Also, goes without saying you can get reflux and other symptoms at same time. I once had reflux, gastritis, and costochondritis at same time. You may have something similar. See you doctor from time to time. If needed they can send you for blood test, allergy test, endoscopy, and 24hr acid reflux test. If your symptoms last over years you may get sent for these but I don't think what you are experiencing is there yet. Get advice from doctor. Reflux is horrible. Good luck!

[begonia]

You could be talking about me, i am having exactly the same issues. I have just got over a nasty bout of reflux, doctor put me on 40mg omaprazole. I was then thinking esophagus cancer. For the last four days I have had lower abdominal pain, bloating and that feeling of needing the toilet, everything that you have explained. I am now worried about Ovarian cancer. I have made an appt for two weeks time to see the GP, if things haven't calmed down. The anxiety makes it worse I am sure.

[GiantMogwai]

FODMAP diet is great for bloating. Stress is a big contributor to reflux. Fundamental cause for me is weakening of valve that keeps acid down.

[LDHarv]

You could be talking about me, i am having exactly the same issues. I have just got over a nasty bout of reflux, doctor put me on 40mg omaprazole. I was then thinking esophagus cancer. For the last four days I have had lower abdominal pain, bloating and that feeling of needing the toilet, everything that you have explained. I am now worried about Ovarian cancer. I have made an appt for two weeks time to see the GP, if things haven't calmed down. The anxiety makes it worse I am sure.

Hey,

Hope everything goes well at the GP! Is it 24/7 for you as well? Have you had this before and how old are you (if you don’t mind me asking)?

Thanks to everyone else for taking the time to reply.

[begonia]

Hi there

I have had this once before and it eventually went away, I think its probably a bit of overindulgence after Christmas but worries the hell out of me. The pain and bloating is just starting to go down so are my anxiety levels. I found that fasting by only eating one meal a day for the past couple of days has helped and given my digestion a rest. I am in my 50's, so no spring chicken but you worry more as you get older I'm afraid.
Try not to worry and try eating less for a few days and see if it helps. Take care.

[HopelessWorrier2011]

You could be me. I am having the exact same symptoms. I started early on in the year with a bad case of gastritis and have never been the same since then. I also have high stress levels that are sometimes very difficult to manage. I too over indulged at Christmas and have suffered since. Lanszapraole usually helps but it doesn’t seem to be this time. I get burning sensations all over my stomach. I really do feel your pain x

[LDHarv]

Thank you for the replies and kind messages - glad to hear I’m in the same boat as others, if that’s the right turn of phrase!

Was convinced I noticed blood in my stools yesterday (went to toilet 4 times). Wife said it wasn’t but still wasn’t sure so purchased a home test which came back negative. Woke up this morning still with reflux and stomach discomfort. Now my bum hole (sorry!) feels sore, anyone else?

Currently flipping between worrying about bowel cancer and pancreatic cancer, which of course comes from my health anxiety. Anyone else have those horrible thoughts but been able to rationalise it?

Thanks again to all for your replies, it’s very appreciated!

[BlueIris]

If you've been checking multiple times a day for blood in your stool, yes, that part of your anatomy is going to get sore. Been there, done that.


All else aside, an occasional small amount of red blood in your stool is almost never anything to worry about, and can absolutely, definitely be caused by overenthusiastic checking (don't ask me how I know this!)

[LDHarv]

Hello all,

Back again! Hopefully you can all give me some words to make me feel better tonight.

I've currently got my health anxiety good and proper and I'm worried about pancreatic cancer. Just for information, I'm a 30 year old male. Slightly overweight, drink a bit too much and don't eat that well.

Just before Christmas (about 9 days ago), on a Sunday evening, I randomly started to have sharp pains in my lower stomach. The sort of pains you get with food poisoning - which is what I assumed it was. I went to bed, got up in the morning and the pains continued. I was also shivering, cold but also hot at the same time. Again, I assumed it was food poisoning and took the day off work. I wasn't sick and my stools were fairly fine, though I did go a few more times than normal.

The next day, my acid reflux kicked in. I should say here, I've had acid reflux for about three years. The first time I had it, it was 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I got into an awful health anxiety state, went to the GP a number of times and was googling a lot - especially around pancreatic cancer. I finally got over it when I started taking omeprazole and the symptoms went a way. I have had acid reflux on and off since that day, I would go back on to omeprazole for a bit when required.

Going back to the recent information, the acid reflux continued 24/7 over Christmas. I also felt very bloated and full. I started to take my 20mg omeprazole again but it didn't seem to kick in. I did continue to drink and eat badly over the period (as it was Christmas). However, things have continued over and since Christmas:

> Stomach discomfort, especially around the side (love handles) and lower back. A pressure type feeling.
> Acid reflux as mentioned before
> Slight nausea as times
> Sharp pains just under the rib cage, both sides - like a stitch type feeling - sometimes in lower stomach/bladder area
> Last 4 days, an upper back pain that is all the time really (sometimes not as bad). It doesn't stop me doing stuff, just feels like a bruised area that sort of moves around or a knot. It isn't sharp, just there most of the time.

My stools have been pretty much fine, as has my urine.

I went to GP yesterday and she said nothing I said sounds like cancer, that it was a bad flare up of my gastro/acid reflux, to up my dose to 40mg (twice a day) and come back in two weeks if it had continued. She felt my tummy and said all felt fine. She refused a blood test, said I had one in September for tons of things and it all came back fine.

Despite this, i’m still worried about pancreatic cancer and liver cancer based on symptoms. Anyone else in or been in the same boat? Just want to know all my symptoms don’t point and aren’t those things!

Thanks again everyone, this forum is amazing for HA’s like myself.