How Specifically Does Anxiety Affect Stomach?

Hi, I'm struggling through some fairly severe ongoing stomach issues that are initially triggered by a fairly specific, intense anxious event. Initially, I awaken with heart racing and/or a 'flushing' feeling around my heart, then it goes straight to my stomach where it immediately feels like a burning sensation, then severe pain and nausea.

Unfortunately, even after the anxious event/thoughts are removed, the stomach issues continue on for some time. This latest episode has lasted over 2 months. The last episode I had was in 2002 and lasted over 6 months.

When I'm not going through an 'episode', typical anxieties/fears may creep up on me, but none cause any sort of ongoing physical symptoms as these do. I don't suffer from panic attacks or most of the symptoms of general anxiety disorder.

- So to help me diagnose what is happening with my stomach, I'm curious to know exactly what is happening to the stomach during an extreme episode of anxiety?

- Some process is causing my stomach to become severely inflamed. Is there a scientific explanation?

- Anyone have severe, ongoing stomach issues resulting from an initial bout with anxiety?

Thanks. I understand a bit about adrenalin and how it affects the heart in this situation, but topics about stomach always seem more vague.

[dolphin845]

my stomach is effected by my anxiety.  I get anxiety induced nausea.  I just know there are a ton of receptors in the stomach and it's not uncommon for people like us to have stomach issues.  I get the burning and nausea all the time.  
It's becoming old and I've had it now for over 2 years.  When it gets real bad,  I take a compazine to block that dopamine receptor - and the nausea goes away and I have two good days in a row.
I don't know what to tell you since I have the same problem.  Just that you're not alone.

[Suzzie205]

I have had ongoing stomach issues since all my anxiety started. I don't eat and have lost alot of weight. All this causes more anxiety. I have had an upper GI normal, a ultrasound of my gallbladder and liver all normal. I now am waiting to have the camera swallowing test on the 18 th of this month. I am so tired of all this, I can never eat normal without upseting my stomach. When I do try to eat then I feel too full. It just seems that when the anxiety flares then the appitite goes. So you are not alone. Sometimes I feel like I just constantly have the flu.

[cnote]

Hey Kenny. My anxiety seems to set in my stomach. I get a NERVOUS stomach, bad butterflies, the feeling of fear, for no reason... and it def. has it's side effects... no appetite... which leads to bloating... and upset nauseated stomach...

If you have no appetite for days... just keep hydrated, eat as much protein as you can... things that are easy to go down even if they don't sound good, your body needs nutrients... and when you are having anxiety, your body burns nutrients fast!

Drink those ensure protein drinks too! And fruit always seems to go down good... and p & j sandwiches for me. =)

Good luck.

Have you talked to your Dr. about your symptoms?

[Kenny11]

Thanks for the replies. So still trying to understand technically what's happening, but this is a good start.

- So does anyone have ongoing stomach issues even after the anxiety (thoughts/feelings) is gone?

My current episode has been going on for over 2 months now, with not much progress. And while I know that in this state I am hyper-sensitive to anxious feelings that otherwise would be no big deal, I also know that there are definitely stretches where I'm definitely not experiencing anxiety during these episodes.

And for the one taking compazine, can that be short-term just to allow your stomach to 'heal', or return to normal?

Thanks again!

[lowT]

I also suffer from ongoing nausea which started 20 months ago after a panic attack at work, i have been since been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
I feel nauseous every day even when i don't feel anxious, i have had many tests all of which have come back as normal except for Testosterone which was low.
One of the tests i had done was a 24 hr urine collection to see how much Adrenaline i was producing but this also came back as normal.
Have you ever been on anxiety meds? it is quite normal for a Psychiatrist to put you on a 1 or 2 week trial of valium to see if this alleviates your symptoms.  

[dolphin845]

And for the one taking compazine, can that be short-term just to allow your stomach to 'heal', or return to normal?

      IT can be short term or long term.  I've been taking it off and on for just over 2 years.  I don't go anywhere without it.  Vacations etc....  What it does is block the dopamine receptor which tells your brain that your stomach is not nauseous.
There's another drug called, phenegren which  is supposed to do the same thing but if you research the two drugs,  compazine has been proven to work much better for nausea.
My stomach pretty much always gets or feels better when anxiety symptoms are gone.  I would say if compazine doesn't help  your stomach,  I'd see a doc to see if there is something physically going on because your stomach should subside and feel better once the anxiety is gone or the dopamine receptor is blocked.

[Kenny11]

Thanks for the replies.

