Serious stomach problems

[Sandy1710]

Could someone please explain what sort of stomach problems they have experienced due to anxiety. I had a ct scan just last week and other than a kidney stone everything was fine but I'm still having such bad pains and aches down the side of my stomach and in my back and belly. Comes and goes and I'm not being woken up because of it but it's just concenrning me. If someone could share there experiences would be massively appreciated.

[dunc-b73]

Hi

I believe that I contracted and IBD from anxiety which started 3-4 years ago. I would have a gassy like feeling coming from stomach to chest which made me panic, hence I went to hospital had bloods, cheat x-ray and so on......they found nothing, Went to Doc's they put me on Losec which suppresses stomach acid which in turn is not good for digestion and so on.

After 2 years of this I had a colonoscopy which showed Microscopic Colitis (watery non bloody diarrhoea) up to 20 times a day!! I still get really gassy, burps, stomach growls.

The pain was on the right side of my stomach (ascending colon), I now on a gluten free diet which proves to be very hard sometimes and I go days and days with no dinner as i'm too tired to cook as I just can't pop down the road and grab a takeaway.

Go to your doc and ask him/her, many times I feel a 'normal' doctor doesn't take anxiety etc too seriously. I had to fork out $$$ for my colonoscopy and waiting lists here would take many months to get in. Maybe try cuting out gluten and sugar levels as the human body isn't that well in digesting gluten, good luck!

[Sandy1710 in reply to dunc-b73]

Well I went two weeks ago and she said I'm taking up too much time now going from one illness to another. The day after I got a kidney stone. I had a CT scan so guess anything major would show up there? Main thing the looked at was kidneys but I assume they look all around to see anything wrong? My stomach s just in pieces at the moment!

[JoMarie5 in reply to Sandy1710]

In June I had a Ct scan and they do look at your abdomen. I have kidney stones and gallbladder stone too . Also I had swallon lymph nodes in my small intestine. They told me not to be concerned but my recovery took along time and I still don't feel like I'm on track. My GI doctor said my CT san looked good so she wasn't concerned. But of course I am . So yes they more then likely would have seen something when they took a look at your kidneys because it's a whole pic of your abdomen .

[Jeff1943 in reply to dunc-b73]

Hi Sandy and dunc, when you say IBD I presume that's Irritable Bowel Syndrome and it's well known that this can be a result of anxiety, the stomach is evidently one of the most common parts of the body to react to stress. A clear CT scan is good news but IBS won't show up on any scan or investigation as there's nothing to see, it's messages from the brain causing the colon to malfunction. Like dunc I've had aches and pains in the ascending colon and also a bit of back pain, had at CT scan, ultrasound scan, gastroscope, blood tests and nothing found, it started 3 years ago. Also painless spasms after eating in the ascending colon. It doesn't bother me too much now I know what it is and just live with it, it comes wnd goes. The gastroenterologist diagnosed it as muscular skeletal after viewing all the results ie nothing to do with the stomach, it's only the last 3 months I realised it's a bit of IBS most noticeable when getting up after sleeping on right side. So it sounds like we might all have the same thing, anxiety strikes again, it started aftervthe death of a dear friend and IBS is supposed to be triggered by a major stress event so that figures. I also get very mild stomach ache which comes and goes which I know is associated, I use ginger tea to combat it. But in my case it's all liveable with so long as it doesn't worsen.

[dunc-b73 in reply to Jeff1943]

Hi Jeff

I have Irritable bowel disease, which was diagnosed with a biopsy and can only been seen with a microscope hence microscope colitis. All my symptoms pretty much started with a member who passed away at my golf club, as I'm a golf professional based here I have to deal with many members I talk to on a daily basis and when they pass away I get really upset....then I think somethings wrong with me etc like health anxiety and the circle goes round and round

[Jeff1943 in reply to dunc-b73]

Hi dunc-b73, irritable bowel dusease must be slightly dufferent to irritable bowel syndrome because with the latter a biopsy would show nothing but they're both clearly closely related and clearly related to anxiety. In my case it started a month or so before a good neighbour friend died, we knew he was going to die, and continued as stomach ache for a month or so after he dued and then stopped. Then 6 months later I went to stay in his caravan for a bit of a walking holiday and the stomach ache came back for a few days.

As you say the circle goes round and round and the only way I know of to break the circle and stop the symptoms of anxiety is to truly accept the symptoms and lose one's fear ofthem. I'm always quoting the book of Claire Weekes which has helped so many people recover through acceptance which is called 'Self help with your nerves' in the UK and 'Hope and help for your nerves' in the US. Available from Amazon and it can be lufe changing.

[Sandy1710 in reply to Jeff1943]

I'm just so scared still despite having that scan. Worried of a cancer or something else. Every time I eat the noises my stomach makes it terrible. Takes so long for it to settle down. Guessing it's serious digestive issues? It's your second brain after all isn't it? The hour after eating food I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack or something else. Getting silly really.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Sandy1710]

Listen to me, Sandy, you definitely don't have cancer, the CT scan would have spotted it for sure. So your stomach makes noises after you eat. So what? You're the only one who notices and it's only to be expected when you're suffering from nervous tummy. Nothing serious about those gurglings, I can feel them myself noe because I have a touch of IBS. But I don't give them much thought, don't let them ruin my life. I know that one day they will pass just as yours will, all troubles pass in time.

You could try eating smaller meals more often, that might help. There's no way you have cancer, you really must stop worrying about things you don't have. All your health problems come down to nervous anxiety and as we've said before the wayvto recover is to accept the symptoms as trifles of no medical importance and not worth frightening youeself to death over. The bottom line is, Sandy: Everything is going to be alright and that's a promise.

[Sandy1710 in reply to Jeff1943]

I've just worried myself into thinking my heart is gonna pack in. My chest is so tight and everything. The first hour is horrible after eating these days! Thanks for your assurance Jeff.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Sandy1710]

Your heart is strong, Sandy, stronger than you can imagine, so no matter how tight it feels right now in your chest your heart won't be affected. Try smaller meals more often, that could help.

[Peacewithin1]

It sounds like IBS Irritable bowel syndrome

[Lando111]

Presumably you mean inflammatory rather than irritable bowel disease.

Either way it's still going to be worse when you're anxious.