Needing some encouragement

Most of you have seen my previous posts about my anxiety beings up lately because of my gastritis & reflux acting up. I’ve been eating ok but watching what I eat. I ate a sandwich with sundries tomato and avocado yesterday. It sent my stomach a little sideways but didn’t last long (think the sundried tomato’s did it). Had a bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwich with the same chips as yesterday. Stomach and gut feeling bloated later in the day. Feel like I need to poop but have already gone a couple times today. I’ve read Claire Weeks books and trying very hard to follow her advice but this gastritis stuff makes it very hard to not worry something else worse is going on.

[1973m]

Hi , I have gastric related stuff too . I have a hiatus hernia and have recently had a stomach bug which set the whole gastric episode off again and my nerves also .. because I’m like what’s wrong is this the start of something serious. So I totally get where your coming from with it setting off your anxiety. I’m currently back on some medication for the acid and it seems to be settling again.

It sounds to me like you are quite knowledgable and are sorting out what foods are safe to eat etc but as with anything if we have heightened anxiety it’ll set the stomach churning and cause indigestion and other things, so keep telling yourself it’s nerves and it’ll pass, let it do it’s worst and carry on with your daily tasks .. all the best .

[Hidden in reply to 1973m]

You're exactly right. Even though I have anxiety, I'm not stressed about anything right now except this stomach/gut thing. Waking up in the morning and wondering how they'll feel today, whether I'll eat just because I need to or be hungry. My digestion seems like it slowed down since I've been on the Prilosec so wondering if that's part of it. Bowel movements are smaller and a few times through the day vs all at once mid- morning as before. I'm keeping a pretty bland diet right now too. I'm just tired of feeling like this because it's so not me. I'm normally on the go all the time with a bounce in my step. Now my energy is less and I can't get my mind off of it. My colonoscopy is Aug 6th. Hopefully some answers!

[Hidden]

I used to have the same symptoms you described and with sensitized nerves it makes you think you have something serious. I have a big hiatus hernia which maybe can be the culprit, but 1 month ago I’ve decided to do an food intolerance test and it results that I’m gluten and dairy intolerant. And yes when ever I used to eat food related to gluten and dairy it used to make my stomach very tense, bloated, nauseated, painful etc. Now I am on gluten and dairy free diet which it improved my gut. Also it relieved my daily brain fog that I used to live with.

[Rilo7268]

youre not alone. i have gerd and silent reflux. usually it doesnt bother me too much aside from a lot of burping but yesterday my stomach felt tight at the top and i think my sternum hurt but it mightve just been pain felt from the stomach. i get random chest pains from it and sometimes rib pain, which i dont know if thats from reflux. youre right, it makes it hard to believe theres not something else going on. ive been to the er twice this year and had a stress test so i have to keep telling myself its not my heart. i had a salad yesterday and pizza and just felt yucky after that and those things generally dont bother me so its hard not to feel anxious.

[Hidden in reply to Rilo7268]

I'm the same way. Other than burping a lot, especially first thing in the morning and after eating, it's not too bad. Yesterday though my stomach felt like a balloon at the top. It was tight, had that gnawing feeling and some rib and back pain, but not a lot of it. Fortunately I rarely get the rib and back pain unless I eat something citrus, spicy or too rich. I've really been watching what I eat since this started a month ago. The rough days really do make it hard not to let your mind and anxiety amp up that something big is wrong.

[Jeff1943]

Lovemybear, maybe a good idea to see your doctor for reassurance but as Claire Weekes said the stomach is the organ most sympathetic to anxiety. So your gastritis and reflux sound very much to be a symptom of anxiety.

It's easy to get confused about where stomach ends and bowels begin, they're really just one organ to my way of thinking.

Your worry that this is something more serious than gastritis sounds very much like sensitive nerves exaggerating any passing thought into a life-threatening illness. We've all experienced that many times over. But do confide your fears to your doctor when you see him or her.

See the doctor (or a chemist to get some immediate relief), take the tablets and just accept your stomach and reflux are playing up but will recover the sooner if you don't stress, obsess, indulge in too much introspection. Agreeing to co-exist for as long as it takes is just another term for acceptance. Give it time, show no fear and all this will pass.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

Thanks Jeff. I've read so much of her work and watched the videos but don't remember about the stomach being the most sensitive organ to anxiety. I know I'm doing the catastrophic thinking thing but trying hard not to. As you know, showing no fear is the hardest part.

[Mariapalmer]

Hi sorry this is abit of a late reply but I really relate to you, some things send my tummy abit side ways so I stay away from those but even when I’m so careful about what I eat I still get problems like yourself and it does make me anxious , it’s abit of a rut but just want to let you know I relate to you! X