I'd really like to try to figure out how to stop the physical effects that the anxiety is causing my stomach, rather than just stopping my self from feeling it. Something about the initial anxiety event is causing my stomach to get totally enflamed/irritated, to the point that it takes months to heal and go back to normal.

I really wish I could discover what the anxiety is causing my stomach to do (ie - does it totally ramp up and overflow the acid production, does it cause muscle contractions, does it cause an increase or decrease in blood flow to the stomach, does it cause digestion to stop, etc.). So far it has been a bit elusive to get the complete scientific explanation of what goes on physiologically to the stomach during anxiety.

[remar]

you have asked a very good question. i suffer with stomach problems alot, i'm going through it right now. have you been checked for ulcers yet? i've been treated for them twice. i think most of us with anxiety have stomach problems. i hope we get more posts here explaining what exactly is going on, and why it lasts for days or months at a time. rema

[Kenny11]

I've been checked for ulcers a couple times in the past, but tests always come back negative. I think I've been told last time that my stomach is 'enflamed' or I have Gastritis.

But something is triggering this, I don't struggle with it randomly - only after a very severely anxious situation.

I'll keep digging...

[remar]

from your symptoms i would say yes, you may have one of those problems. but you did say that this happens after a severely anxious situation. that's when it usually hits me too. have you tried nexium, zantac or pepcid ac ? i take pepcid ac and it gives me some relief. i hope you feel better. remar

[Kenny11]

Hmmm, so suggesting taking acid blockers would suggest an over-abundance of acid that is irritating the stomach lining. Does anyone know if this is verifyably true?

The only thing I've read so far, is that blood is diverted away from the stomach, therefore slowing digestion. But how exactly this irritates the stomach, or if there is actually something more going on, is yet to be found by me.

[remar]

is your stomach feeling any better. mine is better right now thank goodness. i too would like to know what is going on. i told you i take pepcid ac and it helps somewhat but not completely. i recommended nexium or prilosec earlier but just read an artile on those 2 meds saying they were not good to take but pepcid ac was because it's different. you can't believe everything you read so you should check it out if you want to take either of these meds. that does make some sense about blood being diverted away from the stomach, that's why we get tingling arms and legs wtih a panic attack right? we need more info on this. remar

[becomingthechange]

When I get anxiety I lose my apetite for the most part and I have to make myself eat because I know I have to.  If I am having a really bad anxiety day then I get really nauseous and some of the time I vomit.  Usually this happens when there is some event going on that I am anxious about.  On those days I really can't eat anything unless I want to see it again.  I tried taking an antiacid but that did absolutely nothing.  It totally *****, but you're not alone.

[crystalfresh]

What is causing your stomach issues no clue. But your heart racing with your stomach issues may not be anxiety. When you can't digest your heart can pump harder to drive more oxygen and blood to that muscle area to help push it through.

Some things to try. Try cooling down with cold wet towels while standing up right. Ice if needed. Just to cool your body temp, doesn't matter how you cool down. When my stomach is blocked and can't digest food this happens to me. Down right scary. Once I start to over heat I can't slow down my heart. I also take gas medication (gas-x) with water. It takes about 20 minutes to help me. My problem is not anxiety related.

But if cooling your body down while in a full up right position helps, can't hurt to try. I found that most of the time when ever I start to get hot or my heart starts to beat faster I know acid reflux, nausea and gas are building up. I take a gas-x before it gets to the over heated and super fast heart beat stage.

Don't know if this is your problem, but if it helps please message me to know that it worked. I will share more about it. If it doesn't work, then probably something very different than what I have. Hope you feel better, all of you.

Also anyone with long term stomach issues where your gastro says your fine, look into blood and intradermal food allergy testing. Both! Good luck.

[Kenny11]

Thanks for the replies! My heart racing issue doesn't seem to have anything to do with overheating to me. It usually happens in the morning, sometimes waking me up (which REALLY bums me out). Of course I feel it when I know I'm anxious about something, but at times it happens when I'm not thinking about anything (again, sometimes waking me from sound sleep).

I really am not sure if I'm having trouble actually 'digesting' my food or not. I just think my stomach is inflamed or irritated. Just trying to figure out what aspect of anxiety causing the stomach inflammation.

I am scheduled to go to a Naturapathic doc on Tuesday who will do a food sensitivity test, and a neurotransmitter test. Hopefully that will help point me in the right direction.

[marcuss52]

You might get tested for h pylori, it's a bacterial infection that gets in the stomach and can cause lots of digestive issues.  Also been known to casue anxiety itself cause your not getting all your nutrients.