My name is Allison and I am a 25 year old female. In 2010, I was treated for Hpylori( stomach bacteria) and was cleared of the infedtion via breath test. Since 2013, I have lost about 8 pounds but I contributed it to life style changes and going off birth control pills. I have suffered wirh acid reflux on and off for the last 6 years, but for the last few days I have been having stomach fullness, constant small burps even after drinking water, and acid reflux. My appetite has decreased due to not being able to eat as much as before. Last week, my appetite was fine and I did not have this burping issue. I fear the worst ( cancer) due to my weight loss and history of h pylori. I also suffer from severe anxiety and cannot seem to stop thinking about my symptoms. I do have an appointment on Friday with the doctor but I am afraid they will not take my seriously. I would like to hear from anyone with similar symptoms or advice please.
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I am going through the exact same right now. Only thing I don't or have been dismissed of having is the h pylori which I was tested for that 3 months ago and came back fine. But I too have suffered severe weight loss in my 4 months now of dealing with anxiety, stress, and I've have stomach issues along with acid reflux. And just like you, which it is so ironic that you are experiencing it just like me, but last week I was doing fine with my appetite. I was feeling positive about it thinking my appetite was finally coming back on track because trust me my appetite has been so up and down these last 4 months. So them all the sudden now this last 3 days has turned back around. I'm noticing the acid reflux coming back along with mild heartburn. Now to a point even when I drink, I burp and even get fullness. I'm now afraid to even want to eat because I don't know how i will feel or if I will throw up. I even have the mild difficult swallowing. I can just taste the acid in my throat as I swallow. Last night I decided to sleep on the couch so I can be in a sit up position hoping it would help. And because of my high anxiety I'm scared to even use medication for it because if the side effects. I don't know what to do. Plus not to mention just in general feeling down and doomed and having anxiety symptoms and not being able to tell if it's coming from this or that. I'm so heartbroken.
I am also scared to take medications. I will be seeing the doctor on Friday to discuss my symptoms but am scared of what they may say. Has your doctor offered any explaination to your symptoms?
Well I haven't been back to the docs for the acid reflux since last time I was dealing with it and because I had thought it was doing better or gone I hadn't been. But I am starting to not like doctors because they either so quick to throw a medicine at you instead of really trying to find what's really causing things or they either tell you oh its probably this or that, you'll be fine. But I know from my last visit about my acid reflux I pretty much was telling the doc how I felt and all he said was you could be developing an ulcer and here take these for a month. But since Ive just began to notice it come back these last 3 or 4 days I'm anxious to want to see my gp because it's so wierd that even when I drink water I feel it.
Yes I agree. Since 2010 when I had H pylori I have not experienced any GI issues like the ones I am experiencing now. My stomach feels like someone pumped air into it and I am constantly having small burps and my stomach is making weird noises. I am afraid I could have the H pylori again if that is even possibly. From my understanding, new research has shown that H pylori is the number one contributer to stomach ulcers ( which I did have ). I would ask your doctor to test you for H pylori again because when I had it, it took me a month for my doctor to take me seriously. They kept telling me it was all in my head and it was from my anxiety. They finally ended up sending me into Boston because my symptoms were so severe.
I do have a follow up in about two weeks (ugh the wait for everything makes my anxiety worse) to see my gp. They just never seem to take you seriously. Expecially when they know you have anxiety they wanna put every fucking thing off on that. But so hope that h pylori would creep around in my system even after getting tested for it and it came back negative. Now I may call and ask is this possible
And what bothers me is that I'm afraid to eat. When I can't afford to be not eating again. This is how I lost all that weight beforw. So it's like do I just continue to eat through this feeling of acid reflux? Eat until it gets bad? Or what? I hate this. I was doing so much better the last few weeks. Maybe was it the fact that I was eating whatever and it trigger the acid reflux? 2hat medicine did you take for your acid reflux?
I was on Prilosec 40 mg for about a year but recently I have just been taking Tums as needed. My bf went out and bought me OTC omeprazole yesterday and I am going to start taking it again. I am also afraid to eat because every time I eat the burping begins and I feel uncomfortable. I also cannot afford to lose weight and I am afraid to be weighed at the doctor because I also obsess over my weight (losing weight) and if I have lost any weight it will trigger major anxiety for me.
Yes same here. I am so scared to even see the scale because if I see that I have even lost 1 pound my anxiety will raise and I will begin to get depressed thinking something else is really wrong with me. My weight is actually my biggest issue of it all. I can fight through the anxiety I just wish it didn't effect my weight like it did. I too was once on omeprazole 20 mg once a day given by the doc. And then he tried puttinh me 20mg twice a day but i had decided then to stop.And i too was debating on starting it again today. But I was afraid because I was reading the reviews and side effects of what people said about it but I have taken it before and I did notice I had bouts of diarrhea with it. But I'm really thinking about starting it again.
What I did notice about omeprazole was it was very hard to come off of it. I had to wean myself slowly off of it because I had rebound acid reflux. Did the doctor ever mention about getting an endoscopy?
Girl no. They seem like they don't want to go the measures of getting something like that dud because they'd have to refer me to get it did but they would certainly give me a prescription for medicine. The more I talk on it the more I dislike these doctors. But I was thinking if I should call them back tell them I've tried the medicine and it still ain't working and see if they will go the extra mile then. Or knowing them they'll probably make me switch medicines to see what work. But i was literally crying and trying to force my food because I can't believe I feel like this I was doing so good last week. I was thinking of taking some tums too for temporary relief. Did tums work for you?
Tums only work if I take more than one. And you also neeed to take them with water and on a full stomach for them to work properly. I also dislike doctors because I know when I go on Friday they will dismiss g symptoms as just acid reflux or anxiety and they are so quick to hand me Zoloft or some other antidepressant.
Yes that's how I feel too. But I think I'll give the tums a try these next few days and even see if that's my issue right now (the acid reflux). Plus I want immediate relief. But I didn't know I'd get better relief if I took it on a full stomach and with water because I've always taken it before I eat. I thought that it should be taken before a meal.
The omeprazole should be taken before a meal but I learned in school ( I'm an RN) that tums work best on a full stomach and with water. Their effect actually lasts longer if you take them on a full stomach..
Oh wow that good to know. I will definitely follow your advice on the tums. And i do know with the omeprazole it has to be taken before a meal. That's probably why I was thinking the same for the tums. But I'm glad you told me this
Hi I've been experiencing stomach issues also, from doing my own research because every doctor I go to doesn't seem to listen to me or wants to give me medication. I'm almost pretty sure I have a stomach ulcer only because months ago I was experiencing a dull pain in my right arm and was taking aspirin & Tylenol on a daily basis. I also experience shortness of breath bloated stomach. Burping chest pain. Now I have to set up another appointment witch will probably take awhile for them to see me. I'm sick of doctors.
My stomach issues started at 24, I had every test and medicine and surgery to repair it and I still suffer from all of it...and it is because emotions and heavy anxiety affect our digestion tracts. I am now 31.
So basically we need to strengthen and heal our *minds* in order for our bodies to get well. I say that with respect because I too suffer quite badly with my anxieties and fears to this day. It has ruined my 11 year career, my little body is so pitiful now, and I can hardly leave my house. It's awful. But I am still going strong (in a sense). 😊😆😉😚
I also have been loosing weight for no reason straight away I think it's cancer been to doctors had chest x ray blood tests they all came back fine I have to go back in 6 weeks to get weighed again
I have a similar issue but I'm still waiting for my retest to know I'm clear of it 100%. I did however get 3 biopsies done after a gastroscopy which came back clear with only inflammation being listed. The problem has been since all of it started 4 or 5 months back, I was led into so much conjecture by doctors, specialists and naturopaths that I was self diagnosing and the stress impact was a lot. My first issue was candida, then after a stool test i was positive for Yersinia Enterocolitica bacteria and then only months later a naturopath suggested a Helicobacter Pylori test which I was positive. I lost trust by doing treatments at the start for the wrong things which means now until I see a result via a test my anxiety won't let me take their word until they prove it. I really do feel that the infections I had are gone... I don't have parasites... I had candida but that's also gone internally except a bit on the tongue. I still have residual problems including weight loss, hair loss, dry skin and I do believe the anxiety and sleepless nights really do add to weight loss, nervous stomach, reflux, etc etc. The only way I could break the cycle was to ensure I did the right blood tests including T3/T4 thyroid and hormonal tests, the right stool tests and breath tests to ensure all bacteria are gone. The last step is once that is done, one must really look at the factor of how much mental state plays a part in these infections. It doesn't discount an infection or problem, but the damage these things leave behind after they are gone are not only physical they are also psychological. My advice is do your research but without driving yourself crazy and going down a hyperchondriac rabbit hole... don't over explain to the doctor as they'll just blame anxiety. Go in with a list of questions and demand the tests you want or the specialists you need to see to get answers. The worst is not knowing and living in limbo. And the biggest key - don't assume the worst.. stress and worry do damage, as well as what nasty bacteria leave behind. What I have done now that I found a rhythm is get tests and then get the doctors opinion but also take the results to a naturopathic doctor and see if I can solve the problem without chemicals. I've been improving physically and mentally since all this happened. Hope you feel better soon, just remind yourself you are a living breathing being and as frustrating as it is, you more than likely have curable issues
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